Chapter 269: Day 539 – Viewpoints 25

Chapter 269: Day 539 – Viewpoints 25

President Bob

“So, we live to see another day,” I said to Carl.

“Indeed, we do. And I had put quite a bit of effort into your escape plan,” he replied.

“Well, we can always use it another time. Not like Champion Michael isn’t going to call forth more threats. I heard a rumor as well. An Astrologer person?” I asked.

“Someone Champion Michael met and had information. They also wounded the Ritualist as well. Came close to taking him out but was wounded in return. Everyone is keeping an eye out for him with instructions to treat him as a VIP guest if he does show up,” Carl explained.

“So the outside world makes a move at our moment of weakness, or triumph, depending on how you think about it. Find out what you can,” I told Carl who nodded. “Anything else?” I asked.

“They grabbed up all the super worm scales and scoured for any portion of the monster the Ritualist had become. Nothing concrete was found, but several things were melted or destroyed just to be safe. Including the box he was being moved around in,” Carl said.

“A prudent precaution. We don’t have anything, do we?” I asked.

“No. Absolutely nothing. Not even something off the books,” Carl said, and I let out a sigh of relief. I was not about to poke the Champion in a sore spot or have the Ritualist return in any way. All these battles were hard on the nerves.

General Terrance

I looked at the captains sitting in the conference room. Some were unhappy, others were glad not to be a target. “Are there any objections to my promotion?” I asked and no one said anything as I looked from Captain to Captain.

General Smith’s Vice General had been killed as well in the final assault. There was no one to really object to my promotion, even if several people were unhappy about it. After Tyrese, no one would argue with the Champion’s decisions regarding the RMPF. The fact that I had organized the last few attacks and the follow up helped boost my visibility.

“Very well. Then I will be considering applications to be Vice General over the next ten days and making my decision then once things have settled down. If anyone wants to throw their name into the ring or nominate someone else, please speak to me privately,” I said. I needed to get a handle on who was supporting whom.

It would basically be an informal election with my thumb on the scale deciding the outcome. “You all have your assigned posts, lets try to get back to general order over the next ten days. Dismissed,” I said and everyone filed out of the conference room.

I let out a sigh once everyone was gone. It was like herding a bunch of fussy cats. Everyone thought they were important but didn’t want to take big risks. That was the joke about the RMPF, only people who weren’t risk takers joined up.

There was a reason he was her mouthpiece while I acted on behalf of my progenitor. He was of comparable status. “Convey your message. But she is displeased at this. I pass the warning.”

“Envoy, a pleasure, safe travels on your return,” I said.

“Astrologer, a pleasure as well, safe travels wherever you wander,” the Envoy said without his usual odd way of speaking. I suspected he did it just to challenge himself. The man liked to push everything and considered even a verbal spar a training opportunity. The most annoying type of personality. He departed, running away.

I shifted my Astral Projection shell that existed around me and floated away through the air. The last bit at the end was a very real warning. The Envoy would not even think about saying something without her permission. The fact she felt confident enough to send a warning meant she was close to a second meta-point.

Speculating on the outcome was pointless but just indicated my timeframe was getting shorter. If she managed to get it before I was freed, then she would move East to test my strength. I wasn’t confident in winning even with my true body if she earned a second meta-point.

The fact she had matched me when I had two and she only had one. Single handily countering me and all five of my Valkyries at the time, even killing one. I shuddered at that fight. I had wounded her lightly with a cursed injury, but the fact that I didn’t win outright spoke volumes. Now she had only gotten stronger, while I had lost my companions and had stagnated.

With only this weak body to act in my place, I wanted to scream and rage. But now was not the time for such futility. I had a meeting I needed to prepare for. I raised the stub that used to be my right hand as I floated through the air.

“So I Predict,” I ended the skill and used the outcome to extend my time. A horrible use of such a powerful skill, but the only way I could maintain this body without access to the original. I felt my flesh reform under my Astral Projection and I easily shifted the projection to show a new hand.

Not as much time as I wanted since I needed to heal the injury. It would not be easy to find another opportunity to use the skill again. The requirements were asinine, but it was a skill I had chosen above all other options. A choice I had not made lightly and one of the two sources of power I had that went beyond reason.

I had no idea what my third choice would be. Temporal options that were useful were not possible unfortunately or worth the risk of wasting a third opportunity. Such a shame, that I could only be freed the hard way going forward. Ignorance was the best option up till now, but that had been ruined. Curse the System and its machinations.

It was far more perverse than even the most jaded of people realized. I wondered if the truth would kill Champion Michael from depression or shock. Doubtful, but it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility. I had only managed two meta-points through sheer luck and realized the truth behind them after much annoyance.

Champion Michael could have earned one and used it to free me. There would be many routes I could have presented to him at that time when I called my favor in. It would have been tricky, but I could have forced him to pick an option I desired. Now that was all ruined and he would have to go the direct route to free me, and he was too weak. Far too weak.

The fact that killing the Ritualist took so long, showed he was far from the necessary strength. I would have to guide him directly and hold his hand. Dammit! There was no other choice now that I had revealed myself.

As I floated over the various zones, I considered other options to free myself for the millionth time. There was nothing. No one and no option that could be made ready in time. Once she took over, there would be no chance to do anything. Eventually she would come across my prison, and I would weep tears of blood, her power insurmountable at that time.

I wanted to cry, but no one would care. I was all alone.