New Game+

Several days passed since the presentation of Seeker in the World Governing Trading Hub. Wars, terrorist attacks, revolutions, and divisions of many nations continued in the short days that passed due to the faltering attempts to revive trade.

The European Nation fell into such conflict as some favored to ally with New Great Britain creating more conflicts than ever.

Canada also became an important trade ally as it froze a large area on the sea and created an ice island. Since there have been no laws to define what the limitations of an Ice Island are on International Waters, Canada's enemy nations filled a complaint to the WGP.

The WGP ignored the complaints of these nations and allowed various countries to grow powerful in the few weeks that passed.

Any nation that found a means to trade was naturally superior to most nations. 

Because of this, the surrounding nations in Europe, Caliphate, and Africa petitioned Egypt to open once again the Suez Canal, which had been closed since Egypt's rise to power and at the orders of the WGP.

Egypt turned deaf ears to the requests being made. It was then that one of the Desert Empire's Army General launched a coup d'etat as he was angry at the decision of the Desert Empress not to attack Egypt. With a small band of forces, it launched an attack on the borders of Egypt.

Most countries knew that this was just a ploy and a way for the Desert Empire to attack Egypt without leading to an all-out war. The General that rebelled was a fall person to test the strength of Egypt.

The result was a massacre. The forces of the Desert Empire used various African techs, but they were no match for Egypt's locust techs.

One locust swarm that followed a sandstorm and an entire city in Chad was destroyed. If it weren't for the fact that Egypt graciously gave a one-day warning to Egypt, the civilian deaths would have been at the millions, for the army could not resist the strange techs of Egypt.

With such a show of power, the many nations that kept pressuring Egypt relented to wage war in fear or to raise up the many dreaded monsters that hid in that desert. The Suez Canal was allowed to open, but the price was high.

Some nations were so desperate that they offered their tech possibility to Egypt to allow their ships to free pass.

Various nations also pressured Africa and the Caliphates to stop their war over the Red Sea.

Soon, the nations came to a compromise and measured a long border, spanning ten kilometers wide. It stretched from the area where the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea meet, all the way to the Gulf of Suez and would be a region where all foreign ships may pass through. No African or Caliphate force would engage or fight there. The region was known as the Route of Suez, and it became an important trade route.

The agreement swiftly came to an accord, and various ships began to pass through the Suez Canal after nearly a century of no ships passing through it due to Egypt's stubborn and apathetic responses.

Apart from trade, various War Cruise from many nations was made wherein a Cruise Ship would pass through the Route of Suez and get a 'front-row seat to the wars between Africa and the Caliphates.

And among these insane cruises was one which the Underworld used. All the guests were members of the Underworld. The Cruise was just an excuse for them to have a way to meet together and perform more trades. 

All who boarded that ship did so with fake identities.

With three thousand people boarding the ship and used questionable means to get there, it was the perfect place to initiate that plan.

The cruise ship looked very busy. People still went out and had fun.

"I can't believe that I'll ever experience this." One man sat down next to a woman who was pretending to be his wife.

"Me too. But with what we are to face in Egypt... I guess this is a good way to go."

"You want to go over and gamble with the money that isn't ours?" The man laughed.

"Is the Madame done?"

"Don't underestimate her. She's gotten stronger. So much stronger that's shocking."

"I heard she's in love."

"You haven't seen him?"

"You have?"

"I was lucky too."

Faint screams could be heard nearby. The pair took a quick look towards part of the ship where the screams were heard.

"That should be the last batch. After that, we should have enough blood to help us reach Unbecoming Proficient." the man smiled.

Inside the ship, a tall, beautiful woman with red lips stood. A bloody red train of her robe was growing longer and longer. She was like a queen standing among a pile of withered-up men and women who were the ship's original passengers.

She stood and licked her lips. Not a single drop of blood had fallen on the floor despite the horrifying massacre that she made.

"Oh? You're already here?" She asked.

She felt a draft of wind, and since that couldn't happen in the room she was in, she knew it was them.

Four figures were floating down. They had entered through the various windows opened and managed to fly their way inside. Above them stood a tall, bearded man.

"Madame Akasha. I can see that you're well. And quite healthy, I must say. You look ravishingly dangerous. I counted three thousand people... That should turn the several hundred Familiars outside enough blood to make them reach a mid-level Unbecoming." Grant Hermes praised.

"Yes. Have you found Chester Gallium?"

"Yes. He really is undying in a way. He tasted Omricon's blade and survived. He will aid us in the battle against the Tyrant Empress."

"Is he here?"

"Gambling. He's kicking back and relaxing after surviving our little fight. He thought that I was set to kill him. Such an adorable hero." Hermes chuckled.

"I heard that Eden is with the Empress."

"Yes. It seems she was drawn to the beauty of the Tyrant Empress. I'm happy you didn't succumb."

"I'll be the woman who will stand next to Richie. No matter how beautiful that succubus is, I won't fall for her."

"For our sake, I hope your right. I just confirmed that aside from Eden, Caesar has shown his- no wait... their support? I don't know what term is more accurate. Regardless, Caesar is with the Tyrant Empress. And to think me and Lioncourt was exerting such effort to find him after his little scuffle with Lynd in Pangea."

"So three of those who attacked Lynd are with the Empress, and we only found Gallium. You even had a head start."

"Tracking Ranked Heroes and Overcomers isn't exactly an easy task. And we were busy with our research."

"It sounds to me you were intentionally delaying your search so that they can meet with the Empress?"

"Well... I can't say that the thought didn't cross my mind. I know that it required a group effort to defeat the Tyrant Empress. But my pride didn't want to give her that advantage. For now, the two teams to clash are more or less finalized. You, me, Gallium, Richie's team and Lioncourt versus the Tyrant Empress, Lennox version whatever, the Eden Family, the Zulu family, and the Caesar family. Are you excited?"

"I don't enjoy fighting, Hermes. Anyway, since you here with your Winds, you might as well sit back and relax."

"We will! But with all these vampires around, it may be a bit uncomfortable. Just don't go around biting these four. Especially Austin. He's a bit of a scardey cat." Grant chuckled.

"Boss, she's literally a vampire," Austin complained.

"I must say, your alphas and omegas look tasty." Akasha smiled.

"Fancy a bite, Covid?" Omricon sneered.

Akasha laughed.

"So young and so rude. Are there any last-minute arrangements?" Akasha turned to Grant.

"Well, I figured that since Lowengren's going that route... I might as well hand them a bit of Gallium's liquid metal tech. I'm sure those boys can handle the pain of merging with metal to create that lie."

"Are they serious with that direction?" Akasha frowned.

"I met Lowengren when he was still in the Caliphates. You know those military officials of that Caliphate state that committed mass suicide?"

"You mean those seven officials who jumped out of the skyscraper to their deaths for their cultic worship of the god, Dagon?"

"Yeah. And no, they weren't cult worshipers. Through Lowengren's lies and a little bit of my help, they jumped off to their deaths thinking they could fly." Grant laughed.

Alvin shivered.

Austin was in a daze.

Omricon and Omega were silent, but they closed their eyes and turned around.

"As you can, even my boys are a bit... uncomfortable when talking with that man. So I'm not really worried about their lies. I am surprised that he has the balls to do that."

Alvin and Austin shivered at the mention of the word balls.

Omricon and Omega flew out of the room.

Akasha raised her eyebrow at the peculiar reactions of the four.

"Don't mind them. They lost a bet and had to follow Lowengren's orders. They pretended to be members of the Lost Primordial hunting Lowengren, attempting to retrieve his Lightning Rod. Basically, they were forced to grab the balls of the Commanders of Fleet Admiral Magantae. Thank God I didn't join in on that bet. It was a very hair-raising, disturbing, and rather amusing scene. One of the Commanders even reached the next level of the Unlocking thanks to Omricon's sword, which he-"

"I believe I don't want to hear the details of Lowengren's insanity." Akasha narrowed her eyes.

"Bummer. I was just getting to the best part. In any case, don't mess around with that mad lad." Grant laughed.

"Where is the Thief in the Night?"

"Ah, she ran away after the Caliphates. She had already grown as strong as she can be under me. And with how the world is ending, I can't keep being the strict father, can I? So she can go chase her dreams and get the boy who has stolen her heart."

"You're worried that she will lose her mind fighting the Empress..." Akasha answered without any emotions and kept on concentrating on containing the blood she just drank. The long, winding blood robe slowly shrank.

"Now you ruined the very good mood!" Grant laughed. Akasha ignored Grant and kept concentrating.

"I hear that our clash should involve killing at least one Presider." Akasha asked.

"Whoever may be drawn... Still, this is our tribulation. We can only Overcome or be conquered. We either defeat her or become her slave." Grant gave a long sigh.

"Things would have been easier if we had their mission." Akasha chuckled.

"I'm not too sure about that. At least we know the Empress won't abuse us if we lose. If Seeker and the group are discovered and are trapped in that Underwater City, it could spell doom for the Unlocked."

"We have been covering all evidence of the existence of the Unlocked and have made it look like that a Presider is here. We made identities like the Lost Primordial and the Progenitor to throw them off track and hesitant. And reading the recent reports, I'd say we're succeeding."

"That's wishful thinking. Here's a thought for you, Akasha. If we have Arthur and Alean... What's the assurance that these Aragarians who are more advanced than us don't have such means to achieve that? Don't you get it? Seeker is pitting Alean's Zone against as many Presiders as possible to know if there is still hope for us. If someone within the Presider has a similar power stronger to Alean, then we are more or less without hopes of winning unless we Overcome. That's what Lioncourt said."

Meanwhile, up in space...

Orbiting the Earth was an invisible city. No techs on Earth or even among the Aragarians could detect it. This was because, like Crostfree's tech, this city was manipulating the laws of space, time, and dimensions. It was there in that particular space, but it also wasn't. It didn't apply the law that matter took up space for what it was, wasn't technically matter. It was as if a person was floating in space and dreaming, and this city was hidden inside that person's dream.

Garenjazz looked down on Earth.

"Hmmm... My fortunes are fading. Is this a Presider? But who? Or could it be that Lost Primordial that Pridgeon said is down there?"