The Military had surrounded many places that were thought to house the Priesthood, each and every one of them were empty and without a trace of the next destination. They Priesthood had taken shelter in many ancient and previously undiscovered cultural ruins. Entire histories of peoples unknown were popping up on Internet forums and the flood of questions to World governments kept many politicians and world leaders feeling the pressure to come up with answers.
-"Yes Janice, We've seen hoaxes and we've seen false claims before. Its hard to imagine that you can find an entire civilization every few months. Yet, here we find ourselves again. This is the 5th newly discovered language and temple.
-"I have to agree, The artwork is amazing, if not primitive."
The tweens on a social media outlet were broadcasting around the world. They had taken up the cause to bring transparency to the ongoing manhunt across the globe. Military resources from several nation went from continent to continent.
-"We have reports that the Military is moving again, this time to Argentina."
-"Do you think they will discover another Temple in Argentina?"
-"Given the rich history of the region, its unlikely that a civilization was hidden away and undiscovered"
-"In response to your questionable answer.. I have to give this a big blue finger."
-"I have a thing about Jaguars, so I hope they find something beautiful."
-"Ahh, I see. You're still hopeful to be chosen if the "Esper Emperor" comes back."
-"You can't use that name without knowing what it means... I think it is a name meant to strike fear, not a name meant to inspire."
-"So what if its a name that strikes fear, isn't that an inspired feeling. Revelry is a virtue for the strong, shouldn't he take what's his?"
-"Revelry? Do you really think a powerful being came to Earth to save it? No. That's not worthy of Revelry, that's worth being terrified into an immediate response. No.. Its Evil, It should be eliminated"
-"Eliminated? That seems a bit far. Even if the Esper Emperor were to exist and was Evil, wouldn't he have just destroyed us? Or are you like some of the Americans' who claim that China got the only benefits.
-"Americans? Fuck. No, they just want their hands on the supposed power. I think American's have a problem accepting other global super powers."
-"I don't think the word superpowers needs to be associated with government. Haven't you ever read any comic book ever? Governments are always to blame for something horrific that happens in them. Its sort of like the theme of every government, ever."
-"Well, at least they've stayed out of North America for a reason. It would be bad news if Canada was suddenly swarming with troops looking for the boogieman."
-"Can't argue with you there."
The Broadcasts were frequent and carried the same discussions. Ultimately, governments were forced to publicly reveal all the materials to each other. There wasn't a Global oversight committee, however there was a large overwhelmingly threatening army zerging across the planet in search mode for the Priesthood. Anyone who stood in the way of that global initiative, would be targeted for elimination. The Public had overwhelming support when questions went unanswered, and people disappearing into thin air showed up on videos online.
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Six weeks of setup had cost the governments of the world nearly twice their national budget for a year. They were quickly becoming restless and frustrated with a lack of results, and then it happened.
A video came out, it was released from Argentina.
Standing before the remains of a defunct Mid-Nineteenth Century Bunker, a sort of illusory man came out of the shadows. He didn't have wings, he didn't speak in a vile tone. He had a lot to say, and the video was impossible to bury once it went viral.
"I am Zao Ho, Prince of the Zao Clan. I have walked among you."
"There are a lot of Governments seeking to get my attention, but I assure you that I am not interested in the scope of this Worlds Kings and Tyrants."
"As a show of good faith, I've had our people not confront you until such a time as we've found ourselves prepared to reveal our identities."
"Many who are watching thing or will be watching this and thinking about why. Why did this crazy being decide to pick Earth, of all places to come and visit? Why did any of this happen at all? Where did the people who've disappeared go? What is the Zao Sect and Clan? What gives us power?... can you have power? These are the sorts of questions I do not think you need answers to yet."
"However I've decided to answer some of them anyway, because watching the innocent worry does no good for relations."
"It would not surprise me to if the Esper Emperor returns to this planet sooner than later. He is my Older Brother. I am from another World, that world is filled with danger, but its also filled with possibility. My Sect was hunted down, Twice before I came to this world. The first time, they were almost wiped out."
"The second time, they were prepared. It may come as a shock for some of you, but those people who've disappeared fought bravely. Some of them have already passed on, and some are living wonderful lives when I last saw them. Virtually everyone who left with my Brother felt like they belonged in their new lives."
"There were a few that went as a method to escape this world into ours, but they were not satisfied or they were terrified in the new environment. In short, you can't please everyone and not everyone is suited to go."
"That notion is also a sickening one. Just because you aren't suited for a change doesn't mean you deserve to die. And that is why I am making this video. You're all about to die. And I don't mean Today, or perhaps this week."
"No one can deny the Dodona Trees that have been planted throughout the southern regions of China and Eastern India. Those trees are average density on Shiyan. There are trees that make the Dodona Tree look soft by comparison."
"The same could be said for metallurgy, sciences, and practical application to technology. The issue is who gets to go.. who gets to "monopolize the technology and development of the people?"
"The short answer is impossible. The Long Answer is boring and it ends with, 'your governments are corrupt piles of shit.' You're treated with contempt for asking quesitions, and the people who don't agree to the terms of your governments decisions are held as criminals or killed off to keep silent."
"No longer."
"We are not going away this time. And I can tell you this, not even a nuclear blast will dent my defenses. We have a strict policy for contact, if we're not recognized as a major political power before my brother's return... It will be the people left behind that will be made to pay for your mistakes. I will not destroy you or anyone who leaves us to continue existence. We are here temporarily, and running is not a good statement when just one of us would be enough to change the face of this planet from orbit."
"Think about it wisely."
"This is Zao Ho."
"And you've been warned."
"Within 3 years, perhaps sooner The Zao Clan will return. I encourage the World to embrace the chance of allowing your people to survive. My Priesthood will admit 100 followers a day, through a strict vetting process for the foreseeable future. We will select good people. Those who don't want to come to the other world to live, can stay on this rock. I was willing to continue the good deeds my brother had started and save this planet, but even centuries of planning could not have predicted the greed of those in power. The majority of you are slaves and don't even know it. I'm surprised at how so many of you have been manipulated into a slave culture."
"Now, I'm just building a lifeboat. Send your best, brightest, and most creative. If you send soldiers, don't send ones with Malice. they won't have a good time."
Ho's video reached 1 billion plays after the second day. The forums went crazy and speculation ran rampant in every direction. Some called the Zao a family of Gods, Some Called the Zao Clan a Cult, rather than a Sect. The common factor was that they were all discussing it, and discussing it with more and more frequency.
The international borders made entry into the country into a nearly impossible feat. Armies surrounded the Jungle City that sprang up overnight. Conservationists and Archaeologists alike had no idea that magic could be used in such a manner. They had seen some visual effects on video, but it was grainy and nothing long lasting.
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The bluff was real. Ho only had four empowered people with himself included. All but him had Human Bodies. The risk was pretty great, but Ho had the benefit of technology to even out the odds. Early detection systems were brought in and trap formations covered the walls. Lightning wasn't something people on Earth joked around with. Soldiers running with rifles during a Storm was a serious No-Go.
Zao Ho was just like his Brother had been when he first arrived on this planet. A being made of Smoke and Lightning. There really wasn't a chance for the soldiers if they decided to attempt force after the stern warning that reached most of the world's ears.
In one of the Surrounding Tents hidden throughout the Jungle, a Joint operations team decided it was time to take some initiative and attempt a strike on the facility. The targets had decided not to run and it was time sensitive. They didn't know if they would have the opportunity again and they couldn't just let the chance slip by. After a 4 hour briefing, several strike teams were readied and the worlds snipers readied themselves to protect the Earth Forces as they moved in from key positions.
"Mount up, radio silence. If it moves, shoot it. And when the lightning man comes, blow your EMPs. We don't have time to argue about safety. Arm and back away during detonation. Once he's neutralized, the rest should be easy pickings." The Commander spat towards the City Wall.
"Breach Team, Your job will be to hold egress position. The Wall was measured at 9 feet thick from aerial imaging. We've directed our naval assets to strike the wall just before your team is ready to enter. There are too many unknowns." The Briefing came to an end and everyone left the tent.
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From the inside of an uparmored ground vehicle the breach time commander was giving final instructions to his team.
"We enter in 45 seconds. It will take 14 seconds for directed fire to bare down on the wall. There will be five consecutive strikes and then we push in. Take out as many as you can, keep your head on a swivel and don't blow your EMPs unless you're within range." When the platoon leader was finished he looked up in time to see the first shell hit the city walls.
The thundering crash shook the Jungle. Birds evacuated and wildlife ran as fast as it could from the surroundings. Then came a second blast, a third, fourth and fifth strike, the wall didn't seem to be penetrated.
Cries came out from the soldiers over the radio, there was chaos in the command tents.
"Enemy incursion, intruder in the camp!..." the radios went dead, there was no further transmission.
"What the hell?" The Platoon outside of the City Walls were in a confused state.
The mission was a secret one, they had taken every precaution to approach undetected and yet the enemy had snuck past them and attacked the base of operations. Attacks were common, but the current situation was anything but. Signal flares went up in the FOB and alarms rang.
There was a black figure standing in the middle of the airfield to the rear of the Joint operations base. He appeared out of no where. Raising his hands, he fired lightning from his fingertips and struck every vehicle disabling them entirely. Several fires started and even a few explosions happened in a chain.
Ho started walking.
He didn't bother to stop for anything. With a steady pace he concentrated the Darkness ability around himself like a shield while moving forward inch by inch.
"OPEN FIRE!" A squad of Marines spotted Zao Ho near the source of the explosions and rushed to the suppress the enemy.
"Sir. He's not even phased. Request support fire." Quickly the squad leader had a radio and tried sending out a message.
"Sierra.Whiskey.Lima.Four. This is Sgt. Rio, we need support fire here immediately. Direct your Fire at.." The Career soldiers didn't have enough time to ask for firing positions, before the Radio finished transmission there was another loud explosion that started in the sky.
A crack of lightning began to swirl in the skies, gathering momentum. In a flash, the discharge was directed at the center of the Joint Forces Camp. Tents caught fire, fuel reserves exploded and people fell like dead flies in an instant.
Fire plumed across the FOB and the rear detachments did their best to control the damage. Snipers kept firing from random directions, their coordination was broken at during the first explosion. Each time they thought they had struck Zao Ho, he sent out another bolt of lightning.
3 minutes after the engagement started the joint forces were forced into a retreat.
A massive cloud of concentrated darkness was building above Zao Ho. He could take his time on the matter and drive fear into every single one of the people causing a nuisance to the priesthood. One by one, his steps left a trail.
When the walk around the base was completed, the massive encirclement trapped the soldiers inside and a bubble surrounded the airspace, blocking the light.
Emergency lights were set on a timer. When the sun was blacked out there was nothing to help the soldiers see. When a flashlight would shine in Ho's direction, the soldier would be struck by the lightning. Soon, there were no more lights in the vicinity. Only when the lightning was discharging would they be able to see anything within the zone of darkness.
"I warned you all. Now pay the consequences." Zao Ho projected his voice over the interior of the black canopy.
"STOP! WE SURRENDER!" Several soldiers from the allied nation threw their weapons down.
"Stay there. Or Else." Ho snickered loud enough for the confidence levels of the troops to drop significantly.
"You have 30 seconds. If you do not surrender within the time it takes me to cast this spell, I will eradicate this entire encampment." The Lightning Man had spoken, his words brought terror to the soldiers who were still standing.
It was possible that If their leaders didn't surrender that the entire joint forces would be wiped out.
Ho started Counting.
As he was beginning his count, a Luminous round exploded in the Air above his position and high caliber weaponsfire could be heard. Tracer rounds didn't have time to be loaded, but the concentrated and suppressive fire was maxed out. They didn't spare a single round. The canopy was only 30 feet into the air, helicopter and drone flight was impossible, the repelling forces of the Black domain kept outside forces out and inside forces isolated.
The situation was disheartening for those involved.
"10 seconds." The Prince was doing his best to give them the opportunity, but they seemed intent on pushing the limit.
"9...8..." The countdown continued and the explosive ordinance that was nearby was all aimed at the black figure's voice.
"5...4..." A large explosion rocked the Fob.
"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE US ALIVE!" One soldier rushed out with a knife.
His foreshadowed death was guaranteed, but he refused to comply or surrender.
"2... 1" As if to terrify those remaining into surrender, the black domain began to contract.
"YOUR TIME HAS ENDED. PROSTRATE OR DIE." Ho still gave them a way out, he raised the black domain's sweeping and retracting exterior from the ground.
As the domain's perimeter shrank, it drew in all the equipment and soldiers tall enough to be dragged along the way. The compacting action was crushing those who refused to surrender, their muffled screams forced many of the unaffected to be thankful for their surrender.
Much of the world was watching, although their viewpoint was only observable from the drones on the outside of the Base. The Darkness bubble had removed all the transparency from the airspace. When the bubble began to contract, the only survivors were the disarmed and prostrating deserters of the battle.
When the Bubble burst and Ho was finally visible again, a mass of broken war machines littered a small 100 foot area. The Weapons of War from Earth had been crushed like styrofoam in a trash compactor. Loose body parts decorated the outside of the semi-circle lump.
Ho spread his arms and manifested a set of Wings to fly atop the mangled heap of dead. Standing at its peak, he looked at the soldiers who were still alive and started speaking.
"You 100. Take off your uniforms, drop your remaining weapons and wait for me to conclude my business. Do this and I will spare those nearby. Do not, and face the consequences again... without my pity." Ho's glare switched to the Helicopters and Drones that were hovering outside of the AOE.
"You think you were clever?" Ho flicked his fingers and watched lightning tumble down from the sky.
The Aircraft never had a chance, the mid-air explosions set off a chain of events that brought down all 19 remaining craft. There were no survivors.
A single Camera Drone remained at a distance seemingly afraid to lose the coverage of the one sided battle.
The Prince once again took the intiative and used the Shadow elements of his darkness abilities to appear in front of the camera Drone.
"I've warned you. Your soldiers that have survived are now my prisoners of war. Each action against us will result in a death. They are not hostages, they are enemy combatants who attacked us. Any more actions taken against us will be seen as an open declaration for War. You cannot defeat me. Realize this, or perish." Ho opened his hand wide and with a closing motion he crushed the remaining drone.
The show was over.
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Xui Ying escorted the half-naked survivors to the City Walls and brought them inside. The priesthood wasn't sure what their leader was doing but they never doubted motives and actions.
Reason was the deciding factor for all things.
"Qingchi" Ho called out.
"Suppress their mental states, I don't them to be in a state of fear." Ho seemed to have taken further pity on the survivors.
Many of the ones who had surrendered were shaken to the point that they were terrified to speak.
"When they recover their wits, have Elder Kore explain to them that they are not to roam. Bring them food and water." Ho spoke to Luitian, the battlefield was a great place for Luitian's attentions to expand, he needed the experience in dealing with chaos.
"Thank you for sparing them." Qingchi and Luitian had grown up on Earth, watching their fellow men and women die was not something they had particular interest in.
The Battle was a bloody one, It was a good thing that Zao Ho had left he blackout barrier up. If the world watched the carnage within, there would be little chance at convincing the population of anything but the evil intent of the other worlders.
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Zao Wu Hai was one of many people who had consumed a crystal, his choice was a bit more special in that he had eaten a Silver Teleportation Crystal and Dozens of others had been eaten by the Pet on his wrist.
The Rainbow Spot had a temperament all its own, sometimes it was hungry, sometimes it was just greedy or angry. The disobedience it once displayed had subsided some, but the feelings emitted from it had only intensified within the Prince's mind.
Mike noticed the changes in Wu Hai's attitude when the spot would act up. "Don't let that thing eat the forge crystals."
Mike and Wu Hai had been working hard in the evening to excavate the underside of the Forge for its expansion. Wu Hai and Mike had both put in a lot of effort to make things as up to date as possible.
Light crystals were adorning the walls as the stairs decended, and in the middle of the sub-basement there were three large tables that surrounded a blast furnace. The furnace was powered by a wind formation that passed through an activated fire crystal. The stoke was filled with dense rock that held temperature with ease.
The ventillation shaft led in parallel with the original chimney, unless someone was inside they wouldn't know that the rising smoke would be coming from below.
Gefest had not been bothered during its construction, he was asleep in his office. Mike had done very well to pick a depth that didn't disturb the upper floors. The secret forge had been built nearly 40 feet under the original foundations and was lined with elemental metals. It would take a lot more than a simple explosion below to even shake the pavement on the streets above.
"How much longer do we have till Gefest is suppose to open up?" Wu Hai wasn't aware of the time, he had been focusing on reinforcing the support beams for the ore channel.
"I have two more formations I want to put down, but there are a few things I'll need from you. According to this formation chart, I need seventeen Lightning Rat Tails and three Purified Jinchu." Mike had been spending all of his time on automation.
The concepts that were in the books that Gefest had given them to study had certain loopholes. Like, the quality of work needed to be proportional to the expended energy. If the energy could be saved by a mechanical function then it was possible to have extra energy in other places. Something lost can always be something gained. However, sometimes gaining things meant nothing but loss.
The Hammering process couldn't be avoided, even if Mike had Xuan Kim Li produce a few magically enhanced industrial presses the hammering would be a mechanical function. The Hammering process needed special attention, not putting that special attention or energy into each strike would cause the weapon to lose potency, sharpness and durability.
The same could be said about the molding process and pouring during casting operations, all of these things needed to be hands on.
However, stoking the forge and a dispenser for additional ore helped increase productivity by keeping materials at the ready.
"Here." Wu Hai passed over the requested materials and went back to work.
"I'm nearly done over here. I think Gefest will be up and moving within the next half hour or so. Lets try to be done before that." Mike channeled his mental strength and started placing the formation onto the side of the ore conveyor.
"Same. Do we want to try using it or should we allow Gefest to be the first?" The Prince took the time stamp his name onto the wall.
"Are you sure you should be tagging your name in this world? What if it sets a trend?" Mike laughed a bit.
"This is a secret forge, its only right to leave my name. What do I have to fear?" Wu Hai was about to finished speaking but Mike cut him off.
"It would be great if we could just work and sleep here instead. The Inn gives me the creeps, that Innkeeper hasn't been the same since you overpaid and the next Slave Auction is next week. I don't really want to explain another batch of women going into the room, and never coming out." Mike's voice was coarse like sand was filling his throat, he definitely didn't want to repeat the situation.
"It sounds like he's getting up, we should finish up and ready the blast furnace." Mike agreed with Wu Hai's assessment, they needed to finish cleaning up the rough edges in the lower rooms.
The Forge might be down 40 feet, but that was also a long way for water sources. Master Jiang had taught Wu Hai as a boy. One of the Old Man's many accomplishments was his water root spell. If the water was then passed through a formation it could be heated to some degree. Baths were a novelty to some degree in the world, clean up spells existed but the chanting was rather disliked.
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The clicking and dance choreography made anyone doing it seem rather ditzy.
The Dance, if you can call it that, bared a stark resemblance to the a military hazing routine called a Starfucker. The movement technique would start off in a standing position and then get crouched down but neither kneeling or standing. Once you were down as far as you could go, you spring upward into a jump and spin. While Jumping you do your best to spin 360 degrees with your hands in the air.
This is just the movement, the chant has to be repeated several times and the clicking noises just compounded the difficulty.
Mike didn't like participating in the dance. He felt silly, and so did Wu Hai. However, with two people the work of the spell would be completed quicker. Watching them both from the stairwell, a laugh came at a surprise to the both of them.
When they both landed for the final time in the sequence, the bowed slightly as they swayed.
"Teacher. Welcome to the ultra secret super luxurious new workspace!" Mike started.
Wu Hai finished. "We were hoping to surprise you, but if it doesn't suite your tastes it could always be used as storage space."
Gefest's curious and flabbergasted looks turned toward the smooth and fresh surfaces of the lower levels. The space was accumulate and well constructed, it was a mostly open area to swing things around.
Gravity was still a force that applied and the walls were several feet thick with metal. To Gefest, it became a sort of Altar for his work. He was pleased with the setup, although he didn't much like the use of magical tools to complete his work. The blast forge in the center of the room required a spell formation to be activated. Not everyone could do that.
"Lets give it a tolerance test." his interest piqued, Gefest went into work mode.
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