Chapter 286: Day 625 (3) – Energetic Fall Out

Clarissa looked at me as I clenched my hands into fists. What a complete and utter bastard. A biological bomb inside of me and a time limit. No living tumor my ass.

“That is a lot to take in,” Clarissa said diplomatically. I gave her my best death stare.

“He is a bastard. A helpful bastard, but a bastard, nonetheless. What a deceitful asshole. I have a lot more words I can use to describe him. Ahhh!” I let out a shout and slammed my right fist onto a nearby table that didn’t have anything on it. It exploded into splinters.

I was breathing heavily as Clarissa took a step back. “Done?” she asked me.

“Not really, but yes,” I said with a sigh and made my way to a chair and collapsed into it.

“Well, I will begin preparations to make these energy levelers right away. The hard part will be the glass-reflection type. I know the Ritualist had monsters like that. So, the East Bastion and level 3 crystals. Or finding a way to combine up to them from lower level crafting crystals,” Clarissa focused on the practical portions of the letter she would have to deal with.

I was still thinking about what the Astrologer had done to me. It was clever, but also incredibly frustrating the way he had trapped me into doing his bidding. “I will have to consult with Doctor Katz on the issue, but the city upgrade will be needed. I am thinking we aim for a level three energy leveler. The engineering won’t be hard. It is a bit big. But the preparations shouldn’t be hard. A randomized distribution would be best across a wide area irrespective of the supply caches.”

I had 374 days left. Just over a year, before something horrible happened to me. If I grinded for 300 days, that would put me up around 500 million points. That would put me around 14 or 15 thousand stat points total. I wasn’t feeling up to do a lot of mental math right now.

I would also need to upgrade my skills. All my skills as much as possible. I needed to focus on one on one combat, rather than grinding. “We will need a lot more crafting crystals and I will need to see if we can transport the crafting tables out of their buildings. Being able to craft in the wilderness will be quite helpful and hiding the Rod of Control within the city,” Clarissa monologued out loud.

Then there would be the climb. A one-way trip to the top. Based on the letter it sounded like the Astrologer was trapped by fusing with the tower itself. How would that even help against a wave of energy? Also, confirmation there were multiple towers with a possible meta-point at the top. I didn’t want to think of the level 5 monsters.

“I also need to send a team to reestablish control over Truth. We should also look at controlling the other cities to increase our income in the short term as much as possible before we are forced to flee,” Clarissa continued her monologue.

What the Astrologer missed, which I doubted, but he might have, was the fact that I could try to earn the meta-point of the tower he was trapped inside of. Just bypass him and grab the meta-point at the top. One thing was for sure, I wasn’t about to let him get another no matter what or trust his goodwill. They weren’t the same person with the same experiences relating to myself.

Also, the good doctor had saved Naran, he might just pull out another miracle and extract the biological bomb from inside of me. I felt distinctly uncomfortable as I wondered where it was.

“So, what do you think Michael?” Clarissa asked me. She stared at me like I was a misbehaving school child who had not been paying attention.

“I trust you to handle the affairs of the city and prepare this energy leveler. Work needs to done to investigate crafting in this direction as well,” I said.

“With what resources and with whom?” Clarissa asked me and then shook her head. “I will do my best as always, but getting control of cities, and everything else is going to be a challenge. We can only divide up Doctor Katz’s time so much and he has a more important project, and talent is hard to find,” Clarissa said.

“Don’t change his focus. The worst part is that I suspect high stats are needed for a lot of this research or at least over 1,000 in various areas. The Astrologer had 5 years to get other people above this benchmark, now it is just Naran and myself and Naran left,” I said heavily.

“I would also say that this is the confirmation we need on her majesty the Divine Empress,” Clarissa said.

“And I would have to agree with that. It would be pointless to go to such lengths for a lie. I wish the Astrologer was lying. It would be so much easier. Well, I need to go back to check on that shard of energy and then go right back to grinding. I will return on day 675, unless that has changed?” I asked.

“It isn’t changing. Can you handle all ten level 4 monsters at the same time?” Clarissa asked.

“Just need to use an overwhelming amount of Acid Shot. I can use the skill for days. I will also need to pick up dungeons while near Truth and on my way to my grinding spot. I need to get those upgrades right away to be PvP ready,” I replied.

“If I get word from Esperanza or anywhere else of a move made by the Divine Empress, should I alert you?” Clarissa asked me.

“Yes. The moment she makes a move, we need to be gone. This is not a person we can outrun once she is on our tails. We can only avoid her, and Purgatory is too obvious a target. I don’t feel inclined to try hiding, and escaping the city if she shows up. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that,” I answered.

“Consider the preparations complete by day 700 then. If she moves before that, then we will be in a tight spot, especially regarding these astrolabes,” Clarissa said.

“Enchant the rings and we can cart them all out at once. Or take an enchanting table with us hopefully,” I replied. Clarissa nodded at that. I was sure she would look into it. Being able to take

“Living in the wilderness is going to be a nightmare,” Clarissa muttered.

“Yes it will, but the cities are chokepoints. Your spy network?” I asked.

“Already warned and in place to hide. Constructing hidden basements under buildings in various cities with carts to force permanency. Thinking about it some more, I will be rigging a trap of some kind here in Purgatory with the Rod of Control. Leave some notes behind indicating its location. The tricky part is the trigger,” Clarissa said.

“Well employing a lot of crafting crystals and crystal powder would cause a massive explosion. As for the trigger, no idea, but we should poison the food that is left behind,” I added.

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“A liquid mix of elderberries is being prepared. Should we consider destroying the pillars if she shows up here?” Clarissa asked. I considered the answer to that question.

“Even the Astrologer didn’t know what would happen. It would be the nuclear option, and it is surprising no one has tried that in her capital city,” I replied.

“Those were my thoughts as well. So no then?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes. We are going to try everything. Nothing is off the table for winning in the battle to come. It is life or death, so we can’t do half measures, since she won’t according to the Astrologer,” I replied.

“The general populace, should we issue a warning when we retreat?” Clarissa asked me.

“No. It is pointless. People will realize regardless, but it won’t matter. Let the panic of the city create turmoil here, without pulling her or her forces outside the city. I wish the Astrologer gave us concrete numbers of how many people she has under her,” I replied.

“Probably more than five, but less than fifty. People who can kill a level 4 monster,” Clarissa said.

“Maybe. There is also the complete lack of any information on her government structure. The Astrologer was a complete ass, wasn’t he?” I asked.

“He might not know. That could also be the case. Still, we have his…thing in a box or him. I am still trying to wrap my head around that,” Clarissa replied.

“What I really want to know is how it can use skills, but it can’t access the system store. Both are things that come from the system apparently. Have we tested someone with high consumption who has lost access with a skill?” I asked. Clarissa took a moment to think about the question.

“Yes, they still had access to their skill,” Clarissa said. “But we know hybridization erases skills.”

“The more I dig or think about all the implications, the more complicated it all becomes. Remember the days when we worried about stats?” I asked.

“We still do. The fact that Spirit impacts the range of options from the store is interesting, since that limitation hasn’t been hit until we started trying to purchase extreme items like the sword Naran uses,” Clarissa said.

“Or square fruit? That has been interesting,” I said.

“A sign of status, to have food in odd shapes. Was going to start up a restaurant with that as the focus. Maybe even combine fruits and vegetables. Weird things like that. But that is all on hold,” Clarissa replied.

“Well, we double teamed the Ritualist with the good old one two, we can do it again,” I said with optimism I wasn’t really feeling.

“I would think so. I swear if we win and become a multi-city Empire, I am getting a huge raise,” Clarissa said.

“Deal. If we want, we should reform our government into a corporate business structure. The Board of the Directors, being the Immortal Council,” I suggested.

“Michael, what do you think I have been doing? I already run things like that,” Clarissa said.

“Well, I was looking at the accounting books, not the organization chart. Do we have an organization chart?” I asked.

“Yes. It is me at the top as President, with various administrators under me as Vice Presidents. You hold what would be the CEO position. I have an entire organization I have whipped into shape after much headache,” Clarissa said.

“Oh, and that will all be lost…” I trailed off as Clarissa glared at me.

“Yes, it will all be lost, if we lose Purgatory. You might be working your rear off grinding, but I am working my rear off to manage everything properly and keep the crystals flowing. If I had to guess this is a huge weakness of the Divine Empress, effective management,” Clarissa said.

“Well, I know I suck at it and you are amazing. I could never do what you do,” I said.

“And I couldn’t fight monsters and people. It is much easier to manage people and org charts, than battles to the death and roaming the wilderness. If we are forced to run, no half measures, and a massive raise when we win,” Clarissa said.

“If I don’t die first,” I replied.

“We have time to deal with the Astrologer. That is a long term problem.” While Clarissa said that, I couldn’t help but feel it would come down to the wire.

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