Apocalypse Reborn [GameLit 4X] [Fantasy] [Strategy]

V10: Chapter 12

…

It took months for us to get decent reports back after I pulled the Iterants out of foreign territories.

Long enough for me to question whether or not I should've taken the risk and kept them in.

However, Khanrow did his job with his own secret organization, while I provided him everything that he requested.

The result was that we finally had eyes and ears on the ground again.

Nothing that a dedicated shapeshifter could bring in, but just being able to passively hear things before sending in a dedicated, undercover agent is good enough.

Unfortunately, that undercover agent couldn't be an Iterant.

Just as I expected, there were tons of methods devised to detect Iterants. The remnants of the Wardens were doing bloodletting and healing up wounds. Merchants determined the scent from some bodies that they recovered and now had guards that could potentially sniff them out. Forgers had scales at gatehouses that they said were for smugglers, but they were obviously looking for Iterants. Finally, the Guardians were employing all three methods upon entry to any government buildings or industrial districts and just the scales at regular checkpoints and border crossings.

That's just their outward security measures, too.

I wouldn't be surprised if they figured out some sort of magic to detect them. Espionage detection research takes very little time and investment, since players tend to forget about them until they start experiencing sabotage. If they were letting us see all those protections and security measures, I was sure that they had more methods hidden away.

So, we made do with informants, working with criminal organizations, and getting people through as refugees.
The Forgers and Guardians were difficult to get anything more than rumors from. The Forgers were numbering and quantifying every person that came into their lands. Since I didn't want my spies to be turned into near-undead-machine hybrids, I asked Khanrow to just get informants from people within those lands already, whether they were criminals or just wanted out, and to primarily get more craftsmen out of there before they got turned into machines. For the Guardians, their people were pretty happy, so it was hard to get informants from the existing population. Criminals were small-time, with organizations getting the hammer before they could get power.

Khanrow said that there was potential amongst the new factions that arose after their revolution, but I wasn't going to hold my breath.

We were sending in people as refugees and telling them to lay low while we found out how to contact them later.

The Merchants and the Wardens were both far easier to infiltrate. Sarala was sending information we wanted them to know back. That allowed him to keep in contact with his people and contacts back home. They were under the belief that he'll betray us, escape there, and take his apprentices with him. The fact that he's surrounded by Iterants, building an underground complex, and desperately trying to get his people out told me otherwise. We were doing our best to get people out of the Merchant's lands before they imploded.

The Wardens… we didn't have to do much. They were out there killing each other. Their capital city was burning, and they've broken apart into multiple factions, each one claiming to be the rightful heirs, and Citadel Guardians were deployed against them. There would be a unified Warden faction, but because the Merchants and Forgers used their own Citadel Guardians to counter the ones sent out from the Citadel, the Wardens couldn't unify. Couple that with Morgan's mission to seize all their territories in Academy lands and send out teams to burn down their temples and eradicate their culture, and we were able to sneak in our agents. All so that they could confirm that it was a mess and that the fighting was going to get worse before it got better.

So, why wasn't I preparing to take advantage of all this knowledge?

It was just too late to do so.

The first wave of the Crisis Events was here.

…

"It happened just as you said it would." Crusher aged a bit since I last saw him. With his lack of magic, the benefits of being a Champion left him. Access to Citadel healing and rejuvenation repaired his body, but his connection to magic was severed when we saved his life from Demonic Corruption. There were some things that couldn't be fixed. He just had to be happy to be healthy, alive, and a natural-born supersoldier whose skin can bounce small-caliber ammunition. He sported a few gray hairs and a full, braided beard, though he still kept his head shaved. "They arrived seemingly from nowhere at our outermost villages. They promised the people there great power and wealth with honeyed words, and with those words nearly turned them into nothing more than meat."

The Demons were now here.

"The first wave will be trailblazers and explorers who are capable of subverting small populations with magic." The first wave of the demonic invasion was infiltration with elites. These were the people the Demons sent out to find new lands, subvert local populations to their cause, and bring them into the fold as 'willing' subjects. Why come in with blades and fire when you can use charming words and illusion to conquer? "Highly effective individuals who can create power bases of their own ahead of the regular force."

We were going to be on the receiving end of the False Prophets event. Demons will first start healing the sick, getting rid of scars, and restoring youth. The lower the happiness of your nation, the faster they'll be able to spread their influence.

We weren't having riots on the streets, so I was sure that we were at least at 0.

Eventually, they'll start using illusions and dream magic to get more followers. While posing as prophets, they'll send 'visions' of themselves as gods to their followers. Those followers will get fooled, start using blood magic, and go out there as their devoted clergy to sway people into becoming believers. Most of the priests never know that they're working for demons or that they've got a parasite in their body using up their lifespan and other faithful adherents to cast magic. Some of those guys can be saved, and blood magic can get accessed and used… But I could also get that by just defeating Demons in battle and 'capturing' them.

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Blood magic primarily made it so that more people ended up as 'wounded' and not dead or permanently crippled after combat. Not only that, but the wounded recover more quickly after battles. Given how few armies I have, that'll be a godsend. More methods to heal, including the magical means to give cosmetic surgery, are also good since there are only so many healing pods in the Citadel. If it doesn't increase happiness, it'll at least give a bonus to population health or something along those lines. Anyway, with the parasite and the faith-approach taken out of the equation, the magic can be used like any other school by trained mages, so I looked forward to that.

Hopefully, I can get it early from the False Prophet event.

"Work with the Iterants and crush as many as you can." I told Crusher, and he gave a gruff nod. He looked over his shoulder. Other Conquerors were present, his personal council that helped him rule over the Conquerors. They were clad in silks and jewelry and wouldn't look out of place driving expensive cars while surrounded by glass skyscrapers. Not speedsters, of course. Crusher had great taste. Luxury. Probably. "Cripple one or two and keep them alive. We'll have Morgan go through their heads."

Giving Morgan blood magic and being the one to teach it sounded like a bad idea on paper, but I wanted it fast. Every person who survives a battle will get stronger. We're going to pump out more combat stimulants, advanced healing techniques, surgeries, and equipment that blends magic and technology together. A regular person that's trained and deployed with all that gear is fantastic, but every veteran I have on the field is someone dealing out at least ten percent more damage and taking ten percent less in damage.

That's in-game.

I really hoped that it'll be better in real life, since experience should matter a whole lot more.

"Honor demands that we offer them the chance to surrender, your majesty." Crusher stated, and I was quick to look his way. My Iterant guards naturally got ruffled at his statement, but I raised a hand their way. I nodded at Crusher to explain himself, and he gave a grunt of appreciation. "We understand the works of their nation. We understand that the Ancients warred with them. However, what if there is a chance for peace?"

At his question, I asked my own.

"Would you offer peace to the creatures that now use the bodies of mortals as hosts for their parasitic children?"

Crusher, to his credit, didn't hesitate to answer.

"No. I would not."

I gave a hum.

"Would you offer peace to the Furies, who consume children, use female mortals as broodmothers for food, and males as toys to be torn apart after use?"

"No. I would not."

I nodded at his words.

"Would you offer peace to the living machines that bred mortals into slaves and biomechanical components for their use?"

"No."

Crusher's eyes were firm as I spoke again.

"Then, I ask of you, Crusher of the Conquerors, why would you offer honorable surrender to the vanguard of these demons? In their lands, they rule as gods, while our kindred are enslaved and used as sacrifices to fuel their civilization." I questioned him calmly. Though he wasn't a Champion anymore, he was still a Conqueror. He loomed over me, easily twice my height and nearly three times my width. His arms were as big as my torso, and he could backhand me and kill me with ease. This needed to be a careful conversation, especially since he was speaking on behalf of a whole race of Conquerors. I didn't want to fuck this up. "What makes you believe that we can have one of their elites surrender to us who will not become a poisoned chalice?"

"Nothing. But we cannot wage war endlessly, your majesty. We can set the precedent here and now at the beginning of their offensive. We take prisoners, we hold them without harming them, and we exchange them when the time comes." Ah, there it is. Crusher should've honestly led with that. He was worried about the right thing. "We will repel them. Every single time they attack. We will strike at their lands. We will see them on the bargaining table and see them cease hostilities against us. There must be an end to the coming war. Not just endless bloodshed until all is dust."

Crusher was a sane man faced with an insane scenario, and he was trying to bludgeon that insanity into something reasonable.

It was too bad that he's wrong.

"I will permit it. You may offer them surrender. You may keep one prisoner in high esteem." Crusher was ready to bow his head in gratitude, but I raised my hand. No. This isn't a gift. You've just shown me why you can't be the leader of a faction while the Deliverer could. You're not willing to dirty yourself for the win. It's a good thing that I'm more than ready to do it. If you're not doing everything, then you're just trying to lose". Try to convince them. Try to have them see reason. But you will not dictate how this war is waged, Crusher. I seek their absolute obliteration."

I met his gaze and tried to see if he caught my implication.

But I remembered that these are Conquerors.

No need for implications.

"They are fetid, rotten, and parasitic meat, Crusher. They must be expunged from this world with steel, fire, and hardened hearts. Their goal is to free themselves from curses laid upon them and take the entire world. They already have all of the world, but here we stand with the tip of their spear fast approaching." I told him what I thought straight-up. No minced words. No bullshit. Just a little fancying up, but no crazy metaphors. Just what I really think and feel. "You may try with your own resources and time, with Iterants watching you. But the Conquerors will move to destroy these Demons and all the remnants of the Ancient's foes. If any course of action besides that is taken, you will be disobeying my commands."

The goal here is their destruction.

I'm not going to bargain with the faction that intends to turn us all into living furniture that they can freely use to power magic and appliances.

Crusher was silent for a moment. I could feel the Iterant maids accompanying me getting angry, but I kept my hand raised at them to stop.

Then, Crusher took to one knee and bowed his head.

His whole entourage and council followed after him.

"I ask for forgiveness. Honor blinded me, and fear swayed my heart. I sought out compromise with monsters because I believed that we could not destroy them all." Yeah, he misunderstood a bit, but the basics were there. Can't be helped. Everyone interprets things their own way. I was just glad he understood that my word was final. I gave a nod and used my free hand to gesture for him to get up. He did. Crusher looked at me and bowed his head again before pressing a massive fist over his heart. "I swear that I will not falter again, my king."

I considered telling him that he could still try to get a prisoner to help us with his own time and funds… but I decided against it.

It's best to not question it when someone swears loyalty to you.

If he's lying, the Iterants will figure things out sooner or later, since they watch everyone at all times from the Citadel here.

Just like all my other Citadels.

"Very well. I accept this oath, and I will hold you to it as your lord, Crusher." I gave him a nod before turning away and looking back at the room below where the first disection was to begin. The Iterants handling the corpse were going to break the corpse down to the nerves, record every moment in their brains, and provide us with books on their complete physiology. A good start to understanding our enemy. "And, just to ease your concerns, if any of them call for peace where we retain our freedoms and our realm, I will accept it without a moment's hesitation."

Crusher's eyes widened at my words, and he gave a grunt of thanks at them.

I felt kind of bad nodding back.

Even if peace was possible by defeating them all enough… I didn't intend to give them a chance.

Ninety percent of this planet's population will be dead in the next two decades, or I'm dead along with my nation.

That's just how it'll be, since I'm not taking the risk of letting them build up and prepare another attack in peacetime.