Year 178729, Day 27
I have finally reached the absolute pinnacle of Source manifestation realm. It is, let's say, an enlightening experience.
The wall before me is taller than anything I have ever faced, and I still have at least 800,000 years to live.
Yet, how many of us have truly reached transcendence? Many remain forever trapped at this level, eventually wasting away before discovering the key to immortality.
To mortals, I stand as an unshakable figure they could never hope to reach in their lifetimes. But it is only upon reaching this coveted position that one realizes how insignificant we are to the true rulers.
…
A few hours ago, on the only inhabited planet in the Polaris system:
"It's time to get rid of these damned invaders. The longer we wait, the stronger they become. Now that they've been driven out of most outer and median worlds, the damage to the Polaris system will be negligible," said an aged voice.
"This is too hasty. What about the vampires? Those vermin have been lurking for centuries. What if they strike us from behind?" another voice asked.
"It doesn't matter. We are no longer the weaklings we were during the Draconic War, while they are just shadows of their former selves. Even if the last progenitor manage to miraculously return to life, so what? As long as we unite, we can eradicate him," a third voice replied.
"I agree, especially since the invaders have breached the inner belt and invaded one of the core worlds. Even though that world is weak, it's enough for them to use as a foothold to launch a full-scale offensive on the inner worlds. Individually, they are much weaker than us, but their technology is terrifying and will mire us in endless guerrilla warfare."
"I also vote for an assault. Remember when we attacked one of their production bases a few years ago, where they create those terrifying weapons. Some of them are powerful enough to even destroy low-tier plane, and not even us would emerge unscathed from such an explosion."
A dozen silhouettes debated passionately around a small wooden round table atop a snowy mountain.
"Even though these weapons are dangerous, they only have a limited number," another voice said. "If they had an infinite supply, we wouldn't be here discussing this."
"That's precisely the problem. That limited number keeps growing as they develop and plunder the resources of the Polaris system—our resources."
"This doesn't change the fact that the vampires could strike at any moment. If they attacked us from behind during the war, it would be even worse for us. After all, from a certain perspective, even if the invaders win the war, it wouldn't be a problem for those vermin. Those bloodsuckers might even rejoice, given how vulnerable those white apes are to anything related to spiritual energy."
…
The discussion continued for hours, with neither side gaining the upper hand.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the table.
Everyone tensed, preparing to attack, but quickly relaxed when they saw the middle-aged human in front of them.
"Greetings. I'm here to inform you that the last expedition has been launched on the inner world named Devara. Although a dozen wars are still ongoing, no new ones will be declared," said Mr. Idder's projection calmly, addressing the beings of various races around him.
"As agreed in our pact years ago, we will depart once all these wars have concluded. With that, I bid you farewell, gentlemen."
As quickly as he had appeared, the middle-aged man vanished, leaving the superior beings in an eerie silence.
…
Back on Devara, the warlords had gathered in a grand hall made of white stone, hastily created by mages.
"Devara is a relatively ancient world that has long reached the pinnacle of mid-tier planes, though it seems capable of becoming a high-tier plane. That's why the major forces of Polaris have not established branches here, but I imagine that this is also why this world was overwhelmed so quickly," Jonas said as he pulled a world map from nowhere, making everyone widen their eyes.
"Envoy Feng, if it's not too indiscreet, where did that map come from?" one warlord suddenly asked. The others said nothing but stared at the knight with starry eyes.
Under his armor, Jonas raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the question.
"From my storage bag, of course. Where else would it come from?" he replied, exasperated.
However, he noticed the warlords' gazes shift to his belt, their confusion growing as they wondered how such a large map could fit in such a small bag.
"Don't blame them, Mr. Feng," said Liam's incarnation. "They all come from low-tier planes and have yet to witness the ways of the world."
The man's eyes widened. "How could such an army come from low-tier worlds?" he wondered.
He had clearly observed the discipline and strength of some of these troops, and he was certain of one thing: at equal rank, they would not lose in personal strength to the main armies of Polaris, even if their equipment was lacking.
But after all, he was an envoy and a diplomat, and with his armor concealing his facial expressions, no one noticed his inner turmoil.
"So, they are guests from low-tier worlds. In that case, this meeting is likely to take longer," he said calmly.
"Do you know what differentiates low-tier planes from mid-tier planes?" he asked the various warlords, receiving a wave of head-shaking in response.
"I imagine you've already noticed, but while the spiritual energy here is more concentrated than in lower worlds, it wouldn't allow a Rank 5 to emerge through normal means."
Although they didn't entirely agree, since the density of spiritual energy here was roughly equivalent to that of their world, they nodded, understanding that Jonas was referring to normal worlds.
Nonetheless, he wasn't wrong. They had to cultivate above a spiritual vein to breakthrough Rank 5. It was the only place with a concentration of spiritual energy high enough to stabilize their breakthrough and prevent backlash.
Even for practice, ordinary spiritual energy was not pure enough for them, and they only had 15-20% efficiency outside their spiritual veins.
"Nevertheless, even the weakest mid-tier world has at least a dozen Rank 5 beings. This is thanks to something that awakens when a world reaches the intermediate stage: ley lines."
"Ley lines are to a world what meridians are to a living being. They run through the entirety of a world and are in phase with the plane's electromagnetic field, strengthening the spatial barrier everywhere and increasing the world's control on itself. One could say that their importance is crucial in shaping a world's topography, and almost every mountain range, lake, forest, or volcano is traversed by a ley line."
The warlords listened attentively, mentally taking notes.
"They are huge channels where spiritual energy flows and they resonate with the world's rules. They are the primary responsible for the strengthening of a world's rules. However, do not try to search for them. They are located several dozen kilometers deep, and the world exerts great control near its ley lines, vaporizing anyone before they can reach them. Additionally, ley lines are not fixed. They can move, sever, or even form anew."
"And it doesn't end here. With the high pressure, the presence of rules, and the increased density of spiritual energy, many strange materials are mutating along those lines, including spatial stones. Well, in fact, their nature is so complex that nobody knows how a simple stone can possess the power of space, but we have found some ways to use them, like teleportation formations or spatial bags."
"These spatial stones are actually quite common, and it is not unusual for the movement of ley lines to make a deposit rising to surface. According to the Brotherhood's records, it usually takes about a hundred years after a world's promotion to generate its first special ores."
Jonas paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.
"The second key point is that, like the body's meridians, ley lines intersect and form nodes, which, unlike ley lines, are fixed. You may not be aware of this, but even in your worlds, spirit veins are located on ley line nodes. The more lines intersect, the larger the mine and the greater the chance of producing a source stone."
"Of course, not all ley line nodes produce spirit veins, but they all share one thing in common. Each node locally increases the concentration of spiritual energy, even if it's not visibly apparent on the surface. Most nodes are relatively weak, benefiting only deep-rooted plants and buried minerals. Rarely, it forms a spiritual vein, and even more rarely, the node creates an environment suitable for cultivating Rank 5 beings. These are called spirit nexuses."
Jonas then pointed to the world map spread out with his mental force.
"Now, let's discuss our current situation. As agreed by our respective superiors, our task is to completely drive the invaders from this world."
He displayed the map to the warlords, who calmly examined the world, consisting of a single vast continent with no seas in sight.
"A large enemy fleet appeared a few years ago, and the Minks quickly overwhelmed the forces of Devara. As an ancient plane, Devara originally had around two hundred Rank 5 beings and several thousand Rank 4s. However, the fleet mercilessly deployed orbital bombardments to target the major cities, eliminating most of the powerful beings before the world's will could awaken. After that, the bulk of the fleet retreated to the inner belt, leaving only a small detachment in orbit."
"Their weapons are purely technological and didn't alert Devara's will until it was too late. They only conducted a single, coordinated wave of attacks, and their fleet remained far enough away to avoid detection by the will of the world. Six months ago, the world's will fell back into slumber, and the Minks took advantage of this, establishing ten bases around the remaining colonies."
With a wave of his hand, ten small flames appeared above the map.
"Our primary mission is to destroy these ten bases and eliminate as many invaders as possible. Meanwhile, the main forces of the Brotherhood will launch a concentrated assault on the key Minks' space bases located in the inner belt to deliver a devastating blow to their forces. As long as their flagship vessels, main bases, and factories are dismantled, the Minks will lose their foothold in the Polaris system permanently."
A heavy silence fell over the room as the warlords slowly digested the information.
"Are you certain these are the only Mink bases? It's not that I doubt you, but these bases are extremely well-hidden, covered in anti-detection alloys. Being nearly five hundred meters underground, they are impossible to detect unless we personally intervene," one warlord suddenly asked.
Jonas gently smiled under his helmet and pulled several items from his storage bag again.
"The Brotherhood took no risks and carefully monitored the battles on Devara. I agree with you—these bases are nearly undetectable, but that's only once they are completed."
He tossed several photos onto the table, showing satellite views of the plane.
"However, even they cannot conceal the construction movements of six major complexes. Of course, it's not impossible that there are a few scattered minor bases, but their strength would be negligible, and we'll locate them in the data within the main bases."
The room fell silent once again as the warlords weighed the pros and cons. Several minutes later, Sylvera spoke for the first time since the meeting had begun.
"When will the Brotherhood launch their assault?" he asked Jonas directly.
"It will likely take about a month to mobilize the troops and move them to the belt. After all, it's impossible to use teleportation formations to move an army of this size. Even for major factions, that would drain their coffers."
"In that case, I suggest we wait for the Brotherhood's assault before launching a coordinated attack on the bases. If the forces raised by the Brotherhood are as formidable as you claim, Mr. Feng, it's likely that part of the fleet in orbit will be called back as reinforcements. That will save us from a flood of enemy reinforcements landing at any moment," Sylvera stated.
Everyone nodded, including the humanoid mollusk who had clashed with Sylvera earlier. Jonas also nodded, preferring to align with the warlords' unified stance.
"Furthermore, Mr. Feng," the Night Elf Queen Miranda added, "two crucial points need to be clearly addressed before any combat. First, how do we handle orbital bombardment? Second, how do we deal with their weapons of mass destruction?"
As if he had been expecting this question all along, Jonas grinned beneath his helmet.
"Do not worry, Queen Miranda. We have prepared a solution for that..."