...Daredrick's PoV...

"What do you mean, 'wiped out'?" I ask as I raise an eyebrow. The sweating officer in front of my desk looks at the ground, and I slam my hand on my desk so hard that it startles him.

"I asked you a question!" I shout. "You barged into my office while claiming that you had a very urgent report, and you tell me that one of our bases was completely wiped off the surface of the planet?"

"Y-Yes, I didn't believe it at first, but we received an emergency call for help, and the base was already gone when we were ready to deploy our men, so-" a glare is enough to shut him up. I dismiss the officer and sigh; this incident is very similar to one of our elite section that has been wiped out in a similar fashion. Of course, this matter is highly confidential, and only a handful of people are even aware of the existence of that particular unit.

The aftermath of the battles are very similar in those cases, so it is highly likely that the two are linked. At first, I thought that the Outsider who decided to become a wannabe revolutionary came back. But the most recent incident proved that I was wrong since it was so close to the territory of the fools of the Freedom Movement.

The residence of the Outsider was also near their positions, so they must have intervened. I grit my teeth; I lost a lot of good men to those filthy rebels. But I'll be the first to admit that it was my mistake. I thought that they were disorganized and poorly equipped, so they weren't a real threat, and I could not worry about them until I settled the most pressing issues.

But I was wrong. The bastards must have found some kind of hidden weapon in the vaults they pillaged in their idiotic revolution. And I want that weapon, this destructive power is wasted in the hands of the Freedom Movement, and it would help my Empire grow. Soon, we will have most of the surrounding area under our control. Then I will be able to establish my Empire on a global scale.

It always infuriated me how the powerless Outsiders claimed this place as their land, that they claimed that they were the sole masters of this planet. I never really understood why we are hiding in the first place, the humans are an inferior species, and it's time to go back to the natural order of things.

First of all, I'll expel them from my rightful land. I'll break this stupid Rule that has condemned us to live in the shadows and reveal our might to everyone. Seeing the strength and might of the Empire will surely flip the other Councils on my side, but it would also spark a massive war between us and the rest of the Families that are too attached to their privileges. The humans will try to intervene in this conflict, but who would worry about the roles of a bunch of ants in a war?

It's why I need this weapon, to make sure that nobody will be able to challenge us.

But I'll have to crack down on the Freedom Movement, this weapon makes them more dangerous than the handful of Families that are still resisting, and the other Councils haven't made their moves yet. But I'm not a fool, I know that a Coalition of Families is coming, and they are waiting for the right moment to strike.

I'm afraid that I will have to engage in total war if that happens. My army is well-trained and well-equipped, but we will be vastly outnumbered even under our best estimates. Not to mention that the Families will be eager to test their new toys to show their might, a futile attempt to gain more leverage at the negotiation table once the war is over.

But they are gravely mistaken if they think that they'll win. I'll conscript every single available person if I have to, but we'll win this war. I should also think of a way to use the Humans for something; they are a plentiful resource and should be turned into bombs or something.

The families would never expect such a tactic. They will too focused on not attracting attention that the very Humans they are hiding from will be their end!

I want to laugh loudly, but I apply some restraint. It wouldn't be good for my image if another officer came to my office with grave news and he found me cackling alone.

Let's think about more productive things instead. Those attacks against the Empire must stop, or it will tarnish our image, and we'll appear to be weaklings. The Freedom Movement must be made into an example to make sure that the very idea of rebellion disappears from the mind of the population.

The ones in charge of public order applied my new laws, and the masses weren't happy with the increased taxation. Those idiots are apparently unable to understand that my Empire needs resources to expand. Another thing that stirred unrest was, ironically enough, a reform that was supposed to stop rebellions from rising.

I ordered a massive disarmament; anyone who is not an officer from the Empire is now prohibited from owning any sort of weapon or armor. Of course, I can't make them forget the spell they know, but seizing all the combat-oriented artifacts should stifle any rebellious sentiment.

And, if they dare to rebel, their pathetic uprising will be swiftly crushed since they'll have nothing to fight back.

...John's PoV...

"And that's pretty much it." I finish my explanation. The two men wear a grave expression, and I can't blame them. I wouldn't be smiling if someone told me that a god-like creature decided to target you.

"So, how can we deal with this Oracle?" Alan finally asks.

I told them what happened with the Oracle, but I omitted anything regarding my loss, or about Phase 2 and Phase 3. I think it's better if they don't know that I was beaten, or that the Oracle is continuously watching our every move.

Their god can't possibly be outclassed, right?

"We should develop better weapons," I say, and the two men nod at the obvious remark.

"I'll have to admit that we aren't equipped or trained to respond to this kind of threat properly." Terrence nods, "The Legionaries can do a lot of things, but beating someone of your level isn't possible for us."

Yeah, of course. It isn't like the Legionaries could beat me to a pulp if they wanted. An entire squad of well-armed men who are trained in the art of warfare is going to be better fighters than a guy who just randomly shoot the nearest target.

"Of course, that's why we need better weapons," I say as I turn towards Alan. "I know I already asked a lot of the Fabricators, but we need you more than ever. The Stonecrusher threat is growing by the day, and now we have to worry about the Oracle."

The Chief Fabricator grunts, "We will help in any way we can. We are making good progress on the spatial storage, and we should deploy the first prototypes by the end of the week. The Goblin you recruited also showed some incredible insights, and I assigned a team to him so we can understand his technique for storing and shaping the Starmetal. Philip is thrilled with the matter, and he isn't leaving the Goblin's side." The middle-aged man makes a wry smile.

The image of the usually dignified old man fawning over the grumpy Goblin is quite amusing.

"That's good news! Contact me as soon as it is ready. Dedicate all the spare manpower you have to develop new weapons. Ideally, I would want a handheld weapon with the power of the current Hammer and with the fire rate of a machine gun. The Hammer should also be improved." I order the chief Fabricator, who nods.

I know I'm asking a lot, but this is the bare minimum if we even want to have a chance against the Oracle.

"By the way, do you have any estimates on the mass production of Spell Jammers?" I ask, and Alan nods. "According to Krognar, we should also be ready in a week or two." He answers.

Good, we are going to need it if we want to have a chance to beat the Empire.

"I'll see what I can do with the men, but they are already trained at their maximum," Terrence explains.

"Don't worry; you're doing a fantastic job," I reassure the Commander. I saw some training Legionaries, and I wouldn't even be able to endure ten minutes of such hellish training.

"Now what is our course of action?" the Commander asks.

I fall in deep thoughts; we are overwhelmed by threats from all side. Dealing with the Stonecrusher is a necessity, and they are growing stronger with each passing day. But the Oracle put a wrench in our plans. She can intervene at any time and any place, so we need to hurry if we want to survive our next encounter.

"We should concentrate on the Empire for now. Securing our home turf is a requirement if we want to keep going and that would allow us to focus all our efforts on dealing with the Oracle." I finally decide.

"Alright, I'll prepare for the future campaign." Terrence nods before leaving the room.

I sigh and look towards Alan who is also leaving the room.

Now it's only me in the secluded room, and I look around the empty area.

"What kind of mess have I gotten into." I sigh and lean on my chair. I've been mentally preparing for the current states of affairs but, as usual, things are way worse than I could have anticipated.

How could have I known that the Oracle existed? What was supposed to be a simple mission to get Krognar on our side turned into a bloody campaign. I discovered Phase 2 and Phase 3 in the process, but it isn't going to help in the immediate future since the requirements to use them are way too high.

But all is not lost.

I recruited the crafty Goblin, and his help is going to be invaluable for our weapons development program.

His technology to make Starmetal useful is already a significant contribution, but combining his research with Philip's might make the members of the Order stronger and more adapted for the bloody wars we are going to fight.

I sigh and get up, I have things to do, and I should help as much as possible.

After all, this war isn't going to win itself, isn't it?