Bob ran the slicker brush through Monroe's thick coat, not only hearing but feeling the big cat's rumbling purr as he sprawled across his lap, accepting the kitty worship that was his rightful due.

They'd both nearly died.

He hadn't expected Torlin to attack them, despite the recent crash course he'd received in personal security. He'd been operating under the assumption that with Yorrick next to him, someone the entire Empire knew to be at the peak of tier nine, that no one would try anything.

He'd been stupid.

An Eldritch Shield would have mitigated the blow, at least enough for him to act, but it hadn't even occurred to him to put one up.

He needed to be more careful. Above all else, he needed to become more powerful. It was becoming increasingly clear to him that there was no such thing as being powerful enough, not if you were around other people, and Bob had discovered that he was as human as everyone else. He needed other people. He needed his friends. Monroe would always be his best buddy, but life would be unbearably lonely without people to share Monroe's antics with.

He was on track to hit tier seven a couple of months before the System integrated Earth, and pushed the update. Speaking of which...

"Trebor, any new information on the upcoming patch?" Bob asked.

'Nothing relevant to your current plans,' Trebor replied.

Bob sighed. He'd instructed Trebor to offer relevant information, which saved him from having to ask all the time, but sometimes it felt like they weren't on the same page.

"Any changes to the update since I last asked?"

'Many,' Trebor replied. 'This is a multidimensional update, which means the System has gathered and dispersed data across its entirety. Under normal circumstances, updates are tested in the universe in which they were conceived, then after a few millennia, if the update would have a positive impact on other universes, it is compiled with other vital updates and disseminated. While the data from Earth groundbreaking in some ways, it is one of millions of universes. The update is continually being revised as the Systcollatestes data from the various realities.'

Bob frowned. "What universe is the main universe? Or the primary universe I suppose? Is it this one?"

'No, the prime universe didn't have nearly so long to expand as Thayland's,' Trebor replied. 'I can tell you that the update will result in the System being much more interactive with its users, although not to the degree to which you interact with me. It will generate quests and produce items and resources in lieu of coalescing Mana Crystals. Path selection will be much more personalized, and there is currently a not-insignificant process working to develop new paths and path requirements. All of this will be codified before the update is announced, which will give you fifty days to prepare for the integration.'

"Wait and see," Bob grumbled as he continued to stroke Monroe. He knew he was looking for something to distract himself from what had happened earlier. He'd had his spine ripped out of his body. He shuddered.

"Trebor, Yorrick said that until he violated the compact, Tavarius was more powerful, because he was on his estate," Bob began. "Once he violated the compact he was weakened, while Yorrick got a power boost," he continued. "How did all that work?"

'The Lord of a Noble House of the Karcerian Empire is able to tap into the power of the members and servants of their House, reducing their underlings' attributes while increasing their own. The effect is barely noticeable by the members and servants, less than a single attribute point, but the increase is a circumstance bonus that effectively increases the Lord's attributes by twenty-five percent,' Trebor explained. 'By assaulting an Envoy in full view of the High Seat of the Warlocks guild, the compact the House had entered to was broken, which disabled that power tap. Additionally, Warlocks are not permitted to cast the Avatar spell unless very specific requirements are met, which in this instance, they were.'

"So Tavarius was leeching power from his people, which was why he was so confident," Bob nodded. "How does the Avatar spell work?"

'In order to cast the Avatar spell, you must have a number of divine blessings from a single deity equal to your tier,' Trebor said. 'Casting the Avatar spell disables those divine blessings, forcing you to decide how long they will be disabled for, which in turn determines the magnitude of the Avatar spell. From what the camera crew recorded, you can surmise that he disabled his blessings for ten seconds, which only allowed him access to the Avatar's weapon and armor. The backlash from the spell is a reduction in your attributes, the magnitude and duration also determined by the length and power of the Avatar spell.'

Bob shook his head. Trebor had explained that gods, with the exception of Vi'Radia and Mor'Noctum, were simply higher-tier beings who had stepped into a sort of clerical role for the System. Seeing Yorrick execute Tavarius after his underling had ripped out Bob's spine and snapped Monroe's neck was a stark and necessary reminder that he wasn't that strong. Yet.

"I'm not sure that we'll get Bob's endorsement," Yorrick admitted.

"On balance, we may have come out ahead, regardless," The Emperor mused.

Yorrick nodded. House Colvern had fostered an attitude of self-entitled arrogance, an attitude which infected them all, from the Lord of the House to the tier five scions who hadn't yet faced their first wave. They'd spend centuries scheming and plotting, often to the detriment of the Empire, all in an effort to ensure that members of House Colvern stood atop each Pillar.

"Still," The Emperor continued, "there is no reason we shouldn't continue to work toward a favorable outcome. I understand you'll be showing him to the Lair of Hedon next?"

"That is the plan," Yorrick agreed. "Indenture aside, prostitution and addictive substances were the other two reservations."

The Emperor chuckled. "Addictive substances," he shook his head. "The touch of Hedon will put that idea to rest." His face grew contemplative. "We should also show Mr. Whitman the brighter side of the Empire. After we've shown him the worst, we would be remiss to allow him to leave without seeing the better aspects of our lives."

"I'm not sure how badly the incident damaged our friendship," Yorrick shook his head. "I explained that legally, I wasn't able to act beyond placing him in stasis until I could address the matter with the Lord of the House, but while I'm sure he understands, intellectually, his life has left him suspicious and slow to trust. I'm not sure that he won't pull back completely."

"How is the advertisement coming along?" The Emperor asked.

"Well, I think," Yorrick replied. "We're showcasing daily life for the citizens of the Empire and then transitioning to explaining our very simple legal code and what happens when you break the law. One of the women working on editing the footage seemed quite surprised that we wanted to leave in the House Colvern incident in its entirety, but she agreed that having the worst of the abuses a person could suffer shown would be a powerful weapon against any who might claim we still harbor dark secrets."

"Ultimately, we might see a larger surge of immigration after mana awakens on Earth," Yorrick said, shaking his head. "The United States, Eastern Europe, and a good portion of the Pacific Rim will likely maintain their societies, although a degree of unrest is inevitable. The King of Greenwold's draconic measures to ensure compliance with the plan to place the entire planets population into stasis has had the pleasant side effect of removing the warlords, dictators, and despots most likely to have made the situation far worse for their citizens. Still, compliance with Kellan's decrees does not mean competence in the face of disaster, and from all reports, most of Africa remains exactly that."

The Emperor shook his head. "I still find it difficult to believe that they sold their sovereignty for such a small price."

"The agreements were not only legal but completely transparent," Yorrick assured him. "We acceded to all of their demands, our only request being to ensure that the population is kept safe."

"I understand the arrays are nearly complete," The Emperor said.

Yorrick nodded. "We should be powering them up in just over a week, at which point we'll begin construction on the bastions."

The Emperor smiled. "Seven bastions, strongholds of civilization, beacons calling out to the weary," he smiled. "All the more fitting that we build on what some of them have called the Dark Continent. You are still committed?"

"It's time," Yorrick replied. "I've been waiting for a suitable successor, and now that the tide is over, and House Colvern has been handled, although not in the manner I expected, I'll finish my work with Earth and reincarnate. By the time the storm of mana has raged and the world is ready for its citizens to return, I'll be sufficiently prepared to step into my role."

"I'll be counting on you," The Emperor sighed. "Should the worst come to pass, and the light aligned zealots force us to face conversion or death, having a place to seek refuge would be a true blessing."

"I can promise you that Zambia is only the beginning," Yorrick grinned. "In two centuries, three at the most, the entire African continent will shelter beneath the blackened wings of the dark pantheon. The 'first world' nations, as they style themselves, are far too fractious, and their reliance on scientific advancement, alongside their disdain for religion, will serve to ensure that the light-souled bigots found no empire of their own on Earth."

"We have our agents embedded?" The Emperor asked.

"We do," Yorrick nodded. "There will be churches dedicated to Mor'Noctum the day after the refugees return to Earth. I know that discussions are still ongoing in regards to whom amongst the clergy of the Seven Dark Deities will go to Earth and ascend, but we have the others arranged."

The Emperor smiled. "Earth is going to be our haven, Yorrick. From there, we can spread to the rest of the galaxy and, eventually, the universe. We can offer a sanctuary to all those persecuted by the light, a place where we can finally find peace."

"This cannot stand!" Anni shouted. "They attacked him!"

"Anni, he's fine, I saw him myself, we ate breakfast, Monroe tried to steal my sausage," Eddi said, nearly shouting himself to be heard over the excited conversation.

"Is his person not sacrosanct?" Anni demanded. "Were we not promised that as an Envoy to the Dark Empire, that he would be safe from harm? Yet the leader of their Noble Houses sanctioned an attack by his underling upon him!" She shook her head furiously. "He Who Walks Before has shown us our path, blazing a trail for us to follow, for it is in his nature to be both benevolent and kind. But his nature is such that he sees only the good in us, overlooking the bad and accepting risks and danger to himself in order to uplift others! How can we, his faithful, not rise up to protect and avenge him?"

Eddi grimaced. He could clearly remember the first time Bob had heard about his new nickname, 'The Reef.' At this moment, he understood all too clearly what Bob had meant when he'd later said that he should have stomped down on that harder. It wasn't that Anni was a rabid fanatic because she certainly was, but rather that there were way too many voices in the crowd agreeing with her.

"I spoke to him!" Eddi really did have to shout. "He explained what happened, and he assured me that he was healthy and considered the matter closed. We should respect his decision!"

"I don't think you're going to win this one, love," Wayna whispered in his ear.

"We can't just go attack the Empire!" Eddi hissed back. "There won't be an Endless Tower left standing if we do!"

"I love you, dear, but you think in straight lines," Wayna replied. "You can't prevent a reaction at this point, so it's better to guide it. Suggest that a committee should be formed to investigate the issue and negotiate reparations for the assault. You can make sure that Anni and her fanatics aren't the ones that actually speak to the Empire."

Eddi nodded and cleared his throat before beginning the long process of wrangling a consensus from the Endless Council.

"While I certainly would never wish harm to befall him, the Light has clearly worked to reveal the true nature of those who live in the Shadows," Huron said.

"Their internal politics certainly seem somewhat more robust than those we enjoy," Elizabeth replied, hiding a smile.

The truth was, she rather enjoyed the impact that subtle understatement had on the rather prim and proper priest.

"I'd hardly call an attempted assassination 'robust politics,' your Majesty," Huron protested.

"We've grown beyond that, yes, but we can assure you that our history is rife with that sort of intrigue. We are certain that we wouldn't sit the throne were it not for the robust political maneuverings of our forebears," The Queen replied, pausing to lay a hand on Porro, who was shifting restlessly.

"May I ask how Britain will react?"

"With care and deliberation," Elizabeth replied, this time not hiding her smile. "We have inquired after Mr. Whitman, and we will base our response upon his own actions, as we view him as an important ally and a friend to our people."

Huron shook his head. "Given the history of your nation, I don't understand how you can condone the Empire's actions," he said.

"Perhaps we have more experience with the overreach of our Nobility," Elizabeth shook her head. "While you decry, quite rightly, the actions of Lord Tavarius, you deliberately ignore the actions of Mr. Wrathsbane and High Priestess Fulrun. You govern a population of less than a quarter of a million, while our capital boasts nine million. We say this not to demean the efforts the Church, and you personally, have made on behalf of your people, but rather to highlight the disparity in breadth of experience." She continued to smile. "From our perspective, a foreign official attacked an ambassador and was dealt with swiftly and with finality."