The most common and conventional course of action was naturally to attach oneself to one of the vassal states, which was also where the greater righteousness of the Human Clan lay. The Nine Countries each bordered the Alien Race, their initial imperial mandate being to repel foreign enemies and to protect the emperor.
Now, the situation in the Nine Countries was mixed; although life was becoming increasingly difficult for mortals, they hadn't yet experienced widespread natural disasters across the entire territory and were barely managing to survive. There were occasional isolated uprisings, but nothing that threatened the collapse of the royal dynasties. Past dynastic changes, such as those of the Da Li, had occurred in the wake of terrible disasters that affected the entire Human Clan, leading to widespread famine and uprisings.
