(Meanwhile, High Administrator Straton's POV, Planet Zeta)

High Administrator Straton sat alone in his dimly lit office, as the towering glass panels behind him reflected the sprawling lights of Planet Zeta, one of the Universal Government's most important administrative hubs.

Before him laid a data slate used only for sending highly sensitive Righteous Faction information, as he typed a weekly report on it, only for his typing to be interrupted by an urgent message.

*Beep*

*Beep*

[Code 53]

The encryption was one he recognized instantly—

A code reserved only for one informant.

The Third Elder.

A man who had fed the Universal Government covert Cult intelligence for over a century now.

'An urgent message from informant 53?'

Straton wondered, as he straightened in his seat, the message unfolding before him line by line, as the secure encryption was decrypted.

—

"Respected High Administrator,

It is with absolute certainty that I pass this message on to you—

that the Cult is preparing a massive retaliation on the very day Aegon Veyr is to be executed on The Pit."

—

The message began, as Straton's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, the faint glow of the data slate dancing across his features while he continued reading with growing tension.

—

"Through highly confidential military documents intercepted within our command network, I have obtained confirmation that the Cult has finalized plans to strike twelve Righteous Faction planets simultaneously.

The attack is planned to be executed the moment the decapitation ceremony begins."

—

The message read, as a chill slid down Straton's spine.

'Twelve at once?'

He wondered, as a list of targets appeared on his screen next.

—

Targets include :

Planet Havrenn

Planet Aravex

Planet Juxtine

Fortress World Kadriss

Planet Rimora

Planet Verdanth

Mining Belt Route-12

Planet Yuldra

Planet Loh-Korr

Planet Fenrith

Planet Musei

Planet Targoss

—

Each name struck him like a blow, as he recognized the strategic weight behind them—

trade hubs, military staging zones, agricultural cores, and population centers that kept the Righteous Faction's infrastructure stable, and the Cult planned on hitting them all.

'I always knew the Cult was going to do something big in retaliation for us killing Veyr, however, I never expected them to attempt something so bold….'

Straton thought, as he grit his teeth and read the last paragraph with absolute attention.

—

"Based on intercepted mobilization orders, the Cult is preparing to deploy an estimated force of 1–2 billion soldiers per target.

The total mobilization is expected to exceed 20 billion troops.

Regards,

Third Elder."

—

For several seconds, Straton did not move.

The lights of the city continued flickering behind him, however, in his chest there was nothing but a cold heaviness, as he realized the scale of what had just been revealed to him.

A twelve-planet simultaneous assault.

Twenty billion troops.

On the very day the universe believed it would celebrate the end of the Cult.

Straton clenched the message tablet tightly as he rose from his seat, pacing slowly across the polished floor while his mind raced through every protocol he had memorized in his decades of service.

"This… cannot be ignored," he muttered, his voice low, almost strained, as he replayed the intel in his mind, maybe hoping he had misread it, while knowing full well that the Third Elder had never once sent false or exaggerated information.

If anything, this was only the surface of a deeper plan, which was why he decided to report this urgently, as he forwarded the message through the highest-priority channel—

a channel reserved only for matters that threatened the stability of the entire Righteous Faction, as the system accepted the transmission instantly.

[Message sent]

The system acknowledged, as within seconds, the message streaked across encrypted relay nodes, bypassing every bureaucratic layer in existence, as it reached straight into the hands of the very Gods controlling the Righteous Faction, in the form of:

Kaelith, Mauriss and Helmuth.

—-------

(Meanwhile, Mauriss)

Mauriss felt a bottomless disappointment welling up inside him as the news of the Cult's chosen path reached his ears.

"What a pity… what a real shame…"

He whispered, shaking his head slowly, almost rhythmically, as if repeating the motion enough times might somehow coax the Cult into rewriting its intentions, yet no matter how long he lingered in that futile gesture, the reality remained stubborn and dull.

The Cult was planning to attack twelve Righteous Faction planets instead of trying to storm 'ThePit', which meant that he was not going to get the grand showdown that he truly wanted on 'ThePit'.

"I understand it, of course,"

He rasped, letting the rain slide across his bare skin while his words drifted lazily into the wind.

"From a strategic point of view, retaliation is wiser than rescue… but I had hoped for more entertainment… Or at least for more chaos."

He said, as he let out a deep sigh.

*Sigh*

"So in the end, Soron will try to save Veyr alone…"

"That's so like him — always sparing his men, always refusing pointless deaths, always predictable in the most heroic, boring way."

He mused, as the more he thought about it, the more his frustration simmered, as if the universe had handed him a stage and an audience but denied him the performance he truly wanted, leaving only practical decisions behind that tasted like stale air.

"I suppose I'll have to redirect some forces to the targeted worlds," he murmured, rubbing his thumb idly along the ridge of his knuckle, "otherwise Kaelith would be terribly disappointed in me… and we can't have that right before this big fight."

He said, as he lingered for a moment longer, the rain tracing silent lines down his face as he wrestled with the dull weight of obligation, before finally issuing the order to reroute the already stretched-thin Righteous Faction forces toward the twelve threatened planets, a decision that potentially left entire regions of the universe exposed like open wounds.

"Ha…. Hahaha–"

A small, humorless smile tugged at his lips as the commands went through.

"So predictable… all of us, so boring," he murmured softly, as the world around him darkened just a shade more.

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