Surface- Valley of Origins Region

Empire of Night- City of Eternal Night

Inner City- Central Plaza

Jacob watched as the Skeletal Warriors, Archers, Champions, and Mages form up. A little over three thousand reinforcements for the Dead Legion at the Obsidion Kingdom. It was taking time, but they finally had the reinforcements now. "So have you read the Forums or the news this morning?" Darren asked as strode up.

Jacob shook his head in response, he had been to busy with one thing or another since waking up, reading the Forums or News highlights were way down on his list of priorities. "Shit hit the fan in the Dark-Iron Thiag, the Children of the Light have been banned from the Dwarven Kingdom, their properties confiscated, and the whole guild is now Unfriendly status with the kingdom. One misstep away from earning Hated with Kill-on-Sight orders issued for their people. Between that and your little info dump on the Forums, they have already lost over two thousand members and are in complete free-fall through the guild ranks currently. Your lovely ex, a dozen officers, and about fifty members got canned and blacklisted by the Children when everything came out. Their little bounty on the Seekers just went away because they are now more worried about surviving as a guild then starting a war with even a small guild like ours. Here is the icing on the cake, your little ex got arrested and is serving one year and one hundred thousand gold fine." Darren informed Jacob which might be the reason who he had so many PMs from her that had been blocked over the last twelve hours before they had gotten cut off.

"Well, looks like there is some justice in this world. It couldn't have happened to a better people.' Jacob snickered, 'Thank your friends in the Shadow Daggers for dropping all that information on the High-King."

Darren snorted, "Please, they were happy to knock out one of the Top Ten guilds. As far as they are concerned they owe us now."

Jacob snorted, he had been amazed at the amount of blocked PMs from Ava, he had gotten a message from her sister as well though and he was thinking about reading it. Got to treat it like a band-aid. Spoiler: Spoiler Jacob,

I have read the Forums and the announcement from the Granite Throne, I am so sorry for not believing you. I know you probably don't believe me, but I am sorry.

My sister was up to her old tricks because she was planning on staging a coup within the Children and grabbing more power, but your actions stopped her cold. She and all her allies were kicked from the guild, she was imprisoned within the Dark-Iron Thiag and owes the Dwarves a crapload of gold now.

This move devastated the Children and I am sure you know their guild is in complete free fall through the rankings so you do not have to worry about them for the foreseeable future.

As far as I am concerned, my application with the Titans has been rejected. I am considered tainted and they recommended that I stay away from any guild or re-roll my Avatar. No one will go near me because of what she did. I do not blame you for that, you were right, I should have stayed away from her.

I have decided to take a break from Fate Online, I will be back in a couple of weeks when the Vampire race is unlocked. I would like to talk too you sometime soon please, this is not for her, but for me.

With remorse,

Ailis O'Conner Jacob winced and tried to send her a message but an Alert saying 'no one by that name existed' came back immediately and Jacob was in-game for the next month real-world time and would be getting out right before the release of the Vampire race.

"What's up?" Darren asked.

"Ailis got caught up in the blowback, she lost her chance at joining the Titans and decided to re-roll her Avatar," Jacob told him quickly.

The Shadowmaster frowned and shrugged his shoulders, "That isn't on you. You warned her plenty of times when you and Ava broke up, but the girl didn't listen. All she saw was her sister and that's all she wanted to see. Not the twisted little bitch she was, now she was forced to see it and she is now paying for ignoring it. I don't have much compassion for people who ignore blatant obvious information like that." Darren finished.

"I know, I just wish I could do something to help her," Jacob replied and Darren slapped him.

Every Undead within a hundred feet stopped and prepared to attack until Jacob sent out a mental command to continue as they had been. "NO!! Hell no dude, that girl is worse than her sister because she will do anything Ava askes of her. So not only no, but Hell no. Don't let her sell you a sob story, she made her choices just like you and you paid for Avas' choices a lot more then she did, so just don't!" Darren stated before turning and walking away.

Jacob frowned at the retreating Rogues back before nodding, the man was right he could not afford to help her. She had made her choices just like he did. "Wait, Darren look at this. Have you seen a ring with Unknown properties?" Jacob asked quickly as he brought the Signet Ring of House Lightsbane from his inventory. Spoiler: Spoiler

Name: Signet Ring of House Lightsbane

Level: Unknown

Properties: Unknown

Requirement: Souldbound to Jacob Longstrider, Head of House Lightsbane

Description: Unknown

The Rogue frowned at first reading the items description before shrugging his shoulders, "Take it to someone with a high level Analyze or Identify ability." The Rogue stated before leaving.

Real World

North American Alliance- Greater New York Conglomerate

Black Rock HQ

Anthony Mitchels looked out at the city lights around and below him. Decades of work were coming to a culmination in the next year, so much effort, so much money, and it was all riding on so few people. "The Government has looked over the numbers and readouts from the test group. Their scientists have given the green light to the tech as long as this last test passes, Long-term immersion will be approved by the government."

Anthony nodded and without turning around addressed the Doctor, "What about Project Lazarus? It is just as important as Project Morpheus."

"We have acquired a dozen test subjects for Project Lazarus, it is slow going, but if we can have even one success with any of them, it will simplify the process for mass deployment." The Doctor responded.

"Good, everything hinges upon those two projects, that is why my friends and I even started this company in the first place. If those projects fail..." Anthony Mitchels CEO and owner of BlackRock stated.

"I understand sir, but if we brought Adam and Eve onto the project, it might help. I understand they are just A.I., but they also have a unique perspective on what we are trying to accomplish." The Doctor started but stopped when he saw Anthony frown.

"No, you will not include the two A.I. in your research. They have their problems and cannot help you.' Anthony frowned and pulled a data drive from his desk. It was heavily encrypted and only a few people knew about what was on it. 'This data might help you, it is from one of the test subjects from Project Morpheus, before you ask, no you cannot ask who it is or how it happened, but it might help with your projects." Anthony stated and the Doctor quickly thanked the man and left the room.

Anthony turned and activated the rooms electronic defenses and sealed the room so no one could enter until he unlocked it. Anthony activated the communication gear to reach out to his six partners, they were scattered all over the world now, powerfull men and women of industry and governments. All of them dedicated to one purpose, survival of humanity. The third World War had devastated a third of humanities population, nearly 1/8 of the surface of the Earth was uninhabitable because of the war. Anthony and his friends had grown up during the war and had sworn to never allow humanity to become that close to extinction again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Project Morpheus has been tentatively approved by the North American Alliance government, its full approval is contingent upon this last test. Furthermore, we have acquired test subjects for Project Lazarus, I have released the sensitive data we acquired from Subject Alpha to Doctor Jenkins to hopefully assist him in furthering Lazarus. Now, how are things going on your ends?" Anthony Mitchels asked as he sat back in his chair.

Underdark- Forelorn Depths Region

Fallen Obsidion Kingdom- Southern Border Area

South Hall

Jacob watched as another wave of burning skulls arc and then slam into an oncoming wave of Mind Warped Drones and Guardians, Whoever this 'One' is, was not being original in their tactics of trying to beat back the Dead Legion. He, she, or it was just using swarming tactics to try and overwhelm them with sheer numbers. However, between the Death Wagons and the AoE spells of the mages of the Dead Legion and Seekers of the Dawn were breaking up and whittling away at the oncoming waves of enemies.

This allowed the Dead Legion to take on the much more numerical enemy while still pushing forward. The tactics made no sense, the 'One' was just wasting resources and troops on a pointless fight. "We have people checking the buildings?" Jacob asked Anastasia.

The raid leader nodded immediately, "Yes, every building is checked as we push forward. Nothing significant has been found, so side passages, so your worry is unfounded currently." Anastasia responded.

The statement did nothing to settle Jacobs mind, this was something he would do if he and the 'One's position had been reversed. Suck the enemy in and have them overextended before launching a counter-attack from behind. "Have a squad of Wraiths sweep our back trail and report back anything odd," Jacob told Nizyl. The Bonelord nodded and waved at a group of nearby Wraiths that broke off and moved swiftly back the way they had come under Stealth. The One watched as the swarms of the Drones slammed into the dead ones. They had pushed further and further into the South Hall, now they were overextended. The One moved his conscious to the other force of Drones he had taken over a day to move into position, but they were there behind the partially collapsed wall clearing the last of the ruble before pushing forward.

Nearly five thousand Drones and Guardians burst from the ancient tunnel moving quickly to overtake the dead from behind. They were nearly ten minutes away, but if they moved quickly they could attack them from behind completely surprising and overwhelming them. If they surprised them, if they had time to prepare for them...the battle would go a completely different way. Suddenly one of the Drones smelled the dead, but it was impossible, they were far ahead, so the One dismissed the Drones thoughts and pushed them on. Nothing else mattered except reaching the hated enemy and destroying them. Jacob watched as Nizyl bellow something the other Undead understood and immediately start moving. The reserve force Jacob had carefully harbored wheeled and turned to face the way they had come. A little over two thousand Skeletal Warriors and Archers turned. Two dozen Skeletal Mages and four Minor Liches quickly moved from the other battle to join their brethren in facing an unseen threat. Anastasia noted the Undeads movements immiedietly moved one-third of the Immortal Mages and half the Archers too rienforce the Undead. Eight of the twenty-four Death Wagons also reoriented on whatever threat the Wraiths had reported. Nizyl anchored the whole new line by taking the dead center point and making him a huge target for whatever was coming.

Suddenly hundreds then thousands of Mind Warped Drones and Guardians emerged from the darkness. Any ranged unit immediately unleashed their attacks, arrows, magic, and flaming skulls rained down on the approaching army slaughtering dozens of drones. Coming one strongly behind them was a large Beholder. Jacob cursed as he started lobbing Shadow Bolts toward the oncoming army.