Monroe

Chapter Two Hundred and Ninety-Two. Do not fuck with Dragons.

This is a multidimensional System Alert.

In four million three hundred and twenty thousand eight hundred and sixteen seconds from the moment this message appeared, the System will be updating to its third revision. As with the previous two revisions, this will have a significant impact on the manner in which you interact with the energies of the multiverse. The impending integration of a new universe has provided significant scientific as well as sociological insights, the results of which have been projected to dramatically increase energy circulation as well as user satisfaction. A full and concise explanation of these changes will be provided when the update is implemented. This process will require a complete revision of current paths. Users will be placed into momentary stasis, allowing them to re-allocate their skill points and attributes. It is strongly recommended that all users ensure they are in a safe place when the update arrives. To that end any user may request the time remaining by speaking, or mentally projecting, 'Time until System Update.'

Bob mentally dismissed the blue window.

"Well, anyone who didn't believe you before looks extra stupid now," Mike commented.

"How long is that in days?" Eddi asked.

"Fifty days, give or take," Bob replied. "I'm pretty sure the System displayed it in seconds because that's the smallest unit of time humans normally use. I imagine other species received the message in their own language and using their own measurements.

"It was written in Thayland for me," Wayna volunteered, accompanied by nods from Eddi, Harv, and Elli.

"English for the rest of us, yeah?" Jessica said.

"It's not that I'm ungrateful for the warning, but this is the first time I've seen any hint of," Harv paused for a moment. "I don't want to say intelligence because mana has always been sentient. Self awareness, maybe?"

"There are probably a lot of people freaking out back home," Elli agreed.

The group was currently in Bob's inventory, which he'd rearranged to accommodate his new height and weight. When he'd fled to Earth, he'd been surprised to find that half of the group had come with him, pointing out that delving his Dungeon, despite needing to ritually portal into it, was still less expensive than delving that deeply in Harbordeep, which was the only option they had for delving deeply enough to hope for an attribute crystal.

"Nothing for it," Bob shrugged as he checked to make sure everyone was done with their breakfast. "Everyone ready for another exciting day of delving?"

They were delving together, but not really as a group. Eddi and Wayna, as well as Harv and Elli, worked in pairs, but the whole thing was more of a group of friends doing the same job at the same time, rather than all of them working to complete a single task.

"Embrace the suck," Mike replied.

"From what I've been able to gather and infer, your ship fired upon an experimental vehicle being piloted by two of his friends," Huron explained. "I'm afraid that they observed your ship, and drew the logical conclusion that it was associated with the Church. I doubt he's going to come out of hiding again, at least not until after this 'update.'"

"That vessel was built and launched from within Greenwold. The Church's lack of awareness in this matter showcases a disturbing lack of faithful adherents. Preliminary scans have revealed that while the native citizens of Greenwold have accepted the Church of the Light, they have not devoted themselves properly. Less than one percent have more than a single divine blessing."

Huron simply remained kneeling head bowed. He'd learned quickly that the High Priest of the Church of the Light on Parceus did not accept any excuses. He'd delved the edge with his report on the whereabouts of Robert Whitman by including the attack made on David and Amanda.

"We were hoping to find that matters on Thayland were progressing apace. The Karcerian Empire's decision to relocate the faithful has been a perfect opportunity for the Church of the Light to demonstrate the strength and prosperity that comes from surrending yourself to a higher power, but that opportunity has been squandered. You've allowed yourselves to be commanded by a petty king, and have shied away from the task of instructing, and when necessary, punishing the Nobility."

The High Priest paused, and Huron could imagine that the man was shaking his head sadly, but he dared not look up.

"Such failure was disastrous enough, yet it became cataclysmic when billions of people arrived on this world. Had you built a strong faith, they would have quickly been brought into the fold, but your weakness instead permitted nearly all of these souls to slip through your fingers. Worse, many of them have chosen to condemn themselves by consorting with the Dark Pantheon! Now, what had been intended as a project to reclaim the descendants of the heretics has become a disaster even greater than the insurrection that drove the filth off the face of Holy Parceus in the first place!"

Huron failed to restrain a twitch as a massive hand grasped him by the hair and jerked his head back so that he was face to face with the High Priest.

"You have failed the Church of the Light," the angelic being intoned, it's golden eyes radiating a not-so-subtle glow. "We must accept a portion of the fault to be found in you, as we failed to carefully monitor the situation. We have spoken to the Seven Gods of Light, and they have confirmed that this 'System' is what we have termed mana. The 'update' will bring about changes, and Greenwold is ill-prepared for any sort of upheaval. I will be taking your position, while my staff will replace your underlings. You will make yourself available to them as you would myself." The High Priest's smile was flat, and hard. "It is time to remind this world that salvation comes only from the Light."

"No," Kellan growled.

Huron was relegated to the corner of the King's chamber, having been dismissed by his superior after escorting him to see the King.

The High Priest shook his head in apparent disbelief. "No?" He rolled the word across his tongue as if it were entirely unfamiliar.

"I did not stutter, and I'm aware of the Divine Blessing that allows you to understand all tongues," Kellan replied. "Again, No. Greenwold is mine and it is by my sufference that the Church of the Light operates within it's borders. You are testing that sufference."

"You seem to believe that you have a choice in the matter," The High Priest replied. "As you appear to be a particularly stupid example of your species, allow me to explain. You aren't even tier nine, not really. I stand near the peak of tier eleven, and hold the favor of the Pantheon of the Light. You will transfer custody of these 'Earthlings' to me. You will still, of course, be expected to provide the necessary crystals to keep them safely in stasis."

"Thrice I say and done, No." Kellan's voice hadn't risen, but it had become more, somehow. He turned his gaze to Huron. "I'm sorry it has come to this, old friend. Know that should you renounce your allegiance, that you will find shelter beneath my wings."

The High Priest laughed coldly. "You have no say in this matter, nor any other," he sneered. "This land, as is with all others, belongs to the Church of the Light, and we wi-"

He was cut off as the King of Greenwold reared back and roared.

"This land is mine, mine alone! My forbearance is at an end! From this moment forward, the worship of the Seven Gods of Light is forbidden!"

Huron staggered as the force of the King's voice nearly bowled him over. He covered his eyes as the King of Greenwold began to glow as he descended form his hoard.

Huron blinked tears away and squinted. The King wasn't descending, his hoard was disappearing. Millions of mana crystals were vanishing like smoke beneath him as the glow continued to increase.

The High Priest had also been buffeted back against the wall, and Huron could see his angelic face twisted in a mask of rage. The High Priest opened his mouth to speak, but the King preempted him.

"Veritas, Fidelis, Eros, Alm, Clementia, Pax, Spero," The King bellowed. "Blessings of these beings are DENIED to any within Greenwold."

As Kellan roared his prouncement, the last of the mana crystals disappeared, and the dragon flashed a brilliant azure before the light exploded out from him. The light didn't quite make it to the edge of the room, before it was pulled down into the channels of a ritual spell, one that not only covered the entire massive chamber but appeared to continue beyond it.

It was at that moment that Huron fell to the ground screaming as he felt as if something had ripped away a part of his soul.

Kellan smiled grimly as the interloper fell to the ground gasping in pain, it's smug, self satisfied face twisted into a rictus of agony.

He walked forward until he towered directly over the figure. With a huge claw, he rolled the High Priest over onto his back so that he could address him directly.

"I've made it a point to allow those who shelter beneath my wings to find their own paths," he rumbled. "There have been successes, as well as failures, but in each instance, the individuals were responsible for their own actions. I've always believed the best lessons are self taught," he confided. "But you have not sought shelter beneath my wings, going so far as to not only renounce it, but to attempt to take that which is mine."

"So, I'm going to make an example of you," Kellan's smile was cruel. "Yes, you are tier eleven. But you've shackled yourself to the beings who claim godhood over this world, and I have to ask, now that I've stripped you of your blessings, who is more powerful?"

"Parceus will not stand for this heresy," The High Priest snarled, the effect erroded somewhat by the sobs of pain. "I don't know what Dark Sorcery you have invoked, but I can still feel the blessings of Vi'Radia within my soul, and the Light will purge your shadow from this place."

Kellan chuckled as he reached up and pushed his claw into his tongue, drawing a drop of crimson blood, illuminated from within a blue glow that shifted its hue to purple. He spoke over the High Priests screams as he began to delicately etch a pattern on the man's skin, his glowing blood filling the cuts.

"Vi'Radia doesn't care," he confided in the High Priest as he worked. "Nor does Mor'Noctum." He shook his massive head. "I've tolerated the Church of the Light because those who founded its presence upon my lands swore an oath that they would never attempt to compel obedience." His claw dipped back into his tongue again. "While there have been near misses, the compact as been kept, and in return, I allowed the Church of the Light primacy. You have broken that compact, and as stated by the terms, all who have lost their blessings know the why of it. I believe you'll find the Church most unwelcome here."

He glanced at Huron as his old friend struggled to his feet. He'd suffered less than the filth beneath his claw, as while Huron had thirty levels devoted to Divine Blessings, more than two thirds of those were dedicated to Vi'Radia.

"Your Majesty," Huron coughed, wincing in pain. "May those of us who favor Vi'Radia remain?"

Kellan smiled. "As I said, I have no quarrel with Vi'Radia, nor those who legitimately follow what little doctrine it provides. Although we've had our disagreements over the centuries, I've never doubted that you worked for the betterment of the citizens of Greenwold. You will have to change the nomenclature, however," Kellan warned. "You may proclaim the Church of Vi'Radia, or the Church of the Sun, but never again shall there be a Church of the Light within Greenwold."

The King of Greenwold lifted his claw from the High Priest and inspected his work, nodding approvingly. The man was still screaming as Kellan lowered his head, opened his mouth, and blasted him with an azure cone of light, which was drawn into the complicated pattern he'd carved into the High Priest's torso.

The purple blood flashed brightly as the light was pulled into it, and as the light disappeared the pattern, now freshly healed began to sink to the flesh beneath it. The High Priest continued to scream, contorting his limbs, the tendons clenching so strongly that several of his bones snapped.

"Huron, would you please 'take out the trash,' as I believe our friends from Earth would say," Kellan grinned. "I'm certain his flunkies will be recovered enough to attend to him, or they will be within a few hours."

Yorrick shook his head admiringly. "I knew he had something," he chuckled.

"How so?" The Emperor asked.

"He was never, at any time, afraid of us," Yorrick replied. "We out numbered Greenwold ten to one, and we have always had more powerful individuals, yet never once was he afraid, or even intimidated. I would wager every mana crystal I have that if we looked back far enough, he has a similar agreement with the Church of Darkness."

"The problem is that while Greenwold is protected, we are not," High Priestess Cascadia shook her head.

"Do we need protection?" General Crimson asked. "Parceus is a very long from Thayland, and from what I understand the resources necessary to make the trip aren't insubstantial. Will the Church of the Light fall so deeply to their pride? If so, will they not be focused on Greenwold?"

"If I may?" Thadius of House Tol'Seya interjected.

Yorrick was rather pleased with the elevation of that particular House. They held toward a more mercantile tradition, seeking power in wealth and success.

The Emperor nodded.

"We've experienced slow, steady growth," Thadius began, "expanding our population a few percentage points each generation. The problem is that wave and tide keep us hemmed into our cities, restricting travel to teleportation and portals. Speaking from the perspective of my own House, trade has been difficult, and trade is the lifeblood of any nation." Thadius took a deep breath and continued. "Is there any doubt that if the Church of the Light on Parceus chose to do so, that they wouldn't be able to defeat us?"

"If what we have been told is true, should they bring their full might to bear, we would be helpless," General Crimson admitted.

"Barring some sort of revolution on Parceus, that fact is unlikely to change, leaving us forever at the mercy of an enemy who is, hopefully, just ever so slightly far enough away that we aren't worth the bother," Thadius shook his head. "We need a solution."

Yorrick looked over at the Emperor who smiled, and nodded to him.

"Well, it's funny you should mention that," Yorrick began. "We've begun a project of sorts on Earth."