August 1, 1616 Central Calendar, 18:00

Roguerider Foundation Headquarters, San Redentore District, Runepolis

“A mortal, a god, and a Horseman enter a meeting room… I feel there must be a punchline somewhere in there.”

Eyeing Legiel’s back as he walked to adjust the panel beside the door to control the air conditioner, Meteos quietly slid into a seat near the head of the table, back facing the outside view.

It was six o’clock past meridiem at the Roguerider Foundation Headquarters, a sizable steel and glass construct nestled deep within the sparsely populated San Redentore District of the Holy Empire’s capital. Raindrops still clung stubbornly to the panoramic windowpanes past the still-empty Executive Boardroom, blurring the sight of the dreary twilight forest beyond and occasional buildings standing stubbornly between them. The air inside was heavy, not with the dampness from the recent downpour, but with a quiet tension.

Three of Roderick’s children were already inside, way earlier than the scheduled meeting that was supposed to take place in half an hour. With Ace sitting at his side, the two of them were facing Legiel as he made his way to occupy a seat on the other side of the table. As they waited for others, Meteos started to fiddle with the teeth of a pedanium necklace he had recently made.

Ace tapped a staccato rhythm on the polished tabletop, each beat resonating like a hammer blow that can be heard amidst the silence. His gaze remained fixed on the door at the far corner, and his jaw was clenched tight. Stealing a glance at Meteos from the corner of his eye at times, he saw his younger brother’s eyelids begin to close as his fingers ran through the smooth surface of his alien accessory. The mass murderer of civilizations by contrast was a picture of studied calm. Legiel sat with his back relaxed against the chair with a faint smile on his lips. He drummed his fingers along the armrest in a slow, counterpoint to Ace’s frenetic tapping. It seemed to be a deliberate act of a silent taunt that only heightened his tension. Ace gritted his teeth, feeling the urge to lash out a physical response a constant battle with the rational thought within him.

Opening his eyes after a minute passed, Meteos murmured toward Legiel. “After I thought that we could find some peace and quiet… Is it really necessary for you to be here this early?”

His coy smile widened a fraction, Legiel reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a similar pedanium necklace, dangling it between his thumb and forefinger. Not only for himself, Meteos generated more pedanium to also create more necklaces that he subsequently gifted to his parents and siblings. Despite those being obviously useless for the Four Horsemen, Meteos did it anyway, as part of his training to further hone his alien magic-derived skillset.

Meteos let out a small, humorless sigh. “Here I question what audience you are trying to cater to, making a biography of a young boy who just happened to frequent boring meetings.”

“Both you and I know that it is utter ‘humility’ nonsense, Little Brother.”

“……Never mind.”

“I’ve finished my duties at my office, so why not?” Legiel shrugged. “Maybe since it’s going to be one of those boring meetings, I’ve come to make sure you two are not dying of boredom. Or, I decided to accompany you here because I was so touched that you, Little Brother, thought of all of us to make us these necklaces. Such a thoughtful gesture.”

The pedanium necklace the boy fiddled with was more than just a decorative trinket. Taking advantage of pedanium’s properties, not only does the necklace’s design with three teeth allow it to be used as a makeshift claw-like weapon, it is also able to serve as a rudimentary magic tool possessing the ability to stockpile mana. By channeling their will, the wearer could use the accumulated mana within them, allowing them a burst of magical power when needed, amplifying spells or bolstering their physical capabilities. It is ‘rudimentary’ because as far as Meteos’ mastery in Overhaul permits at present, this version still lacked the more intricate refinements that made it unable to unleash its full potential as a real game breaker for native Ars Goetian use, i.e., capable of downsizing even Manadrivers as a personal-use automatic chanting magic tool.

“That hardly answers my earlier question,” Meteos grunted.

“Maybe sometimes it’s best that one does not get obsessed with finding answers and live with what they have at hand,” Legiel chuckled. “Now, speaking of these necklaces, it’s no small feat to create these trinkets with only your mind. It speaks volumes about your progress with the inherited memories. Remember how shaky your control was when you started learning Overhaul not even one year ago? Now, look at you, crafting these without much trouble. As close as you are to developing one-off energy weapons centered on pedanium like the Malakh once was at present, the nature of your species will make your technology development path never follow the exact same route. Wouldn’t it be fascinating to see what other feats you might come up with if my presence here were to… say, nudge your inspiration along a bit?”

With another sigh, Meteos’ gaze flicked to Ace for a moment, idly hoping for some kind of intervention. Yet, he remained silent, having found a spot on the table to be glared at. The wounds Legiel inflicted were still raw and deep – Astarte remained trapped in a coma, and Ace himself was reduced to something like an errand boy, forced to clean up Legiel’s monstrous messes. It’s not like he needed any other reminder that even gods are impotent in the face of the Four Horsemen, but…

Legiel slowly twirled in his seat as he continued.

“The more you search into your inherited memories, the easier it becomes for them to help manifest solutions in your mind. Little nudges, you might say, that help your skill grow stronger, expand your repertoire, and master All for One like you use your own limbs.”

“……All for One?” Meteos frowned and looked up at the First Horseman.

“Yes, All of Attarsamain’s Legacy for One Meteos Roguerider, Or the ability to understand in seeing others to strengthen oneself. Basically, it’s just what I call your passive ability to manifest an imaginary technology tree, or an analytical mind assisted by the inherited memories of the entire history of Attarsamain from its conception to its end… now that I found pronouncing them to be a bit mouthful,” drawled Legiel, waving his hand casually.

His playful demeanor shifted and he looked thoughtful.

“Maybe All for One will react even more interestingly to my presence. You see, Little Brother, there might be some countermeasures it will feed you now that their civilization’s killer is right here in front of you. I think the memories will help you even more, maybe out of genuine benevolence since that’s what Malakhs were, or maybe out of self-interest since their legacy will die if I kill you.”

“You spoke as if the inherited memories have some degree of sentience,” noted the youngest among the three.

“Who knows? I can speak and theorize as much as I like, but discovering the truth about them is up to you.”

Refusing to look dejected by how unreasonable things had been set for them, Meteos’ hand let go of his necklace and joined his other hand, steepling his fingers on the table while his mouth let out a quiet sigh.

“Ace… what do you think?”

“……There is no such thing, the inherited memories are merely a database composed of recollections of perished souls. The Civilization Annihilation Game consumed the souls of its victims as fuel when they finished with them… so they ceased to be.”

Just like the souls of the Linto whose Shamash captured to curry favor with the Game, those left behind on Attarsamain, and many more who were unjustly killed for circumstances outside their control, all for the sake of fulfilling a convoluted scheme built based upon the planner’s fetish for irony.

While Meteos fell silent, Ace spoke for the first time that evening after being silent the whole time ‘hanging out’ with Legiel.

“Very true, very true.”

“…Enough of the mind games. If you’re here to threaten Meteos for your amusement, you’re wasting your time.”

“Oh, someone finally decides to speak. How’s Astarte, by the way? Still comatose?”

“………!”

Ace growled before taking a deep breath, trying to control the surge of emotions threatening to consume him and quietly stood up from his chair to pace around the room, fists clenched as he heard Legiel laugh at him for that gesture.

“Still easily baited as ever…”

“Are the Four Horsemen truly so far above everything else that they can lay out such an undeserved level of pettiness…?” Meteos bitterly wondered.

“Your concept of morality does not apply to us in an absolute sense. If you don’t like it, cope, seethe, or cry in the corner, for we are the Absolute Constants of All Creation,” countered Legiel.

While concerned about the trapped god, Meteos shook his head in a mixture of disappointment and resignation. There seemed to be nothing reasonable they could do to stop the Four Horsemen from acting out of their whims. There was only so much his encouragement could do—in the end, Kagaseo must fix the lapse in his self-control himself.

“Amatsu-Mikaboshi’s chronic recklessness aside, Little Brother, have you thanked your dear older brother over there today? For everything he has done? When Amatsu-Mikaboshi broke into the Game’s place to take Astarte away, the memories of Attarsamain were one of those über-advanced memories that I placed randomly in my place. Without him finding it by chance and creating All for One for you, the way to realize ‘a world that doesn’t need Japan’ will be much harder for you, don’t you think?”

Right, better have him fixated on me so that he stops bothering Ace, Meteos thought.

After finishing reminiscing, Legiel’s smile abruptly vanished, replaced by a glint of seriousness in his eyes.

“Well… That’s the end of the theatrics. Now, the reason I will provide for coming here as Legiel Roguerider,” his voice held a new, business-like edge. “In the future, I envision the company’s expansion to the medical market. Despite the presence of healing magic, this world lacks readily available medical solutions on par with your Overhaul’s capabilities. However, this world’s technology is centuries away from the necessary sophistication. This is where you come in, Little Brother.”

He slowly wiggled his index finger at Meteos. “Let All for One grow up some more. Delve into the inherited memories and see if they can’t aid you in inventing a miracle substance. Something that can rival Overhaul in healing potential, but suitable for mass production and use by the general public.”

As Meteos processed those words, he turned towards Ace to gauge his stance. With a barely perceptible nod, he seemed to be conveying the message that the choice was his to make.

“A mass-produced substance that can be used in every medical treatment… efficacy rivaling that of Overhaul… hmm… something to promote rapid regeneration of organic compounds, perhaps?”

“Well, I’ll leave the details to you. If you have the conscience to not hoard your amazing powers by yourself, please consider that idea, okay?”

“Hm… This so-called All for One is an asset, and I intend to use it, alright.”

Legiel on the other hand was delighted. Now that his activities were limited on this planet by the ceasefire with Eldest Brother, seeing the mortal of interest defy the Will of the Audience right in the face by inventing “unrealistic bullshit after bullshit” was downright cathartic, close to his preference for slaughtering them in the most ironic way possible.

In the end, Meteos conceded, crossing his arms with a small grunt. “I’ll see what I can come up with that idea. When were you hoping to have this ‘miracle substance’ ready?” he inquired.

“Oh, it’s more of a long-term project to elevate this world to greatness, as you people would like to say. Though, I wouldn’t mind seeing some progress before… the Apocalypse happens and this world is blindsided by whatever comes out of it.”

“Speak plain, Legiel.”

“The year of the Game’s scheduled Quarter-Final Round? You seriously don’t consider what will happen in the 1639 Central Calendar to be the Apocalypse?”

Legiel shrugged much to the other two’s chagrin.

“Oh, okay, then. I suppose you’re still looking down on those hypothetical otherworlders, after all,” he shook his head airily, being the provocative, unrepentant entity that he was.

“………”

With both Ace and Meteos refusing to humor Legiel anymore, the silence between the siblings stretched for a moment to let Meteos continue brainstorming before the door finally creaked open and the other meeting participants announced their arrival. Led by Roderick Roguerider, the President and CEO of the Foundation, one by one they filed in and took their places around the table, marking the commencement of the scheduled agenda.

…………

“Everyone is here, son, we can start the meeting.”

“Yes. Once again, Father and everyone, thank you for your time to join us today for the second official meeting of the White Lotus.”

Smiling slightly as he returned his father’s warm remarks and addressed him in a formal tone appropriate to the setting, Meteos slid into the seat next to the CEO’s own at the head of the table across from his eldest brother Adonis. Casting a glance around the room, the Executive Boardroom was filled with not the usual faces of the company’s board members, but with a mix of individuals ranging from immediate family members to those not even remotely connected to the Foundation – at least on the surface. After all, this, as pre-arranged, was the second official monthly meeting of Meteos’ information network since it took the name “White Lotus.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

To support the distributed documents, magical projections flickered to life above the table and on the screen behind the CEO’s seat, controlled by Meteos through the terminal on his part of the desk that he attached to his X Deviser as he spoke.

“Let us start with a review of the Holy Empire’s strength up to this point in comparison to our most immediate threat, the Annonrial Empire. First, as much as I am pleased to say that the fruits of everyone’s labor are getting there… the intel we received from the Seventy revealed that at present it seems that the Holy Empire and Annonrial are at best racing neck-and-neck in terms of weaponry and our equipment is equivalent to their cheap copy at worst.”

A collective frown rippled across the room. Roderick’s kind face was etched with concern as he leaned back in his chair and mused aloud. “Hmm. To be fair, we were years behind them when we started, but still, even if we are pushing with our advantages…”

Automatic small arms, armored fighting vehicles, various warships, submarines, jet-powered aircraft, strategic bombers, and guided weapons… after years of tireless pursuit, the Holy Empire had reached a point where they would not be gobsmacked by enemy technology they had never seen. However, with no real numerical advantage over their hypothetical enemy and equipment with lower performance than their counterparts forming the current lineup, the Holy Milishial Empire’s chance of confidently fighting toe-to-toe against Annonrial, let alone winning, is still in the red.

“Complacency will be detrimental to our future,” said a participant among the erupting hushes.

“But funnily enough, you could say that our guided magic bullet development is rather evenly matched,” Meteos continued. “Production of our anti-ship missiles is ramping up in response to the Gamma-1’s deployment, and we are on the brink of realizing a version that can target aircraft. Now it’s a matter of who can finish practical surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles first. Annonrial’s pace is the slowest in this field… if you don’t mind breaking your backs in capitalizing on our own advantage, we can actually shoot their planes out of the sky in a couple of years.”

The boy’s remark caused self-deprecating chuckles to erupt around the table.

“However, Annonrial’s naval assets are still significantly better in terms of defenses compared to the Holy Empire’s, which means that if we use our guided weapons, their tougher ships have a higher chance of surviving compared to our ships against theirs,” the quiet Cyrus chimed in after the laughter died down.

“Indeed, basically, in the event of a clash against Annonrial, which will inevitably occur at sea in the initial phase, we will be pressed hard…” the disguised Lugiel, representing the Order of the Ancients’ leadership among the White Lotus, concluded.

At this point, they didn’t even bother considering other countries since they already knew the result. Either deadweight or cannon fodder, the outcome will be harsh.

“White Lotus Leader, could there be a way to have the Seventy disrupt their own country’s development process?”

“Are you talking about sabotage?” Meteos rubbed his chin. “Unfortunately that is unlikely. None of the Seventy possess the reach to cripple a whole process in a meaningful manner. The most they can do for now is to leak information they can get their hands on and make sure that my future memories and the facts in the field match.”

“I see, that’s a shame.”

Still, Meteos made a mental note to bolster the Seventy—the Annonrial Empire allies who had seen the Temple of Heaven. However, their insular nature made the natives of that country rarely venture outside their borders in the open to begin with, and the other option is to ambush their operatives to be turned against them, making efforts to find potential defectors will require him going to very specific locations to reach them. This is where the challenge lies.

Looking up, after finishing his musings, Meteos’ gaze narrowed.

“Speaking of which, Your Highness, what about the Order’s preparations for another expedition to Area 10?”

Lugiel’s expression flickered with a hint of apprehension. “Fortunately or unfortunately, we are already allocating our resources to the sites with easier access. But don’t worry about Area 10, it’s just that our estimations conclude that at the earliest, we can be fully prepared for a mission by next year.”

A grim understanding settled over the room. A year was a long time with the precarious situation they found themselves in. Leaning forward, fixing his gaze on the projection showcasing the map of the Holy Milishial Empire, Meteos stifled a sigh. “I understand. Please be careful. When the time comes, ensure every possible precaution is taken. The potential rewards from Area 10 are simply too significant to allow for even the slightest margin of error,” he stressed.

“I understand. In order to tip the balance in our favor, we will need those,” Lugiel nodded with determination.

A site designated as “Area 10” by the Ministry of Ancient Sorcerous Empire Countermeasures is located near the Warrior’s Peak, a mountain range running north-south that divided the Holy Milishial Empire right in the middle. Due to the treacherous terrain, exploration was limited to only a fraction of the ruins visible on the surface. But during the Rape of Ars Goetia, this location was home to a large stockpile of what would be a great equalizer in this race against the Annonrial Empire in this continent. When the August Star of Heaven banished the Ravernal Empire, this stockpile was left unused. Put two and two together…

Remember that Meteos wanted to visit this place in the Second Timeline? He wanted the Holy Empire to secure and reverse-engineer none other than the Core Magic and the intercontinental ballistic missiles he knew still stored in the deeper parts of Area 10, thus kickstarting the Holy Milishial Empire’s development of the equivalent of nuclear weapons. Much faster than having to start from scratch now that Meteos is there to help with everything the researchers need to know. Meteos imposed to themselves a time limit before the Apocalypse.

“Back to the topic, catching up entirely on physical weapons does take time, but it doesn’t mean we’re without options in our bid to bridge the gap as soon as possible,” Meteos said, projecting imagined scenes in which a cyan-colored Milishian warship unleashed ‘various things’ to intercept incoming orange-colored projectile weapons.

“For example, measures to catch up to Annonrial in terms of defensive capability. During our research into countermeasures against incoming attacks, I and other Magic Technology System crew looked into the possibility of taking a page out of Agartha’s book and using magic spells to defend against both physical and energy attacks. For example, this scenario of an attack by Annonrial anti-ship missiles.”

The projection played, where the Milishian warship was bombarded with missiles from an unseen enemy. As Meteos controlled the projection, a shimmering blue field, imagined to take the form of interlocking hexagons, materialized some distance from the warship, encompassing only the side facing the incoming attack.

“The first method we’re exploring utilizes a continuously regenerating magical barrier spell, different from the standard magical armor enhancement. Unlike traditional magical barriers, this one relies on the rapid forming of layers of barriers beneath the outer layer that bears the brunt of an attack until it loses its momentum. In other words, withstanding a barrage of attacks by deploying a barrage of defense. We don’t need to encase the entire ship or potentially other platforms in an impenetrable bubble. Instead, deploying this barrier to cover the general direction of incoming fire significantly reduces the mana expenditure required to maintain it.”

A murmur of surprised interest rippled through the room as Meteos finished his explanation.

“As far as my memories of the future are concerned, this feat is a borderline Ancient Sorcerous Empire method that Annonrial is unable to copy at this moment,” the reincarnator stated with a hint of pride in his voice.

“That sounds promising, White Lotus Leader, but doesn’t the magical expenditure for such a mana-intensive spell makes it impractical for extended use in real warfare?” a participant piped in with a thoughtful frown.

“Yes,” another commented. “Maintaining a constant magical shield like that would drain the fuel of even a magic battleship very quickly.”

“Indeed…”

Meteos smiled a bit. “As you all know, the Manadrivers our country possesses will be able to do away with spellcasting, so even if we cannot yet make the process automatic, our ol’ reliable brain will be enough. Relay the detection information from the sensors to the mages manning the projectors and have them activate the process,” he stated, eliciting some chuckle in the fond way he referred to the wonderful gift to the sapient beings which is the ability to think.

Then, with a flourish, Meteos reached up and tapped the pedanium necklace adorning his throat, showing it to the participants.

“The other trump card, and perhaps the more crucial one, is this newly invented element, pedanium. This remarkable substance possesses an unbelievably high capacity to stockpile mana. In essence, a small cube of pure pedanium can hold a mana reserve multiple times higher compared to other elements of the same dimension, making it basically an extremely potent battery.”

Wide eyes and vigorous nods were exchanged among the participants. The implications were clear. With Manadrivers and pedanium combined, the seemingly awesome but impractical method Meteos described and others they can think of became a tangible possibility to be used in warfare.

Having finished mulling over the explanation, a participant raised a hand.

“White Lotus Leader. You mentioned two methods for catching up defensively. Could you elaborate on the second one?”

“Of course. The second method we’re exploring involves a more aggressive approach, using a concentrated stream of mana like this.”

The projection shifted, depicting the Milishian warship once more. This time, a bright beam of light erupted from a turret on the ship’s deck, striking a single incoming orange projectile head-on. The projectile disintegrated in a burst of light before it could reach the warship at a distance much farther than the first method of using a barrier.

“Hmm… wouldn’t the effectiveness of this method hinge heavily on the accuracy and reaction time needed to intercept incoming attacks? Projectiles travel at incredible speeds, and even a slight miscalculation on the defender’s part could prove disastrous,” Lugiel voiced the concern that immediately came to her mind.

Meteos acknowledged the princess’ point with a nod, his projected image adjusting the scene to show both proposed methods side by side.

“Very much so… given the limitations of our current technology and the sheer velocity of modern weaponry, banking on such an unrefined method in an actual battle might carry a significant risk.”

Since it demanded far greater precision than the first method, the limitations of the second method were simply too great at this stage. The current state of their technology simply couldn’t guarantee the accuracy and reaction time needed to make it a viable option. Seeing the consensus after a back-and-forth about it, Meteos offered a confirmatory nod. “It seems we’re all in agreement then. While the second method is promising, the first method should be our immediate priority to be researched. If you all have any suggestions, please feel free to tell us.”

While the others nodded, a participant tapped the table pensively. “White Lotus Leader, not to discredit your ideas, but what’s the hurdle that prevents us from incorporating pedanium into the armor itself as an option?”

With those words, the topic of the meeting shifted.

“There’s nothing wrong with your suggestion. An equipment of the Holy Empire made out of pedanium will undoubtedly be superior to its Annonrial counterparts in every way. It’s just that pedanium isn’t something we can just mine out of the ground,” Adonis chimed in.

“That’s right,” Roderick added. “Unfortunately or fortunately for us, there will never be a naturally occurring pedanium on our planet. We’ve been synthesizing it in small quantities through a highly complex and resource-intensive transmutation magic invented by my son Meteos since last week, and there’s still no prospect of mass-producing it.”

“Ah, I see…” the participant nodded, a bit disheartened. Had it not for the fact that they were fellow White Lotus members, there’s no way the Roguerider Foundation would reveal their secret so freely. The value of such a substance is enough to buy all the superpowers in the known world.

Watching the exchange, Legiel inwardly smirked, for it was impossible for the mortals who had seen the Temple of Heaven to betray the wielder. Such a repulsive thought will never, ever, occur to them naturally.

“But don’t you have at least some ideas to eliminate this bottleneck? Or…” Arthur Arkland who accompanied Arsene Lippin in this meeting asked.

“Hmm… we do have a theory about something related to that…”

Roderick rubbed his chin and locked eyes with Meteos. “No, rather, we might already have a solution for the pedanium bottleneck. It’s just the execution will be extremely challenging at first.”

“Two words: Hollow planet,” Adonis supplied.

‘Oohs’ and ‘aahs’ could be heard around the table. Thanks to Meteos’ future memories, they knew the fringe theory stating that this planet wasn’t solid was actually the truth. It was a giant shell cradling a vast, mana-filled interior. What was new that shocked them was the mana produced by the planet is actually infinite with the condition that there is still life on it. Now, they just needed a way to tap into it.

“Our plan is to drill straight down to the hollow region and harvest mana directly. Then, that overflowing mana could be condensed and solidified – not just into pedanium, but into any materials you desire.”

But first, they had a hurdle to overcome. “Of course,” Meteos conceded, “we need something that can actually drill through the planet’s crust.”

A wave of amusement rippled. Here they were, discussing the possibility of piercing the planet’s crust, a feat that bordered on legend, and the Rogueriders were treating it like a weekend construction project.

“Even if it’s the oceanic crust, it’s…” someone shook their head. The logistics were mind-boggling. What kind of drill bit could withstand the unimaginable heat and pressure of the planet’s depths?

Oh, wait. One made of pedanium, of course.

“It seems scarcity is our unwelcome companion for now,” a participant finally conceded.

The amusement from before was replaced by a more sober outlook. Painstaking effort, it seemed, would have to take precedence. They would have to refine their current technology before unlocking the spring from which they could harvest pedanium and other materials they wanted.

Surprisingly, however, there is an alternative, but one that frustrated the White Lotus members participating in the meeting. The nearest and easier access point to the planet’s mana-rich hollow resided deep beneath the lair of the Blazing Thunder Dragon, an ancient pre-Ravernal titan, which was nestled within the Emor Kingdom to their north. In normal circumstances, the Emorians would never let any of the five peoples that make up the Holy Empire near this sacred ground. The very thought of negotiating access for resource extraction was laughable at best, and suicidal at worst. For Meteos, although he is anything but normal, the problem lies not with the Emorians, but with the dragon.

The five peoples of the modern era that inhabit the majority of this planet in the Third Epoch—elves, dark elves, humans, dwarves, and beastmen—are considered ‘too tainted by Ravernal’s presence’ in the eyes of the titans that survived the Rape of Ars Goetia of the Second Epoch due to the fact that they shared the same origin of being descendants of sapient creatures bred by Ravernal for their needs. Compared to the descendants of the other surviving Ars Goetian native species, the titans considered these five people to be the most wretched abominations of them all, the lowest of the low. The reason behind Emor’s virulent racism and why giant monsters from the depths have a tendency to attack settlements when they are on the surface? This was the reason.

It’s a shame to let such potential go to waste, but it’s better than risking overreaching and having the Holy Empire prematurely razed to the ground in retaliation. As much as people love to insult the Emor Kingdom as a ‘phony primitive-looking superpower’ behind their backs, Emor is in hindsight a superpower for a good reason and these Blazing Thunder Dragons that once tossed Ravernal superweapons as if they were playing fetch are the motherfucking reason why everyone should fear them as much as one fear about Ravernal’s Core Magic.

“For now, that covers the more long-term strategic goals. Now, we will move on to the next order of business.”

After the lengthy meeting concluded, the participants filed out of the Executive Boardroom, each carrying the weight of the discussed information differently. Some knew they couldn’t divulge the specifics of their discussions, not even to their closest confidantes unless told otherwise. Others were sworn to secrecy, but were tasked to disseminate the advance knowledge in a controlled fashion. They would have to carefully distill this information into achievable goals and practical research projects for their respective teams, omitting any trace of its true origins. The information cascaded down the chain of command, stripped of its most sensitive elements, yet still potent enough to spark a renewed sense of urgency within the Holy Empire. They were preparing for war, even if the enemy they faced remained largely unknown to the public eye.

White Lotus Information Column

WHITE LOTUS

A clandestine organization founded by Meteos Roguerider after organizing his network of informants. Transcending boundaries of the nations, the White Lotus is devoted to sharing its founder’s advance knowledge across national and political divides in a controlled manner, seeking to elevate everyone within its reach and to prepare the world against for the “Apocalypse”—that is, the events surrounding the resurrection of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire—as its primary goal.

Membership is currently strictly decided by the White Lotus Leader. After its official formation, the White Lotus rapidly expanded its ranks by utilizing the Roguerider Foundation and the Holy Milishial Empire’s own clandestine societies as bases. In time, with well-placed moves, the White Lotus will be able to infiltrate other state governments and operate as a deep state to steer away from unnecessary crises that will only serve as an impediment to the aforementioned objective.