Aaron stopped before a collapsed apartment complex. The structure was heavily damaged, at least on the outside, leaning at an angle with its upper floors partially caved in. Shattered windows and fire-damaged walls gave it the appearance of complete abandonment, but of course, Reidar knew it wasn't abandoned at all.

Aaron entered through a gap in the rubble, followed by Reidar's Vorathid Foragers. The scene changed immediately. Inside, the damage disappeared. Clean corridors stretched ahead. The walls had been repaired with metal plating bolted into place. Steel beams reinforced the ceiling. Fresh mortar filled the cracks between concrete blocks.

Survivors moved through the halls, busy carrying supplies or cleaning equipment that Reidar had no idea how they brought inside.

As Aaron passed, several survivors looked up and stepped aside, pressing themselves against the walls to make him pass. They tracked him with fear and reverence, but no one dared to speak.

Aaron's pointed ears and ashen skin marked him as different from others. He was not under the system's shackles. He was someone who transcended the System's constraints. The others here still were its prisoners.

—[Marcus Trent—Level 132]—

—[Diana Cole—Level 128]—

The Church had power-leveled dozens of the War Hounds. They'd grown strong through Aaron's help, hunting monsters far above their original levels. But they still had the system, and hence they were limited and inferior.

Aaron moved deeper into the complex. The corridors branched into a network of rooms and chambers. Storage areas held stacks of crates filled with rations, medical supplies, and ammunition. Living quarters lined the hallways, each one fitted with beds and belongings. The Church had converted the entire building into a functional base, complete with armories, workstations, and communal spaces where survivors gathered between shifts.

He reached a reinforced door at the end of the main corridor. Two guards flanked it, both level 130. They straightened as he approached.

"Where's the Archdeacon?" Aaron asked.

"Good evening, Deacon. The Archdeacon Silas is in the Ritual chamber," a guard said. Sweat beaded on his forehead; he was clearly nervous in Aaron's presence, and the other guard wasn't less agitated. "He's been preparing since dawn."

Behind him, among the dust and shadows, dozens of Vorathid Foragers followed, clinging to walls and ceilings, watching everything through eyes that transmitted every detail back to their master.

Reidar saw it all. The hidden base. The Church's strength. The ritual chamber that waited below.

Aaron walked deeper into the complex, where the corridors opened into larger rooms, revealing the true scale of the Church's operations.

Inside, the base was bustling with activity. Workers hauled crates filled with weapons and supplies, while craftsmen sharpened blades and reinforced armor at makeshift forges.

In designated training areas, mages practiced their skills, lighting up the spaces with bursts of energy.

However, all activity stopped as Aaron passed by. Heads turned and bodies straightened. Every person in his path bowed low, holding the reverent position until he had moved on.

—[Thomas Reed—Level 125]—

—[Sarah Grant—Level 121]—

—[Kevin Walsh—Level 119]—

These were soldiers preparing for war. The Church had assembled an army, and through the War Hounds they were increasing their strength even more.

They were organizing it with military diligence and using Aaron to power-level its fighters. Dozens of them displayed levels that would have naturally taken years to achieve.

Aaron ignored them; his attention was on the stairwell ahead that led to the ritual chamber.

As he went into the darkness, the temperature dropped, and it did with each step.

The air was saturated with mana, suggesting that Silas's preparations below used a large amount of mana.

Aaron reached the bottom of the stairwell. The ritual chamber opened before him; it was the building's basement, and of course, it was large.

The air pressed down on him. Each breath felt heavier than the last, saturated with mana so dense it became visible. Faint currents of light swirled through the chamber, tracing patterns in the darkness like veins of liquid energy.

Silas kneeled at the chamber's center. His hands moved, and as they did, mana followed the gesture, as if it were an orchestra following its director. Each time that happened, something got carved into the ground, something intricate.

It was a magic circle.

Monster materials surrounded it. Bones etched with patterns likely made by the archdeacon. Scales that shimmered with residual energy.

Among them were even ores Aaron didn't recognize, of many colors and releasing different amounts of mana.

Aaron stopped at the edge of the chamber and bowed low, addressing Silas.

"Archdeacon."

Silas, without looking up, continued to move his hands, directing the flow of mana like liquid light.

"Aaron," Silas said in a low voice. "Report."

Aaron straightened. His gaze fixed on the patterns forming on the floor. "The preparations are proceeding as planned, Archdeacon." He swallowed. "Judas Venn is firmly under our control. The power we've granted him has made him predictable. Greedy. He will follow any order that promises him more strength."

"How many have you raised in levels?"

"Approximately a thousand survivors now stand at level 120 or higher. Several of Venn's lieutenants have reached 135. A few approach level 145."

Silas's hands paused. He looked up for the first time. His eyes held the same unnatural quality as Aaron's, the mark of one who'd shed the System's chains. "And how about our unfriendly neighbors? Can we keep them at bay?"

Aaron nodded. "Their base is fortified, but they lack the numbers to threaten our operations and the levels, of course. With the War Hounds getting stronger and expanding, we can—"

But Aaron paused. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he said nothing. Whatever he was about to say, it was clear he would have preferred to leave it unspoken.

"There's a complication." Aaron's jaw tightened. "Reidar Miller arrived in Creamont. He joined the Spriggans."

Silas's expression darkened. His fingers curled, and the mana flow stopped. "Miller."

Aaron nodded. "He was at level 262 when I ran into him."

Relief flickered across Silas's face. "Thirty-five levels below you. He shouldn't pose a significant threat."

"That's what I thought." Aaron's grimace deepened. "But the level gap didn't matter as much as it should have. His power is... different. You know that."

Silas stood; his full attention was now on Aaron. "His summons can be quite nasty… that's true, but tell me your reasons for saying this."

Aaron hesitated. His jaw worked, the words caught somewhere between his throat and his tongue.

"I fought him this morning, and he forced me on the defensive. I had to create a barrier to protect Venn and his squad." Aaron's hands clenched.

"Miller deployed thousands of summons. All of them were at levels similar to his. Giants, elementals, mana creatures, even undead. The power he showed was not something that a filthy system user should possess."

"I guess your barrier held…?" Silas asked, although he could infer the outcome since Aaron was standing in front of him. But while Aaron could have escaped, that didn't mean Judas and the others did. The last thing he wanted was for the War Hounds leader to die.

"It held." Aaron paused. "But it required my full concentration. The collective force of his summons was enough to crack it. In another hour and they would have broken through. I've seen no one control so many high-level creatures all at once. The mana cost alone should be impossible."

Silas moved to the edge of the magic circle. "Miller's power was considerable even in Havenwood. If he's grown stronger since then..." Aaron paused.

"Levels are merely an indication of power, Aaron. They represent it, but they are not the source. A system-bound survivor at level 262 shouldn't threaten you, but Miller isn't a typical survivor."

"His trait."

Silas nodded. "Yes, skill Sharing." Silas's expression hardened; of course he knew what his trait did. Reidar freely shared it with many people during his journey. "That trait makes him dangerous in ways I guess even the System never intended. It transforms him from a single combatant into an army."

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