Cornelius cut down another Big Cat as all around him was pandemonium. All his allies locked in battle cutting down big cat soldiers coming out of the tower. "SHIELD WALL! LANCES!" he shouted a line of big cats holding up shields came at them keeping formation. Arrows whizzed past Cornelius's line as they held up rectangle shields forming a wall. They met the enemy shields with a slam as lances pierced through the shields skewering the enemy. Cornelius suffered losses, but they had gained the upper hand with their numbers. Since most of these cultivators growing in captivity all they could do was shadow train without having any true killing intent behind it. They merely went through the motions day in and day out. Once they found their fighting spirit Cornelius found himself finally seeing the world truly through a warrior's eyes.
For once each stroke of his sword now had the precision of a master. All his men seemed above par over the beast enemy who didn't train religiously even though they had the ability to do so. The army Cornelius led; all they had was time. And with the chi stones given to them by the King Slayer they rose leaps and bounds in a short time.
It took another hour before they triumphed. The tower exploded after they ransacked it. The remaining warriors took their dead allies and set them ablaze, sending them off with a small ceremony. The fight was not over, and sadly there was no time to mourn. They had to free the rest of the farms and gather forces for the diversion. So far their numbers had tripled in size and they had taken three farms already. Cornelius put an ex through each one they took on the map they found in the tower. He had discovered new things about the farms. Not all were like his particular farm he was trapped in only used for food for the king. Some were slave labor such as agriculture, manufacturing, and experimentation. It seemed he created a lower class citizen and enclosed each to generate more offspring and grow greeting generations of workforce for the Nobles and the other higher ups. The one they just sacked was a manufacturing one that refined chi stones for the king brought in from Divine City. Cornelius took all of it handing them out to all to help them grow and change into a stronger army. Storing some away for when they had the time to use them for weapon making.
After finishing it off they then traveled north after the inhabitants of this farm joined them. The next farm was an agricultural one. Here farmers were enslaved to grow vegetables and wheat. Farmers were not made to fight; they were sent into the civilian group that helped the soldiers prepare. They then took two more farms before their numbers were in the thousands. They then worked back around taking two more farms before directing their gaze to the Green Palace looming over the horizon. Cornelius studied the map. "We may have enough soldiers for this incursion there are only a few farms left but they are too far for us to march too sadly. We must fight to save them! Let this fuel you" he told his leaders.
Cornelius placed the giant chi stones they stole in the open for all to use at certain time schedules were made to keep up demand. Cultivation was going to be a slow process in the future, but for now they needed to keep with it daily to stand a chance against the Green Brigade. Some of the leaders chosen the day they escaped were at Rank Five. Cornelius was on the cusp of evolving his core to Rank Five. His Mind Palace was already evolved into a Rank Five.
Centers of power were not all that changed about Cornelius in a short period of time. His appearance was more grizzled and more rigid. His white feathers were stained with blood and dirt. He looked battle worn and full of vengeance. His uniform was stained with red, brown, and black. He sharpened his sword and then sat in front of a chi stone to meditate. He felt his soul core surge with swirling chi as it expanded. He left and did his walk through meeting the Grey Tiger who was known as Shadow Cat they all called him. He was standing with Tobi who had his arm in a sling and the cowardly crane. They had done well working together but they all had lost a lot when they chose to fight. Their plump human friend who's name was Donovan did not make it. He had died on the second farm they took. He was skewered by a lance. Cornelius's lover was shot by a barrage of arrows. Her loss was the hardest to take for him making him somewhat hollow. But her memory was fuel to his rage and like it, or not he was now free of all ties. All he could do now as press forward and kill the masters who enslaved him and the others. Cornelius walked past into the armory looking for his own armor that was being fixed.
He began putting on light metal armor, "Report" he said to the group staring at him. Shadow Cat spoke first. "Cornelius, we lost 200 cultivators in the last two campaigns. Makes our numbers 1,500 cultivators and a thousand civilians. We are stocked with weapons. Supplies can last a year. We have 3,000 elixirs and potions. And a store of chi stones" Cornelius fastened the armor and then finally met their gaze. "Anything else? You look like you have something to tell me Tobi?" He asked. Tobi sank his head and then shook it with a grin, "Yeah. The King Slayer's prediction came true. A small force of Green Brigade knights are heading to our location. We should break camp immediately and get the lay of the land before they come for us. We're a day from Green Palace. So we sent out scouts to scan for a good place for ambush. We should leave twenty soldiers to escort the civilians into the mountains away from the army so we can fight freely" Tobi explained. Cornelius nodded, "I think you should go with them," he said to the crane. "Why me?" He asked. "Simple you're going to be a liability over being an asset out there. Not to mention the civilians will have a better chance with a big brain like you leading them" Cornelius spoke plainly and without any emotion. Crane nodded, "As you command" he told him. "Good" Cornelius padded his shoulder. "Break camp, pick the twenty warriors and get everyone moving. Leave anything we don't need. This must happen quickly" Cornelius gestured to Shadow Cat to follow. "What are you thinking?" He asked him as he walked. "We stand a chance. My warriors are diligent trainers with us two putting them all into exercises in our free times. Not to mention the battle experience we have all gained from this. We're ready. Cores saturated, minds cleared, and hearts burning!" Shadow Cat was known as the poet of the army. He made declarations like this through every battle. Cornelius relied on him more than anyone to have his back. Through all the battles they started a friendship stemming from the battlefield.
Cornelius left his friend and walked away from the camp staring at the palace silhouette. 'I will have satisfaction. Those two I hope are doing their jobs' he thought staring up at the night sky. Seeing the star filled sky. He then glared at the dark silhouette of the palace illuminated by the moon light.
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Location: Green Palace.
Red Demon and Smiling Demon found a storage area in the castle away from everyone to regroup from the person they fought. Red Demon walked around the small room thinking when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye seeing a spider with purple eyes scurrying under some trash. Red Demon looked puzzled and then used his chi senses. The spider was made of pure chi. He then snatched it up. Squirmed in his hand it had a sticky texture to its body. 'It's made of Shadow?' He thought before engulfing it in flames. The spider burnt to ash. "Seems our friend has the ability to spy" Smiling Demon had walked over when the flames erupted on Red Demon's hand seeing a spider turn to ash. "Spider is made of shadow" Red Demon stated.
"He's a shadow user?" Smiling Demon asked. "Appears so. I'm sure if this followed us here? He knows where we are. We have to assume these spiders are everywhere" he shook the ash off his hand. "The World warned you that each faction could be sending warriors to kill you on their behalf, correct?" He asked. "Yes, that's what they said?" Red Demon nodded.
"Seems that's who this man is? He was human and we know that the humans here want the king dead. So logically this man we fought wasn't hooked up with them. He's an outside hire it seems? Hard to tell from what realm he's from, but he's well trained. We should ditch the uniforms they are useless to us now. We need to entrap this man in black and stop the king all at once?" He started thinking out loud. He began to rack his brain. 'Actually we won't need to target him alone. If he's here to help the king he'll be close by. Focus may be that we need to find a way to sneak into the feast undetected by him?' Red Demon then walked to the door. "Let's find some new disguises and stay vigilant, keep an eye out for spiders using chi senses" they left the storage area.
They snuck into the halls. Keeping to the dark areas and overheard a pair of guards walking. "So did the Green Brigade set out to meet the slave army?" One asked. "Yes, Master Dexter sent them out after he received the report. Half the force is heading there while we remain here to keep the King safe" another replied. "Should be a massacre, slaves and products can't be that fierce that they can take on the Green Brigade. Part of me is disappointed I wasn't chosen to head out with the army" one said with a sulking tone.
Red Demon listened carefully, 'So Cornelius came through after all. His heart must be filled with true hate to advance that quickly. By now he would have collected quite a force to challenge the king's army. I wish him well. So now it's time to get our end going' he gestured to Smiling and he gave him a nod. They rushed the guards dragging them away. He used his chi senses to target spiders and luckily none were around. They killed the guards and took their armor ditching the Purple Butterfly uniforms.
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Emerald King paced his throne room. His throne was made of bone and emeralds fused together to create a giant abomination of a seat for a bigger body. 'Everything should be on track tonight! I will finally evolve into the Celestial Step!' He thought proudly. The doors opened and stepping into the throne room was Dexter. He bowed. "I have sent the Green Brigade to handle the revolt. As you commanded we have split our forces in half. My soldiers stationed here are ready to defend you while you reach your goal. Is it wise to have them stationed outside the room over some inside?" Dexter asked. "It's more of a courtesy really" Emerald King stated. 'Was it for the men's benefit? Doubt it' Dexter thought. "Who will defend me once I'm incubating?" Dexter nodded, 'And there it is!' He thought about keeping up with a smile. "I shall handle things out here for you" Dexter proclaimed. "Oh no you'll be inside too. Try to stand on the balcony" Dexter's eyes widened. "You want me in the room?" He asked, confused. "I want you there to make sure Con Man plays his role. I won't be focused on anything but stabilizing the chi and rebuilding my body" he stated.
Dexter kept his emotions in check, 'What if you go on a eating frenzy and think of me as food! It wouldn't be the first time you pulled that' He thought. When he did it last time Dexter ran for his life till the king calmed to a slumber. 'Damn him!' He kept his composure. "Very good. I will do as you command" Dexter then left to prepare. Once out of sight he lost himself punching a wall. 'Damn that king! He puts me in danger for his own self interest. He does not care about my safety. I have squandered my years serving this king and what has it gotten me? Truly nothing! And to be a possible victim of his ploy! I have reached my limit! My name is nothing more than a scornful remark among the people. What have I truly become!' He was filled with utter despair. It was true he served at a high rank to a glutton. He wasn't liked among the people and even his men hated him. He knew this. But he wasn't alone in this. Most of the knights were criminals of some degree. No one served this king out of some sense of duty. It was to hopefully gain money because out of everything this king lacked? Gold was not one of them. He paid the Green Brigade well to lower their morals. Not to mention that he knew the King's true secrets as well.
His taxes among the people given as tribute kept him extremely wealthy. Even Whistler Chirp gave the king a large portion of his own expenses to keep him happy. Every soldier in these walls is a leech and Dexter was the biggest one of them all. He threw honor out of the door and pushed it over the bridge. 'This is what I really deserve!' He thought of making his way to his quarters getting out of sight. He would need to compose himself before going around his guards.