The Harvester

In the morning of the next day, a chime rang in every Host and Local’s mind.

 

◈ Attention! This is a Global Missive! ◈

 

* * *

 

Back in Plateau Zero, Hans looked away from the army of Adjudicators escorting groups of people through the streets and looked at the message. He took a moment to read everything and let out a sneer.

 

“This could not be less veiled,” he remarked in amusement.

 

* * *

 

Inside the restaurant of a hotel in Black Steel, Shin-Woo sat at a table eating his breakfast with his companions and when the missive popped up, his eyes widened in shock.

 

“What…?” He uttered dumbfoundedly. “This is completely different…”

 

* * *

 

Roias hummed as he inspected the Missive. “I have to be honest… I wasn’t expecting such a direct threat,” he chuckled to himself. “It seems Eva is not happy… or perhaps the Phantasms are feeling pressured by our recent activities.”

 

“It is of no consequence.”

 

The Abyss Empress declared.

 

“We shall win.”

 

* * *

 

In the 500th Plateau, Old Eden, Gray cackled as he saw the notification while inside the Guild House and turned toward one certain person among the people currently present with him.

 

“What do you think, Leader?”

 

He addressed a robust elderly man wearing a kimono, a white overcoat hanging off his shoulders, with nothing close to armor anywhere on him. This man was the Host ranked second across the entire System and the leader of Throne of Glory; Ensis Credo Gen.

 

He beheld Systema’s message and narrowed his eyes. “It is war,” his gruff voice stated.

 

* * *

 

◈

Hosts, Locals, Wilden; Attention.

Through the help of Rakna Xiorra, your Legendary Emperor, we hereby announce the retrieval of the Plateau labeled Zero. It will be fully reinstated into the System and personally remodeled by Eva into what shall now be known as the Forefront Plateau.

---

This is a Warning.

---

Kratos, the criminal organization associated with 52.8% of the underground dealings across the 994 Plateaus, has officially been trounced. It shall be worthy of note to all System residents to beware of its now independent branches.

Evidence has placed an entity known as the Abyss Empress, Ruler of the Abyss Téra, as the secretive founder of this organization and has revealed to us plans that challenge the authority of the System. We shan’t let these crimes go unpunished.

---

We are The Broken Depths.

We declare the Abyss Téra, and all their accomplices, insurgents. This includes all vampires currently under the rule of the Arch-Vampire Queen Nesslyria and all Nine-Tailed Scorpions of the Nine-Tailed Clan. Further offenders will be disclosed as evidence is confirmed.

All creatures of our hold shall receive the first Global Quest ever conceived in the System’s History. You will be rewarded for your victories and will be granted power from the defeat of your enemies.

---

 Eliminate the Insurgents.

Survive And Kill Well, Hosts.

◈

 

“Or so they say,” a voice rumbled through the air of the 500th Plateau. 

 

It came from a tall and muscular Nine-Tailed Fox who stood at the entrance of a large estate built with stone and dark marble. He had the rueful charm of a hardened warrior, wearing a straight-seamed garment of which the sleeves were taking fire, mirroring the terseness currently burning in his deep red eyes, yet not burning the fabric.

 

This man was named Karyu Yahkshasa, Head of the Nine-Tailed Foxes, and Father of Kaelith. And at his side, stood five more Branch Heads; Wolf, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Raccoon. And behind them, several groups of their respective Clan Branches were on guard and ready to strike.

 

The reason for that was the seventh branch of their Clan facing them on the opposite side of the stand-off. The Scorpions’ estate was currently surrounded and its Patriarch was staring right into the eyes of Karyu.

 

The Head of the Scorpions posed an even more intimidating presence than the rest of the leaders of the Clan. He was by far the tallest, and yet incredibly lean. He wore a black and red robe and his tails shared its color scheme; appearing far more threatening than his brethren.

 

He had long and spiky black hair that reached his waist. His eyes, much like Zasha, were inhuman and were nothing more than crimson orbs. No pupil, sclera, or iris. Just a red orb squinting based on its owner’s expressions, shimmering menacingly. 

 

Despite that, there was a disturbing undeniability to his attractive looks. Luzhe Noiprocs, Scorpion King; the only Head to possess the full-fledged title of King as well as one of the three strongest Heads along with the Fox and Wolf Heads.

 

“So, it seems,” Luzhe responded coldly to the vulpine glaring at him. He was actually standing all alone in front of the entire Clan, with none of his Branch Members anywhere in sight. Yet, nothing about his poise gave out anything close to fear. 

 

“What are you going to do about it, Karyu? As far as I remember, I don’t need your permission to collaborate with third parties,” the scorpion’s eyes narrowed and glowed. “You cannot possibly be considering subduing me on the System’s orders, right? Are you going to bend the knee and fight your own clan over a bounty with vague proclamations?”

 

“Shut your trap, Luzhe!” One of the other Heads stepped forward with a shout. It was a beautiful woman with long hair, of which the strands were half silver, half-black. She wore modern clothes compared to Karyu and a black leather and fur coat. And of course, most importantly, she sported a pair of gray lupine ears and nine wolf tails.

 

“Don’t try to hide it! It’s you bastards who captured one of our young!”

 

The Scorpion King’s eyes glimmered as if switching focus and he hummed. “And pray tell… where is your proof?”

 

The Wolf Matriarch, Lucrecia Alf Lupus, growled at him. “Yesterday evening, the loudmouth of the foxes reported to the Clan,” she stated and glanced at Karyu. “A drunkard she may be, but she does not lie. Her words were confirmed by the heiress; information straight from the mouth of the Wolf Emperor saluted by this very same System Missive. The foxes aside…”

 

She paused and continued with a bloodthirsty snarl, “If those accusations came from the mouth of one of my kind, much less an Emperor, I don’t give a shit about evidence; that alone is enough for me to tear you apart. And I’ll be damn sure to enjoy it.”

 

Luzhe sighed and his arms moved imperceptibly, his body taking a more guarded stance for what he knew was a hopeless situation. “That boy should have been killed…” He uttered slowly.

 

“That statement alone seals your fate,” Karyu raised his voice. “Not only are you implying harming a member of the Myth Council, but you are also endangering my daughter’s lover,” he said calmly and every Clan Head blinked in surprise. “And I’m not one to neglect family,” he added sharply.

 

“Hah,” Luzhe let out a hollow chuckle and before anything else could be said, a figure dashed into view next to one of the Clan Heads. It was a woman garbed in dark clothes meant for stealth. She sported nine tails, much like everyone present, but hers were a bit larger and furrier than most.

 

They were striped with gray, with two different shades. And the animal ears atop her head were rounded and small; she was part of the Raccoon Branch.

 

As for her Branch Head, Fin Castor, he was a rather short man as well as quite young. His clothes were simple and unassuming and he had a soft appearance that made him look amiable. His tails and ears were practically the same as the woman that had appeared next to him. 

 

“We have finished scouting the entire property,” the woman reported to her leader. “There is no one here except the Scorpion King. They seem to have fled during the night.”

 

“I see,” Fin nodded. “Good work, Tenesia,” he said and looked at his fellow nine-tailed rulers. “You heard her, friends. They were already planning to leave.”

 

“What’s your damn angle, Luzhe?” A new voice interjected right after. It came from a tall man with black hair tied into a long-braided ponytail. His upper body was mostly bare, wearing only a short jacket, which revealed a body unmarked by wounds but unquestionably forged through countless battles.

 

His skin was slightly tanned and his eyes glowed gold and green, in almost a lazy manner. He also wore earrings that tinkled with every movement and he stood with his arms hanging from a long Bō staff pressed against the back of his neck. Unlike the rest of the nine-tailed, his ears were placed in the same spot as humanoid creatures, but they were larger; plainly reminiscent of a monkey. 

 

His tails were colored brown and slightly longer than regular races, and interestingly, each of them had a golden ring attached to them around the middle. With little room for doubt, he was the head of the Nine-Tailed Monkeys; Su’Ho Tunra.

 

“Aah,” Luzhe sighed in exasperation and massaged his neck. “My angle? It’s pretty clear to me. The plan was to kill you all after getting our ‘products’ from Zero. The cub we abducted was supposed to be leverage against the wolves since they’re stupidly loyal to their kin.”

 

Lucrecia growled quietly and he huffed.

 

“But both those things were trashed…” He paused and grinned ominously. “By the same person to boot,” he added and raised a few eyebrows.

 

“What do you mean?” The fifth Head of the Clan spoke up; a robust and muscular man with short auburn hair and menacing orange eyes. A pair of rounded feline ears of the same color stuck out from his head along with nine matching tails. 

 

Wearing a luxurious set of white and golden clothes, with various accessories, the Patriarch of the tigers, Ghura Matuc, stood imposing and authoritative.

 

Luzhe sneered. “Are you asking about why I wanted to overthrow the clan or about the one who ultimately sealed the wolf child’s fate?”

 

Ghura scrunched his eyebrows with a huff, “Both.”

 

The scorpion snickered. “Well, why else would I want your downfall? Really, think about it. In this world, is there really always an anticipated goal to the pursuit of power?” He scoffed. “Don’t lie to me and say you haven’t once sought power from the demise of another, enemy or not.”

 

“Spare us your megalomania,” Lucrecia spat. “You’re just a backstabber. No amount of philosophy will change that.”

 

“Exactly,” Luzhe smiled, unoffended. “I’m a backstabber. Because what kind of idiot would not take the chance when it is open? Sadly, today, I missed it quite miserably,” he shrugged. “As for your other question… if you wish to know; the cub’s been long dead in case you hoped otherwise.”

 

The Wolf Matriarch’s eyes narrowed in anger and ripples of aura vibrated the air. The ones closest to her stepped away with a sidelong glance at the sky where the golden clouds of Old Eden were swirling right above her head.

 

“However,” unperturbed, the scorpion continued. “It was not by our hands. We found him dead on the very same day we took him from you. Our plan was to hide our traces by temporarily trapping him inside one of the Initiation dimensions.”

 

Lucrecia’s eyes twitched as the wind gathered around her. “Are you going to tell me that a fledgling was capable of killing a Nine-Tailed Wolf?”

 

“Not any fledgling,” Luzhe smirked. “Didn’t I tell you; the same person.”

 

Those words put a halt to the lupine and as her eyes widened in realization, her aura died down within a heartbeat.

 

“Just recently, I’ve come to learn of very interesting things concerning Rakna Xiorra,” the scorpion said and turned toward Karyu who was scowling at him. “Some incredible abilities… have you ever wondered how a fledgling repatriated from a human planet came out of the Initiation with therian blood and features?”

 

“…”

 

“Well, I’m sure you haven’t. None of you care much about those lower than you,” Luzhe snorted. “That is why the Clan is destined to fall one day. High in your ivory tower, you do not see the bottom and neglect the foundation. It’s always the weak that maintain it. The longer you disregard it, the more people forget someone lives up there, and eventually… it crumbles.”

 

As he said those words, another surge of aura washed over the place, but this time, it didn’t come from any of the Branch Heads. In fact, all of them instantly looked grim when they noticed a figure appear next to Luzhe like a mirage.

 

The newcomer was cloaked by a strange enchantment that somehow made them unable to sense his presence or even perceive his appearance. It’s as if their eyes were being forced to see nothing more than a silhouette.

 

What they saw for sure though, was nine scorpion tails as white as marble with crimson darts, and a pair of equally white orbs peering through the enchantment.

 

“Afnil Albus…” Fin Castor whispered the name that every other Head already had thought of.

 

Luzhe glanced at his associate and nodded. “It seems this is as far as our conversation will go,” he declared and the white figure pulled out a talisman. “I wish you good luck in what’s to come… pray for your victory, brothers and sisters.”

 

Right as the scorpion uttered those words, one of the Heads fizzled out of view at speeds that even the fastest individuals present had a hard time tracking. The distance between the actor and Luzhe was nothing in the face of this speed, yet, with the world in slow motion, the white scorpion moved as if time did not matter.

 

Before the last unnamed Nine-Tailed Head could reach them, the talisman was activated and the two scorpions became incorporeal. On cue, a mature woman with long brown hair and tails came into view above them with her leg harmlessly phasing through Luzhe’s head.

 

Her dark brown eyes tightened and her kick ultimately caught up with her speed. First, the place she had been standing prior was shattered by the force of her charge, and next, her attack whipped the air strong enough to blow down the entirety of the massive estate’s façade.

 

The six leaders behind her didn’t even bat an eye as the wind blew their clothes and hair, but the subordinates of the clan had to raise their arms to shield themselves. Even the clouds in the sky were scattered by the shockwave and debris were crushed by the pressure before they even could fall to the ground or get flung away.

 

The brown-haired woman clicked her tongue and her elegantly long legs, clad in skin-tight wear, landed on the ground to the left of Luzhe. Her nine tails, thicker than most in comparison, drooped as if to show her disappointment, and her thin but long ears atop her head folded in annoyance. 

 

She was the Head of the Horses Branch, Epona Valra, known to be one of the fastest Hosts across the entire System. Yet, she had to admit as she heeled the ground, that she hadn’t been fast enough this time around.

 

Even as tons of magically reinforced materials tumbled to the ground from merely the momentum of her attack, Luzhe smiled unworriedly and Afnil’s white orbs shone as both of their transparent bodies began to fade away.

 

“Good try, mare,” the Scorpion King uttered those words arrogantly and without further ado, he disappeared from their view without them being able to do anything.

 

Epona gritted her teeth and turned to her fellow Heads. “I’m sorry, I was too slow.”

 

Su’Ho laughed lightly as he lowered his Bō staff. “Don’t joke. You were plenty fast. That guy is just a different beast altogether. You can’t blame yourself for not being able to take the White Scorpion of all people by surprise. Even if it’s just 9th, he’s still one of the Top 10 Hosts.”

 

“We should have subdued him as fast as we could instead of confronting him…” Epona groaned.

 

As she said that, everyone heard a high-pitched noise and when they looked at the source, Lucrecia had already left through a System transfer, leaving her subordinates behind.

 

“…that cannot be good,” Fin commented while Ghura silently turned around and began leading his members away as if he had lost interest in the situation now that Luzhe was gone.

 

Karyu glanced at him and sighed, facing the three remaining leaders. “We will reconvene at a later date after we have more understanding of Eva’s initiative. Fin, I leave the cleaning of the Scorpion’s property to you.”

 

The raccoon nodded calmly while Su’Ho and Epona raised an eyebrow. “What about Lucrecia? She will never let the death of one of her own go unanswered,” the horse girl remarked.

 

“I know,” Karyu grunted. “In fact, she is most likely already on her way. Since she has Kara on her friend list, there’s no doubt she’s tracking her.”

 

Su’Ho tilted her head curiously. “Your Matriarch is with that Emperor kid?”

 

The fox chuckled in amusement. “That, she is. I don’t know how, but he definitely caught both her attention and my daughter’s,” he said and opened a system window. “Regardless, I’ll warn her in advance. That’s all I can do.”

 

“That’s all? What if she kills him?” Fin asked in a soft, but worried tone. “What are you going to do if that happens? Your daughter and your former wife… they’ll turn against the wolves and there’s a high chance you will stand behind them, isn’t there? Not to mention Throne of Glory… We can’t have that kind of mayhem, or our Clan will fall apart without the scorpions even doing anything.”

 

With squinted eyes, Karyu remained silent and started walking away. “…it’s fine. Lucrecia should have enough lucidity to understand that as well,” he muttered. “And you seem to forget who she is about to face. He may have been in the System for barely a few months, but he’s still one of the few Emperor-Title bearers. And as things would have it… he’s a wolf, and so is Lucrecia.”