Chapter 2688: Terraquake
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Guild Headquarters
"Contact Sansa. Sheâll be leading this time," I answered Henricks, sharing her grimoire ID with him and preparing to dismiss them.
"What? Boss, tell me youâre joking," Blair exclaimed. When my expression didnât change, she cried out in desperation, "Sheâll use us as cannon fodder."
"If she feels thatâs all youâre good for, then tough luck," I shrugged, making it clear that Sansa would indeed be leading the war this time. "If you feel differently, take it up with her."
Instead of dismissing them, I decided to leave, letting them marinate in what I had said. But I paused and added, "Have the other captains and demigods who are guarding the teleportation hubs and the city stay behind and continue their good work."
Then I gave Luna one final warning. "You, go hide in your lab and bury yourself in your research. If your grandma sees you, sheâll want to kill youâand I wonât be stopping her."
Without waiting for her to respond, I turned to go find Susan, Anna, and Jill. They were confused as to why my subordinates had suddenly gathered them, kept asking strange questions. The women were now interrogating them, demanding they come clean and explain what was going on. I had to assure them that everything was under control before they once again banded together to find a way to screw me over like they did earlier today.
"Henricks, why didnât you speak up?" Blair asked their former leader, blaming him for not standing up for them.
"How could I, after that pathetic display?" Henricks shot back. "You ran the Freedom Fighters alongside me, so you know the bare minimum of resources and capital we need just to keep it running, right? Now tell meâhow long do you think it would take for us to afford the lifestyle weâre enjoying right now on our own?"
"Our boss invested in us without a momentâs hesitation, not because he had surplus capital lying around or doing charity, but because he trusted our conviction. He saw our thirst to change the world for the better. And now, when itâs time for us to deliver, youâre wallowing or talking about retreat."
He exhaled sharply. "Honestly, Iâm ashamed."
"Donât forget, Freedom City is only a means to an end. Card World is our home. Do you really think Her Highness Dalie will always be this accommodating? Have you not met other celestial wills? Or do I really need to spell out what will happen if we overstay our welcome?"
"What do you mean?" Jax asked, having never considered the questions Henricks had put forward.
Seeing the looks on his captainsâ faces, Henricks let out a long sigh before speaking. "All you need to know is this: in the upcoming war, we have to earn back the trust we lost. The bossâs goal and our old cause arenât that different. So I donât want to hear any of you say that we lost our cause. That isnât the case. We didnât lose itâwe modified it."
"We canât be rigid. We have to adapt with the times. And if that still isnât enough to motivate you, then I can only ask one thingâplease donât ruin this chance at redemption for others."
He straightened. "Now ready your troops. Iâll get back to you after I speak with Sansa. Be prepared for the worst."
After Henricks left, Jax turned to the others and asked, "What did he mean by saying Freedom City is only a means to an end?"
They exchanged looks. None of them fully understood what Henricks had been implying with that statement.
Luna spoke up. "I canât say for certain, but considering that the Lilâ Red Storm Realmâs power-level limit is higher than Card Worldâs, Iâve always found it odd that there were no life forms of its own. A celestial of its power should be housing powerful sentient life forms but it didnât. I once overheard Her Highness Dalie talking to Wyatt about creating her own kin. Iâm guessing sheâs preparing to populate her realm."
She paused before continuing, "That would make us pests in her garden. I suppose thatâs why Henricks reminded us not to forget that Card World is our home."
"Canât Her Highness Dalie just accept us as well?" Jax argued, sounding like a runaway who had finally found a new home, only to realize it might never truly be his.
"Sureâwhen people stop planning their own children and start adopting strays," Luna said sarcastically, finding the change in Jax and most of the captains almost amusing.
These were the same people who had selflessly fought against the central government for decades, sacrificing their wealth and spilling their blood. She still remembered the time Jax had held off an entire central-region army regiment on his own, using necromancy to awaken fallen soldiers and turn them into weapons for his cause.
And yet now, he was behaving like a spoiled child.
"So our fight was never over?" Jax asked in melancholy as the fog clouding his mind finally clearedâthe same fog that had settled when he saw his people laughing in Freedom City, no longer worrying about their next meal or whether they would live to see the next sunrise.
"Yep. It never was. We just got a fancier headquarters and a much savvier leader," Luna replied as she headed toward the teleportation hub, ready to return to her lab and continue her research.
However, just as Luna was about to leave, the entirety of Sky Blossom City trembled, as if struck by a massive terraquake. The cityâs array formation activated immediately.
Just when they thought it was over, the tremors from below grew stronger and stronger.
"Whatâs going on? This canât be naturalâare we under attack?"
"The terrain is brimming with rule power. This is definitely an enemy attack."
"All units, take positions!"
"Just like the good old times, people!"
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