Chapter 280: Day 623 – A Problem In Truth

I had turned in around 68.5 million points yesterday after rushing back to Neo Brasilia when I had gotten a mental alert from my property. It was one of the signals Clarissa had set up with me to recall me in the event of an emergency. I had been planning to grind for longer before cashing in my points, but the alert had made the decision for me.

I put my health insurance at 1.5 million points. I was going to build up my policy by half a million at a minimum each time after a grinding session. I was never going to be critically wounded or in a situation without points ever again. A hard-earned lesson from the Ritualist.

The remaining 68 million points, I invested into more stats, 1,980 stat points. Body-700 (+50); Mind-400; Spirit-4,000 (+1,500); Perception-400; Aura-400; Regeneration-1,300 (+200); Endurance-200; Absorption-430 (+230) for a total of 7,830 upgrades.

Even with what the Astrologer had said, I couldn’t turn away from Regeneration or the Body stat. Both of them impacted my grind speed and my ability in combat. Spirit was already insanely high, so I didn’t need to worry about energy in a PvP type of fight. I would just spam my skills.

The fact I could use Air Burst eighty times in a row was insane. I estimated I could get around four entire miles or around six kilometers in the air with that skill alone. If I had to match it up to a Body stat, I was putting it at around 5,000.

Nowhere near the mythical amount this Divine Empress supposedly had, but more than enough for every other sticky situation. I had abandoned my cart after turning in my points. The cost didn’t matter to me anymore with what I was able to grind out from a level 4 monster.

The soldiers of the RMPF saluted me as I raced through the gate. Well, the bells weren’t ringing so that was a good sign. I made it back to the plaza and noted the store pillar had been repaired. One of the things the Astrologer had said he had no idea what would happen and wasn’t about to test it, when I had suggested breaking the pillars to get a meta-point.

“Are you a retarded child? Wanting to smash everything you see? The store is the alter of the System itself. It isn’t going to reward a meta-point for this. It is one of the few times that the System gives an explicit warning. I can tell you breaking all the pillars is a bad thing and might be what caused the calamity. Don’t do it. Just don’t.”

I had gotten the message loud and clear. The guards opened up the doors to my home and I quickly went to the conference room where Clarissa was waiting.

“What is it?” I asked Clarissa. I wasn’t happy having to rush back here, but if she summoned me, I knew it was something beyond her.

“We have lost contact with Truth. There are no more crystal shipments. I would have assumed rebellion, but the Union team dispatched to find out has disappeared as well,” Clarissa said.

“How long I asked?”

“Three to four days. After the last letter talking about the issue with his Captain and that danger area in that zone, I figured you were needed,” Clarissa told me.

“Go there and figure out what is happening?” I asked.

“Yes. Otherwise, we have to right the city as lost. Their income was quite useful, and it would be a good distraction for future plans,” Clarissa said. I took up a pitcher of water and poured myself a cup. Running was exhausting and before I set off again, I wanted to talk to Clarissa for a bit.

“Naran?” I asked.

“He manages and assists with hunting camps. Basically helping people develop tactics so they can take down level 2 monsters with basic weapons and low stats,” Clarissa said.

“Fethee and Heba?” I asked.

“Union team. Don’t worry, I have given them the good assignments,” Clarissa said, and I nodded at that.

“Upgrade still on track?” I asked.

“Not if we lose Truth’s crystals. It was a huge part of our income. What about you? The grinding going well?” Clarissa asked.

“Almost too well, I would say. It is mind numbing to the extreme, but the insane number of points is making up for it,” I answered.

“Then you are close to what the Astrologer requires then?” Clarissa asked.

“Close enough and I have been learning some of his tricks. Anything to the West?” I asked.

“Nothing. No demonic babies, no probing, nothing from this Empire to the West, but I haven’t sent a team in force yet. Just passively keeping an eye out,” Clarissa replied.

“And our back up plan?” I asked.

“I have arranged the fall back point. Northeast of the foul lake. Carts and supplies,” she said.

“And others?” I asked.

“It costs points. If you want actual supply depots to be set up and concealed in the wilderness. The carts can be buried, but it takes time. I need to use people I trust. I need to pick supplies that don’t perish easily. They need to be stored up in bulk. It takes time to pull off,” Clarissa replied.

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“How long could we last off a supply depot?” I asked.

“Assuming ten people, one hundred days per supply depot. Now that the testing is done and the first one in place, the rest will be easy to set up. No crystals, powder, or anything besides supplies. I will be arranging for separate ones for large amounts of crafting crystals. I am still not sold on this idea,” Clarissa replied.

“I know. I am not either. But we need a fallback plan if a single high level person comes in and wrecks things. That was the issue with the Ritualist, he didn’t have anywhere in the wilderness to camp out long term away from a city. What other locations were you thinking?” I asked.

“South of Heaven near the edge of the level 3 zone there. Your old grind spot near the tower, again near the level 3 zone. Crafting crystals just South of the giant dead tree of cats. There may be some more, but that is what I have planned out so far. Any suggestions?” Clarissa asked me.

“Yes, South of Esperanza and Neo Brasilia as well. I want a few around Esperanza, since it is our gateway to the West, in case we want to retreat that way,” I said.

“I will set them up. But it takes time and points. And a lot of discretion. But I will handle it don’t worry. Only you and I will know all of them. That is the other challenge, compartmentalizing and eliminating the people making these supply depots,” Clarissa said. I nodded at that. At least she knew that a secret escape plan was worthless, if people knew about it.

“Good job and thank you for handling this. I know it isn’t easy,” I said.

“It never is, but I get to sit around quite a bit while you have to grind,” she returned the compliment. I sipped some more water, just enjoying being able to sit.

“The Astrologer show up?” I asked.

“No, but with his abilities, who knows,” Clarissa said. I then shared some details about how he could probably shapeshift.

“That would explain it. The occasional report of a guard that should be off shift being somewhere. I have tightened up protocols, to make things harder for that kind of spying,” Clarissa said.

“Well it isn’t a big surprise. Honestly, the man just screams of plotting and a trap. It is like he goes out of his way to be as suspicious as possible,” I said.

“Mental damage perhaps. We know it isn’t the real body. Who knows how its thoughts function,” Clarissa said.

“Fair. Well, we will make our preparations and I will try not to die in whatever horrible trap the Astrologer is planning,” I replied.

“Any idea what it could be?” Clarissa asked me.

“I am thinking he wants to use my body for something. Like transfer his brain or something into my body. I show up at his real body just in time for the operation or soul transfer. Or he needs a sacrifice to open something or distract a monster. The real question is how far do I play along and can I win if I go against him,” I replied.

“Could you win?” Clarissa asked me.

“It isn’t simple. I have been thinking how a fight would play out, but the Astrologer’s projection has a wide range of techniques and knowledge. The hardest part would be pinning him down to kill him. Since he can shift between layers of energy, if I had to guess,” I explained.

“If he can do that, why can’t he rescue himself?” Clarissa asked me.

“And that is the trillion point question.” I was rich enough to move on from millions and billions, even in my word play. “He was trapped but somehow sent this thing out to cause headaches, which also doesn’t make sense. Anyone capable of making such an advanced projection, should be able to escape whatever trap they are in.”

“I thought the same thing, but I am guessing it is all you are focusing on,” Clarissa asked me.

“For the most part. I keep thinking over everything the Astrologer has done and what he has said. I am sure it will make sense after the fact but knowing where and how he is trapped before I have to commit to a rescue attempt would tilt things in my favor and possibly allow me to reverse the situation,” I said.

“I leave that part up to you. But someone like that will keep a major trump card up their sleeve. It is last skill or two. We know he has Astral Projection, Imbue Life, and Null Refraction. Whatever he has saved up, will be quite powerful, especially since he didn’t use it in his story about his fight against the Divine Empress. He only used Imbue Life and someone’s else’s mental attack skill,” Clarissa said, and I nodded at that.

“So, another skill or two. Could be literally anything,” I muttered. I finished off my water. “I am going to rest for a bit and head out tomorrow morning really early, before dawn to sort out Truth and whatever is going on there.”

Clarissa gave me a nod as I left. Naran was helping out people. That was just like him. Something slow paced, but he could easily and quickly intervene with his Body stat. Helping people one day at a time. It was pointless in my opinion.

People who needed hand holding would never make it. Doubly so if what the Astrologer said about meta-points was correct. The only people who got them, were those who ran off into the wilderness screaming like berserkers. It honestly didn’t surprise me he had said he only knew of three people who had gotten a meta-point.

Well, whatever this thing was happening in Truth, perhaps I would earn a meta-point from it. Or that mentality would stop me from earning one? It truly was cursed knowledge. I would focus on surviving. Meta-points and other considerations would take back seat to that. Even if my path was slower, it was assured and safe to a large degree.

I let out a long breath. It had taken a long time, but I had finally come to terms with meta-points. They could do their thing and I would do mine. I wouldn’t take more risks to try and earn one, when that very mentality would stop me from getting one. As for the one’s I possibly missed, I was alive where other people most likely failed. I would take being alive over a meta-point any day of the deek.

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