"I don't think it's just that," Reidar said. "While it's true that opening the portals made it possible for stronger monsters to appear, the monsters would act as an excellent diversion for the Aegis Phalanx."

"The Aegis Phalanx?" The scout asked.

"They are troops sent by the Allied Worlds to get rid of the Progenitor, based on what Sub-Adjutant Xy'tharr told me."

"You talked to an officer?" Seraphine said. She heard some time before the raid, when the Allied Worlds arrived, that they did as such, especially because many people who came to Creamont had been sent by them after having been rescued. But those survivors were only able to talk to the foot soldiers. It was nothing on the level of an officer like a sub-adjutant.

"I did. He offered me a quest related to the raid. The goal was for me to help you."

"That's why you stayed!" Seraphine almost shouted. Reidar nodded.

"Regardless, the dude told me the Allied Worlds sent them here to kill the Progenitor, but if they need to take care of the monsters the portals are spawning, then it's likely that job would fall on us; otherwise, the monsters will wipe us out."

Silence ensued.

"This is not even the worst of the issues I was thinking about. Honestly speaking, I was there when the portals opened—or, better, my summons were. Mana got instantly sucked into some kind of magic circle when they appeared. In my opinion, the Church was doing research and, testing."

"What?" John asked.

"A way to increase mana into a particular area, a magic circle that would draw the surrounding mana into a specific location."

That was terrible news. If a monster, as someone without a system could be classified as, got into an area with huge amounts of mana, they would get stronger fast.

"That's why I said it's possible the War Hounds are cooperating with the church. If the church is really supporting them, this would explain what the trade-off between the two factions was. Power for help in creating the magic circle. They will probably have someone who is at the same level as I am, Silas, or someone else, as I said before. They would just need to send the person here, where most of the portal monsters came from, and power level the others."

"Fuck…"

"Yeah… Fuck…"

Reidar's own logic was starting to scare him too, as it just painted a terrifying picture.

If the Church could raise the Progenitor to level 250 in months, what was stopping them from creating another monster of equal strength in less time if they had access to that kind of magic?

They could handpick a survivor. Someone like Judas Venn, and funnel that power into him. They wouldn't need years of grinding; they could manufacture a level 250 warlord in days, and that was without even talking about the progenitor himself. What level would he be able to reach?

As things were now, the man should not have been too far from the level he was back in Havenwood, and that was because as time passed, getting enough mana to level up became a longer and longer affair.

<That's right,> Reidar thought. <A magic circle… This is how he got stronger so fast back then… He was already working on it!>

But if he sent Silas to perfect the process, it meant it wasn't working anymore, or at least not as fast as he would have liked.

Plus, there weren't enough high-level monsters to level up by killing them.

<And here the portals come into play.>

Shit… Reidar's advantage, the immense level he'd fought so hard to achieve, could be rendered obsolete overnight.

He wasn't just racing against time to save his family; he was in an arms race against a faction that cheated the fundamental rules all humans had to follow for their own good.

The chill that ran down his spine had nothing to do with the room's temperature.

Reidar turned to Seraphine. "Prepare your people, Seraphine. They will tag the creatures with ranged attacks. Enough to register participation but not enough to draw aggression."

Seraphine was silent for a long moment. Her eyes moved from the map to Reidar to her subordinates.

"This could work," she said. "But the risks are enormous."

"The risks are already here," Reidar said. "Besides, we need to take that risk. Venn won't stop expanding. The Church won't stop doing whatever they are doing. If we don't get stronger, we'll be defeated."

"And if your summons can't handle the creatures? My people will die."

"I won't let that happen."

Seraphine met his gaze. She searched his face for doubt, for uncertainty. She found none.

"You're serious about this."

"Completely. My parents are here. Your people helped them and Lena. I'm not letting Venn or the Church threaten any of you, especially if it means Mom and Dad will be in trouble."

The room fell silent. Outside the windows, Creamont sprawled beneath a cloudy sky. Somewhere in those streets, the War Hounds hunted. Somewhere beyond the city limits, the church spewed monsters.

Seraphine straightened. A decision consolidated in her mind. "All right. We'll do it. But we start small, with limited people. If it works, we increase the numbers."

"Agreed," Reidar said.

"John, gather the leaders of the various factions. If we show everyone that their leaders are getting stronger, we will prove that joining the Spriggans had been the best idea they had."

John nodded. "When do we move?"

"They need to be ready for tomorrow morning, as Reidar requested. Let's have some time to rest. Things are going to be complicated in the following weeks, and even one more day of rest will be useful," Seraphine said. "Send some people to scout the area, though. I want the group to have as much information as possible."

She turned to Reidar. "You'll need to talk to your father. As for me, I will go and order to put your mother in another room, the same for Lena."

"Thanks."

"And Reidar?" Seraphine's voice softened. "Thank you. For doing this."

"Don't thank me yet. Thank me when everything is solved."

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