78 Challenges

"It's been a while," I mutter as I look at the impossibly high mountain range that was the home of a bunch of Frostcrystal Roses. This planet's weird ecosystem puzzles me, but I didn't have time to think about it back then, much less now when the Stonecrusher Empire is threatening us.

This planet is also the home of strong creatures named Spirits, they aren't on Beelzebub's level but are pretty high up in the list of 'things you don't fuck with'. However, my previous encounters with them showed that they weren't very smart, so I'll use a mix of the Portal Gun and the Rewinder to teleport them somewhere far away.

*I wonder if Spirits could be weaponized? Maybe we could attach a Portal Transmitter to a Spirit, then teleport it onto unsuspecting enemies?*

I shake my head; this idea is beyond stupid. First of all, how am I going to approach a Spirit without being killed? And, even if I somehow found a way, I doubt the Transmitter will last for any meaningful amount of time when I stick it on the Spirit.

'Capturing' live Spirits like this isn't a good idea, but I could settle for something else. I remember the Spirit Plate I used to kill Beelzebub; maybe I'll find more about them in the capital? They would be ideal to wreak havoc on our foes' troops. But I don't know if they would be worth the time and materials compared to my teleporting artillery.

*Logistics are a pain in the ass. I know why the Administration exists now... *

Inventing new and better weapons is usually a good idea. But we have to remember that they cost resources, time and money to develop and produce. So there's no sense in using a bomb that cost ten thousand Credits to kill a person when a bullet which only requires a quarter of a Credit will do just fine.

Of course, there are always exceptions. For instance, I would never send my men against something like Beelzebub. I would order all our Fabricators to make artillery shells and bombard the bastard while I go in the battlefield and deal with him.

After all, I believe that I'm the only person on Earth capable of facing such atrocities. And it's not because I'm strong, or because I know some all-powerful secret spell...

It's because I'm InVinCiBlE.

Invincible may be a slight exaggeration since I died a lot already. Just remembering all my not-so-pleasant deaths sends tremors through my body, and I almost fall to my knee in despair.

*We ArE EtErNaL!*

Yes, listening to the voice helps me calm down and bury all the painful memories to the back of my head. I'm willing to let it influence my decisions a tiny bit if it means I can hold onto the few remaining crumbs of sanity I have left.

Let's focus on other things. After all, I tend to not stay dead for very long, even if nobody is aware of that fact.

I need to find that capital; then maybe I'll have my answers. I didn't forget to pack a few of the various coins I looted during my escapades, so I should be able to bribe people if the need arises. What I'm curious about is that Hisako clearly stated that their people don't gather in cities for some bullshit reason, so I wonder if the capital is exempt from this rule?

I have troubles imagining the capital being a tiny village in the middle of nowhere.

But let's stop speculating. Instead, I should concentrate on the task at hand. I should also be wary of any potential threat hidden in the weird vegetation. The fauna and even the flora of this place are incredibly alien to me, which kind of make sense since this is a different planet.

I swear, almost everything here is designed to kill me, and I seriously wonder how the inhabitants survive with the horrors lurking in their backyards.

Maybe I'm worrying about nothing? I should be able to rest easy since my superior equipment should allow me to survive anything this planet throws at me. Spirits and that weird ghost buried in a mine notwithstanding.

I take a deep breath of recycled air and sigh, wandering around reminds me of the beginnings of my journey since I discovered the Rewinder. Back then, I was all alone and marveled at anything I found. Now, I barely react when I see a demon and have an ever-growing group of cultists at my disposal.

*How times have changed.*

But being all alone in those vast expanses is also relaxing, even when taking into account the deadly nature of the area. For the time being, I'm free of the stress induced by running the Order, I can think about something other than imminent doom for once.

The problem is, I can't think about anything else, even if I try. My mind is always swirling with anxious thoughts about our enemies. I'm unconsciously looking over my shoulder every once in a while, always expecting a small mercenary army to go after my head. The rest is filled with weapon designs and the ramblings of the voice in my head.

I haven't been a member of the Hidden World for a long time, but I'm already beyond warped. It's not a good indication for the future. I know that I will never become like the Enforcers, my ultimate goal is to usher a perpetual golden age for Humanity under my benevolent guidance, but-

My last thoughts stop me in my tracks. Do I want to take over the world? My original goal was to remove the Enforcers from Earth, but it looks like my objectives changed without realizing it.

It's not fueled by ego, but rather by worry. Forcefully removing the Enforcer system as I plan on doing is bound to cause chaos and frictions, and the Order is the only group prepared to deal with the bullshit of the Hidden World.

Regular governments will not be able to handle all of the ensuing chaos, not to mention that magical warfare is a different kind of beast compared to what regular armies are used to. I don't doubt for a second that conventional weapons will be very effective on most Hidden World soldiers, but weapons like Strategic Spells will result in a massacre on our side. I already made the test myself; ballistic plates aren't a good armor against magical attacks.

I'm not even taking into account the overwhelming power of certain individuals like the leaders of the Families. They would be able to wipe out whole squads of soldiers without batting an eye, and I can't let that happen.

The Order is genuinely the best chance we have to save our species, so I won't stop at anything to accomplish my goal.

...I say that, but I was pretty shaken up by the Coalition massacre. I need to harden my resolve, the lives of other species aren't as important. It might sound harsh, but I can already visualize what would happen if we don't take control of the situation once we reveal the supernatural world to the masses.

There would be riots and violence, and Enforcers will try to subjugate us. It will result in massive, world-wide wars, razed cities and death counts in the millions.

But, if the Order takes control, the resistance will be organized. It will have access to proper weapons and tactics to defeat those bastards.

I shake my head and grab my Portal Gun. It's time to stop thinking about the potential future and focus on what I need to do now. My first task is finding the capital, and I don't plan on wasting any time in that regard.

The crude map on my phone points towards a particular direction, so I teleport in that area, look around and repeat the cycle. I then memorize the coordinates and Rewind before teleporting on that spot again to be more efficient.

This cycle of teleporting and Rewinding keeps going for about an hour of relative time before I see something unusual over the horizon. It's pretty easy to spot considering that this area is almost entirely flat. I teleport forward a few times until I have a better look at the anomaly. The camera on my Interdimensional Phone reveals that the gray spot is unmistakably the top of some substantial stone walls.

*Like I first thought, there was no way that the capital of such a large country was going to be anything else than a massive city. So I wonder why the rule Hisako told me about exists? It doesn't make sense.*

Once again, the politics of petty kingdoms are not my problem, so I quickly stop pondering about the matter. I teleport until I am not far from the city since I remember that the people of this planet have a rather high sensitivity to mana. They would feel my approach from miles away thanks to the way my portals work. I Rewind one last time for good measure and emerge near the city.

The trek towards the large city is a bit long, but I don't have a choice if I want to be discreet.

Approaching the city causes more questions to arise. The large wall is now in full view, but it isn't in a good state. Some large chunks of the wall are missing, and the holes have been fixed with large wooden boards or ordinary looking stone blocks. Some vast parts of the wall are also bearing deep scorch marks that are way too massive to be caused by regular fire.

*I believe that the entire city would need to be razed for this to happen. However, a disaster of this magnitude would need to have occurred pretty recently for the damage to be still visible. But the city seems to be bustling with activity, and some of those repairs also look to be pretty ancient.*

The first impression I have of this place is that they either can't afford to repair the wall for now, which would be a boon for my research. People with nothing are much more willing to give away their knowledge if it means that they'll get to eat for another day. The other option is that they are unable to fix the wall, and I slightly lean towards this option considering the development level of the tribes I encountered so far.

I hope that they still know how to make spatial bags, or else this expedition would be a waste of time. This planet is weird, they have artifacts and constructs that are way too advanced to be produced with their current level of technology, yet they live like the early days of the Bronze Age. If I combine the previous hypothesis with the state of the wall, then maybe this planet had a civilization before this one? Or perhaps they are recovering from a massive cataclysm? That would certainly explain the origins of artifacts like the Spirit summoning plate.

Of course, the other option is that there exist other countries with more advanced technology. But if that was the case, then I don't know why this nation of primitives is still around.

I'm raising more questions without answers, but at least this exercise helps me pass the time during my trip towards the capital. I finally reach a cobblestone path, which is almost buried under dirt and overgrown foliage, and get a better view of the city's entrance.

The only way I can describe is that it looks weird.

The main door is enormous and is made of the same material as the wall. But it looks like it has been sealed shut, the 'gates' used by the people to enter and leave the city are two rather large holes in the door. But they don't like they were cut with proper tools; instead it looks like a large projectile just went through the construct. The holes have been consolidated with wood and stone blocks, not unlike the rest of the wall.

But it looks more flimsy than the original door.

It seems to confirm my hypothesis about lost technology, but maybe I'm entirely wrong, and this is only temporary.

Nevertheless, I approach the line of people who want to enter the city. The crowd is mostly composed of what must be peasants since they are wearing simple brown clothes caked in dirt.

*Now that I think about it, the city is surrounded by vast fields and wooden shacks, it's a stark contrast with the wall that seems to be high-quality.*

A smaller portion of the large group of people is manning carriages being pulled around by big creatures that could be best described as a mix between otters and horses. The weirdly shaped animals are thicker than a regular horse, and they look a lot meaner.

*Why do I have the feeling that this thing would try to eat me if it wasn't attached to the carriage?*

The people controlling the carriages are wearing better clothes, their bright colors and intricate patterns indicate that they must be wealthy individuals. I also get a glance towards an enclosed wagon covered in various ornaments that is being escorted by a bunch of guards. The vehicle must be transporting an important person considering that the guards are cutting the line to allow the wagon to enter the city first.

*I shouldn't mess with them, at least for now. I don't know if I have enough ammo to deal with all the guards in this city. And who knows what artifacts the leaders of this place have at their disposal.*

Of course, I could cause a scene by activating my robes and demanding to be let through or teleport inside. But this would attract too much attention, and I feel like laying low is the best course of action for the time being.

My unusual attire earns me a few curious glances, but a single gaze is enough to make them look the other way. It's true that my armor, my robes and the shotgun on my back make e stick out, the only one who is less discreet than me is the ornamental carriage. But I'm not the only one carrying weapons. There are a few warriors looking people spread around the line who are carrying a variety of swords and bows; some are even carrying weird rods on their belt.

*Those rods are similar to the one used by the Spirit summoning plate. Maybe they have the same functionality?*

The line progress smoothly, so at least I should enter the city in a few minutes. I take a glance towards the guards operating the gate. They are all wearing similar sets of plate armor along with a mantle covered in weird characters. The translator can't decipher them yet, so they must be from another language.

The guards take a glance at what looks like a square piece of paper before nodding and letting the people go through. I roll a few coins in my pocket, it' very likely that a few of these will be spent.

It looks like a few people handling the carriage are also handing coins to the guards, they nod and give them a thin stone tablet. It's a relief for me; it looks like paying for entry is acceptable. It wouldn't be funny if I tried to bribe a guard with integrity since it would create more problems for me.

More gazes, this time from a few of the rich people on top of their carriages, target me. But, unlike their peasant counterparts, they keep staring at me with a mix of anger and surprise.

I ignore them. I don't know what I did, but it's too bad for them if they feel offended.

It's finally my turn, so I prepare the same amount of money that I've seen been given to the guard by the other people before me.

The guard, a humanoid with notable goat features, raises his halberd and block my path while pushing my money-filled hand away.

"Halt!" he says while slamming his foot on the ground. "How dare you wear a helmet? You are disrespecting the Uniter, and this is a punishable offense!"

For fuck's sake. I completely forgot the irrational hatred for headgear these people have. I'm not opening my armor no matter what, so let's try another tactic. I grab another handful of money and shove it towards the guard.

"A-Are you trying to bribe me?" he says while eying the stack of coins. His reaction tells me everything I need to know, so I Rewind to before he stops me and prepares an even larger pile of coins.

"Halt! How dare you-" I interrupt the guard by shoving the stack of coins towards him. He smirks and hands me a stone tablet, "Thank you, have a good day!" he says with a bright smile before indicating me to enter the city.

As usual, nothing beats the power of money. I hope wearing a helmet will not hinder my research too much, but we'll see when the time comes. For now, I take my first step into the busy city.

The first thing that strikes me is how many people there are. It's similar to a modern city during rush hour. Which is unusual considering the abysmally low population of the villages I explored before. But I guess that the capital is an exception to the rules.

I take a few steps towards the main street; I should go into bars and the likes to gather information. The bartenders in a big city usually hear all sort of-

"Stop this instant!" A female voice echoes in the street, and everyone around me stops before looking around. Their glance stays on me and the one who shouted, and they immediately make some distance between them and me.

I stifle a sigh and turn my head towards the voice. It belongs to a slender woman with two small goat horns on her forehead. She's wearing a white robe with long sleeves, but what catches my attention isn't her flawless beauty but the gaudy carriage behind her, and a large number of guards heading towards me.

For fuck's sake, I bet they don't want to chat.