Two Days Later...

With the letter of declaration of war having been delivered, a day when the battle was to commence was chosen and so was the battlefield which happened to be the clearing in which Hal had met up with the gangs and contracted them.

The whole thing might have looked official and a final semblance of civility before they killed each other but in the course of the two days before then, so many sneak attacks and cheap shots had been taken.

The Plebeians occasionally sent Men to any Great family gatherings to kill as much as they could.

There had been numerous kidnappings followed by the deaths of the victims all in the hope of depleting the fighting force of their enemies in hope of victory.

However, no one carried out covert operations more than the Edgar family or more accurately, the Edgar brothers.

The death of their father had brought out their vindictive sides and the core of their attacks was against the Plebeian Runemasters who had been the ones to activate the Array that trapped Hector and siphoned him.

The Baret and Ian families had been attacked so much and lost so many men that they took to making use of Elaborate Arrays to protect their homes. Which considering the fact that they were Runemasters and should have implemented the elaborate Arrays in the first place was a little redundant.

That said, they retaliated as hard as they possibly could against the Edgar family which was always followed by the death of many Edgar men.

At Payne Estate,

The Elites were cultivating because from what Hal had told them, becoming stronger was paramount and it was also the best way to take their minds off things.

The day the war began they all gathered together and were directed by Burt and the Blood Knights to the clearing where they would meet up with the other Great family forces.

Speaking of the other Great family forces,

Edvard was still reeling from finding out that his cousin Ciel had been Marked by Hal and while he and Karmen did not communicate directly, they still worked together to fill the Estate with Blood Knights.

To be fair, it was something he should have expected considering everyone in the Dome with Hal had been marked.

-

Ford Horst had come to terms with his situation but still wished he could speak with Emily as there were lingering emotions that he could not possibly let go of.

However, Emily had told him one thing when he attempted to converse with her which was that he should 'let it be'. Speaking of it would only make it worse for him.

She had made her decision and it had nothing to do with him.

He sighed.

He had decided to cast his lot with Hal and that entailed leading the Horst forces to battle.

Frank knocked on his study door and after Ford invited him in, he stood in front of his father with his hands behind his back,

"Father, are you ready to depart?" He asked.

Ford who had been looking out the window, turned towards Frank,

"Yes, I am." He said and walked around his desk.

Noting as he did, the difference in Frank's posture and the seriousness that was evident in his eyes.

Ford sighed once again as he thought of how much their lives had changed within one month and all because Of Hal.

While they now had hope of going past the limit of this city, Ford also wondered if all they had given up for that hope was worth it.

Whether he should thank Hal or not.

Might as well go with the flow for now.

"I still don't know why you're coming along, you're still a teenager and your Early-stage Cosmic Pearl Realm cultivation will not be of much use" he said to Frank who nodded,

"I know that, but Master says it would be best I come along anyway as I might learn something. Besides, I would be protected all through." He replied.

Ford nodded, noting that it was not his opinion that mattered anymore but Hal's, who was now Frank's mother's man.

'What a messed up tangle of relationships'. He thought.

...

Meanwhile...

At The Mansion...

All of Hal's women were present and all of them put finishing touches in their preparation for the civil war.

But while they all prepared in their room, Hal was in his with Emily whose legs were crossed over the side of the bed.

Hal was cross-legged on the bed and refining the essence he had gotten from his session with the ladies the day before.

Emily who had only just finally completed the formation of the foundation of her Cosmic Pagoda that morning before she came to visit wished they had time for a romp.

Which they did, except that Hal felt it was a little beneath them both to rush just because of a war with the Plebeians. It seemed much more prudent to destroy the Plebeians and then copulate in celebration.

Or better still, with a Hal style orgy.

Emily had tried to convince him at first when she first arrived in his room and Hal replied that if she really wanted it, she should have come earlier.

"There's only so long a high-quality commodity like me can be free. I'm a busy man" He had said.

Emily trailed her fingers down the front of his shirt,

"Too busy to fuck me?" She had asked in a low breathy tone of voice.

Hal chuckled and said with a smirk,

"I'll never be too busy to fuck you. But right now yes, I am too busy"

Emily groaned,

"You are tempting me to just go ahead of you to the battlefield and kill all the Plebeians that are there"

Hal had looked at her,

"You wouldn't dare. You are my secret weapon, remember?"

And so now we are back to Hal refining the Essence while Emily waited for him with a hint of impatience.

Hal finally completed his refinement and with it, he advanced to the Late stage of the Cosmic Armament Realm.

He opened his eyes and the sapphire blue orbs seemed to sparkle,

"I'm guessing I shouldn't celebrate such a small advancement in front of a Cosmic Pagoda Expert like yourself." He said with a smile.

Emily giggled,

"No you shouldn't, but then again, you probably should. After all, I am several centuries older than you."

That statement was quite an understatement as Emily was well past the 500-year mark but it was still a testament to her talent and superior background that even younger than the dead 800-year-old Hector, she surpassed him immensely.

Hal shrugged,

"It doesn't seem to make a difference in bed" he said as he stood from the bed and stretched his muscles.

Emily stretched atop the bed and rubbed her hand on the sheets fondly,

"Thank the gods for that"

Hal smiled and thought about the things that were soon to commence.

While the war was bound to be life-changing to some, Hal did not care and only anticipated his encounter with the Plebeian Master who he knew would not be able to resist showing up by the end of the day.

He was about to take a short break and fondle Emily's fun bags which he knew was a sentiment she would appreciate when Grimoire suddenly alerted him in a professional tone,

'Those you purchased Ungraded Cultivation Techniques for, now require upgrades in said Techniques as they have advanced to the next Realm' It said.

'Oh? How many of them?' Hal asked.

'All of them' Grimoire replied...

...and although the upgrade was bound to cost him, there was no way he could keep the grin off his face even as he complained to the Artifact,

'Damn it! They all advanced? Is it so much to ask that some of them fail so I kick them to the curb?'