21

Pef focused on the glass factories for now, while also building a legal government in Port Li, implementing the Latin letters and Arab numbers and fashioning a sapphire ring.

And recruiting people to work as glass and brass smiths, book makers and Guardians.

After three months, he felt exhausted and had barely any achievement to show, as personal growth. He was still too weak, to open a pocket dimension.

A couple new loving Guardians, but as a Sky rank he could have a million. He just picked the kind ones. This universe was full of harshness and evil, so Pef took what comfort he could.

Then one day he went to visit Miss Fang again, and noticed she was ready to give up.

"My lady? Are you in pain?" Pef asked while caressing her hair. The woman was frail and weak, and pale as death.

"A little, I do feel sharp pains in my soul. But there's no more time, is it?" she asked with a sob.

"Don't give up now, Miss Fang. I'm close. I just need to learn how to do these formations, but there no one to teach me..." he urged her with false hope.

"Don't worry that much, Pef. I've lived over 200 years. My servants...I barely remember their names, I think one was my cook's son. Six or seven generations ago."

"Okay. I'll take you flying, would you like that? We'll fly over the sea and I'll throw that evil arrow away..." Pef promised while holding the dying woman.

"Only if you cook for me, mister Xi. Your cooking is so good..." the woman whispered as she fell asleep.

When Lady Feng died, she died flying in the skies, with a content smile in her eyes.

Pef cried, and took out the sapphire arrow head from her dead body.

In his hand, the arrow pulsed with strange fractal patterns, diminishing minutely every second.

'Find me a target, glove' our hero demanded in a heated tone.

'Roger, Aspirant. 2000 kilometers north-west. You might die though' the glove said in a flat tone, projecting a course on Pef's retina.

'Funny joke, my orange glove. I have gods to kill' Pef muttered while his senses analyzed the arrow again and again.

The air got colder, but Pef had a dire wolf fur, and enough wood to reach another continent.

The Spirit rank airship was also sturdier than his last one, and flew even faster.

The nine days of anger and gravity sensing slowly clicked, and Pef began seeing the deeper structures. His body became lighter at will, and he could even hover a little over the cradle's floor.

A distant bird screeched, the cold air reverberating from shock waves.

Pef eyes widened as he looked ahead. A huge albatross, with sharp wingtips glistening in the sun, and large as a passenger airplane.

'Are you trying to kill me, again?' Pef yelled inside.

'It's only a Sky rank. You should survive, Aspirant' the glove replied with a smirk.

The bird approached at speed, and screeched again. Pef coughed some blood, and his airship began losing altitude.

Beneath there were a few icebergs and sea animals, wetting their lips in hunger.

Just as the albatross came close enough to slice the airship with its wing, Pef stored it and jumped, his feet kicking on the fabric of space-time.

It wasn't elegant flying, or even moderately passable, but it was flying.

Pef speared the bird with his Sky rank lance, skidding over a few meters of armed feathers until the lance found a chink and dug in.

The bird didn't like its unwanted passenger and tried to roll and bite him off.

A shard of blue crystal flew through the air and directly down the throat of the albatross.

'Payload delivered!' Pef yelled in joy.

'We have about 7000 seconds to detonation.'

Pef stored the lance and dove towards the ocean. His speed increased and the bird abandoned the suicidal human, who was about to splash into the waves at near Mach 1 speed.

Some 50 meters above the sea, Pef reversed the gravity and powered up his water shield.

Sky ranks are very durable, in fact their bodies can withstand kilotons of force without damage.

And so, our hero survived the impact.

Pef plunged into the depths and kept going, accelerating again.

He began breathing slower, conserving air. His Spirit focused, bending the water around into a strong shield.

About two hours later, the skies above exploded in fire and radiation, megatons still escaping from the belly of the albatross.

Deep under the ocean, Pef wasn't affected by heat or shock waves, although some radiation still reached him. The glove diverted 99 percent of the radiation away, using the last percent to teach its foolish user another lesson.

People died. And acting from grief wasn't wise. It left Soldiers exposed to enemy manipulations.

Pef's skin melted and bubbled, and he emerged rather cooked from the ocean.

The local animals steered away from the bad smelling human, avoiding him like a piece of radioactive fallout.

Pef kept swimming and heading away from the blast zone, dispersing radioactive fluids as he healed.

By the next week, he took off, flying on his own power. He was now truly a Sky rank.

Another week later, he landed on the Saint continent shores, a new man.

In fact, all his tissues had been discarded and replaced, not even a single atom remaining the same.

He sat on the deserted sand beach, and took out his stove, cooking for himself porridge and spider legs.

'Well, this time I got hurt badly' Pef admitted with a pained whimper.

'And the lesson is?'

'Don't be too close to a nuke?'

'Wrong !'

'Don't give in to impulses?'

'There we go, Aspirant. Now you can craft those rings. They'll be very small inside'

'Yea, later. I need to eat all this. Then sleep a few days' Pef whispered to himself, eating the maize porridge along with his tears.

The glove remained silent. Its job was done for now.

The Manual said comrades die. It was inevitable, and should not affect the mission.

The sniveling crying recruit will grow stronger. Such was the way of the Legion.

A thousand Soldiers died just to kill a single atrocity. A million died every day.

Anger and grief had no place in the Legion. Only revenge, in cold blood.

For a couple of days Pef rested and recovered, refined his damaged airship and the Sky rank armor.

Then he took off, heading into the opposite direction from Port Li. Half of the continent was not yet under his rule, though mostly coastal cities of smaller size.

Pef began visiting all them, now moving much faster if he didn't rest in his airship.

Stopping for a week here or there, massacring a dozen bandit gangs, and capturing some thirty pirate vessels, which he then stored. Without the pirates.

A true Sky rank cultivator was too strong for any attempts at opposition, from whatever nobles had cultivated to reach even Spirit rank.

In fact, he only found a dozen such sages and most were too old to care about material things.

Their families were convinced to join the local Guardian garrison, and certain members were Awakened a second time.

Then Pef arrived at the other end of the continent, some 12000 kilometers from Lacrimosa.

Another largish port town existed here, dominated by five clans, who were at odds with each other. Their young masters and misses were roaming the town looking for trouble.

Until a group of six young men and some girlfriends busted into a tavern which was strangely empty.

"Bring us food and wine, or else who knows what might happen..." Young Master Gu yelled and pounded the table with his fist.

"Move faster, you hear?" Second Master Gu demanded after a burp.

The tavern keeper looked at Lord Pef for confirmation.

Pef rose an eyebrow and scratched his cheek.

He walked slowly and sat at their table, examining them in silence.

Core ranks, and Core weapons. And big mouths.

"Any of you ever been hit, with a soul spike?" our hero asked curious.

"Are you crazy? We would die since we don't have soul defense" Third Master Gu said cogently. He was also the most sober in the group.

"So, if my rank was Spirit or higher, you'd be in big trouble, right?" Pef asked rhetorically, while the keeper brought him a rice wine mug and a cup.

The hundred-year-old youngsters blinked confused, as they never heard of a Spirit sage so young.

Pef waved a finger, making the wine flow in an arc, into his cup.

Then he sipped the delicious wine, delecting in the taste.

"A water mage..." a normal girl exclaimed in a bit of panic.

Pef condensed some water and splashed the youngsters in the face, while pouring himself more wine. It was practice and it was amusing too.

The Young Master drew his sword in anger and slashed, almost hitting his cousin.

Pef held a finger and blocked the sword with ease.

'Always wanted to do that!' the hero exclaimed in inner glee.

Then he lowered his finger and shot a soul spike, killing the fool. The woman beside him drew back, and kicked the corpse, under the table.

'Not sure if this is self-defense.' the glove muttered uncertain.

'The woman he held seems happy. Add rape to his murder attempt records'

'Whatever. You're wasting time, Aspirant. Take them home and give them 50 lashes'

"Anyone else wants to attack Emperor Pef?" he asked softly.

The gang was slowly going through the normal mental phases, from disbelief to anger and acceptance.

He poured himself more wine, and sipped slowly.

The women shook themselves and ran away, while the youngsters stared at the dead body.

Pef called 5 more water balls and splashed the gang again. "I think I asked a question?"

"Master Gu was a fool, please forgive us Emperor!" Third Master Gu yelled and prostrated himself in the water puddle.

The others in the gang followed suit a bit slower, as their drunk brains hadn't finished processing.

"Well then. I guess we'll hold a tournament. The ones who displease me, will die" Pef decided, standing up and storing the corpse.

He stepped outside in a light step, and waved for the gang to follow.

And kept going, skipping happily from place to place.

"Where are you taking us?" Second Master Gu asked with some clarity.

"Right, where the Gu mansion is. Stone square I suppose?" Pef asked pointing a lazy finger at the fifth youngster.

The man gulped and nodded.

"Why are we going there?" the fifth guy asked.

"Well, we have four weddings and a funeral to do. Where else?" Pef asked, like it was common sense.

"So, Emperor Pef wants us to get married?" Third Master Gu asked with shrewd eyes.

"Well. I'll let those young ladies decide. If you don't get picked as a husband, you die" Pef concluded with a happy smile.

Second Master Gu became a little pale and looked around for escape. Pef poked his shoulder with a finger, and the man whimpered.

"I see. Well, my Feng will be delighted. Never had a chance, while the Gu elders decided for us" Third Master Gu replied with a large smile of his own.

Pef already liked him. Only a brown aura, but like Si had proven, it was about various talents, not evil souls. Although, he hasn't seen a horrible white aura yet. Even Wong Leader had good parts.

His mom was onto something. Especially with the gold auras.

Pef suspected his mom has met another gold aura somewhere.

In half an hour the now sober caravan reached the Gu mansion, and entered like they owned the place. Pef got a look from the guards, but as he had five family members with him, they waved it off.

Soon, they gathered in the largest dinning room, and Pef dropped the body on the table.

Servants and Elders slowly gathered, blinking amazed at their dead scion and possibly promising retribution.

"That's all of them, Emperor..." Third Gu whispered in a fake secret voice.

Pef rose from the ground and splashed everyone in the room with small water balls, right in the face. He wasn't certain how the concept of face worked, but it had to do with people's faces, he could swear on it.

"The Southern Tear or Saint continent has been unified. It is now ruled by Emperor Pef and his government. The noble houses are called to serve and impose the laws dictated by the Emperor. If they do, they keep some privilege as Guardians. If they break the law, they die." Pef proclaimed with a qi infused voice, loud enough to make the people in the room sick and throw up.

"This man attacked the very person of the Emperor, with a sword. Foolish, but then he wasn't a law imposing noble. He was a lawbreaker and a rapist. Now, who speaks for House Gu?" Pef continued in a more subdued voice.

An Elder crawled up, straining to maintain some kind of earth shield.

"I am the Eldest Gu, 532 years old" the man muttered in a feeble voice.

"And your words are law in this House?" Pef asked curious.

The man hesitated, looking at a few other older people.

"Who was in charge of educating Young Master Gu?" the flying emperor asked sternly.

All eyes turned towards a middle-aged man, with a veteran's look. A weapon master, going by his armor and sword, looking too worn.

"It was my job, but I didn't have the power. Boy never listened to me, elders gave him everything..." his trainer explained with a head shake. Seem legit though.

"Tomorrow, we hold weddings and funerals. There were some girls with these boys, I'll go bring them here. If anyone leaves, well...there are also slow ways to die. Very slow" Pef said politely, then flew out and up, accelerating towards the scared girls.

He picked Feng first, and went to gather the others.

"My ladies. I saw you with the Gu men an hour ago. Very friendly demeanor, worthy of a marriage. So, you'll get to pick. The one who doesn't get picked, dies"

"We will die then. They won't ever pick us for wives" a woman said bursting in tears.

"No, you get to pick. Which Gu boy you marry, and which one dies" Pef explained softly.

The sixth girl blinked confused. "Young Master is dead already..."

"So, there's five more. If you don't want any, they all die" Pef said with a large smile.

Pef walked ahead, while the jury walked behind, slower and deliberated between them.

The guards outside were terrified now, and made a large path for the judge and jury to enter the mansion.

People were drinking wine with trembling hands, trying to gather courage perhaps.

"So, I'm back with a jury of their peers. Let's start with the sixth master, anyone?" Pef asked the girls who looked at the scene in amazement.

"Going once, twice..."

"I'll take him, Emperor. My dad will like having a noble son-in-law"one girl declared holding a hand out. The boy ran and kissed her hand, tears in his eyes.

Pef pointed at the next target. "Fifth master. Going once..."

"He's mine. If he stops drinking..." the boy ran and hugged his girl "I will, I will, thank you..."

"Fourth?"

"Sigh. Fine, being an idiot is not a reason to die"

"Third?" "I want him!" Feng proclaimed and kissed the boy.

"Second?" Pef asked as there were two more girls remaining.

They both shook their head. Pef fired his pistol finger, helical spikes swirling forward and killing Second Master Gu.

"Now, why did this man die?" Pef asked rhetorically.

The Gu family looked at the girls with hate.

"No, don't blame the girls. Nobody can be forced into sex or marriage. It is the law. Did this man break the law?" Pef asked again.

Hesitant nods appeared, not quite convinced.

"Okay. The wealth of first and second master is now transferred to their victims.

These lovely ladies will be rich and have plenty of suitors to choose from" Pef explained with a large grin. The two girls grinned as well.

Next day, Sandyport had 4 weddings and 2 funerals.

And then life continued as normal, only with more law and order.

Another Guardian base was established, more recruits cried in pain, and more law breakers were killed or sentenced to hard labor. Trees and stones didn't cut themselves, after all.

But finally the Saint continent, or at least the inhabited parts, were now civilized.