Solo Strategy

My head was buzzing, thoughts colliding like stones rolling down a mountain. I walked through the night city, heavy raindrops trickling down my neck. The suddenly spoiled weather perfectly matched my mood. Where I was headed—I didn't know; I was just moving, mindlessly putting one foot in front of the other.

The temperature had dropped to about fifteen degrees, and the water pouring from the sky was even colder. The few passersby hurried to take shelter in their homes, but I was as if oblivious to both the cold and the rain. My shirt and pants, made of cotton-like fabric, were soaked through, but I didn't care.

The recently concluded conversation with Gera Joanna and her brother, a high-ranking officer of the Great Alchemists' Guild, had turned everything I knew upside down. It trampled my plans like a drunken giant. Yes, their account of the Righteous Elevation Sect was full of gaps, conjecture, and unverifiable facts that were better called theories. I understood why no one believed them. With the evidence they provided, I wouldn't have believed them either if I didn't possess the memory of the future.

Because all their conjectures surprisingly explained the mystery of how demons invaded Ain, even though the Inverted Towers still stood, not just undestroyed but even undamaged. In countless legends that survived to our time, it was said that the Divine Seals blocked the Road from Giard to Ain. But nowhere did it ever mention that those same Seals prevented the opening of the Gates from Ain to the demonic world. Indeed, the situation where people themselves would open a way to the demons' realm had never been considered, not even theoretically. For it was believed fundamentally impossible.

Believed.

Everyone believed it.

But I knew the Invasion of the Demonic Legions would happen. And if I had to choose between two scenarios: the first, where the demons themselves figured out how to bypass the Divine Seals and broke into Ain on their own, and the second, where no one even disturbed the Seals in the form of the Inverted Towers, but instead found a way to open the Gates directly from Ain... I'd choose the second as more likely. Why? Because I knew people. And if some group sincerely believed it could accomplish something, had enough resources for its plan, and was not constrained by time, then sooner or later that group would achieve what it wanted.

If it weren't for the memory of the future, I would have sent both Gera Joanna and her brother far away, not believing for a second what they were saying. But I remembered what would happen. I remembered how the world burned under the march of the Legions of Fire. How hundreds of thousands died from the miasmas of the Legion of Plague. What hecatombs of skulls were left behind by the Legions of Wrath. How populations of entire cities were torn apart by the numerous monsters of the Legion of Cursed Beasts. And I didn't even want to recall what the demons of Pain did to the captives.

When I realized what the Bearer of Pacifying Light was telling me, when the meaning of her words sank in, I initially felt an incredible surge of strength. It seemed to me that I was just a step away from unraveling the path of the Invasion. But the longer the brother and sister talked, the less enthusiastic I grew, because, when it came to facts, they hardly knew anything themselves.

Some scraps of their grandfather's last words, recorded secondhand, unverified rumors, old reports detailing interrogations of third parties or unreliable witnesses. Even the most biased court would refuse to accept such evidence from them. And it was clear to me that neither Joanna nor Kiadi were genuinely concerned about the possible opening of a Road to Giard by the Righteous Elevation Sect. They wanted to avenge the deaths of their grandfather and grandmother, and in doing so, destroy the traitor of their family. Nothing else truly mattered to them.

Still, despite all this, their shaky evidence and empty arguments, I naturally agreed to help them. At first, I played around a bit and made them persuade me, but eventually, I consented. I thought they had some concrete plan to track down the mysterious sect and hoped to participate in its execution. Alas, it turned out their only plan was "fishing" with me as "bait." For some inexplicable reason, both the brother and sister were firmly convinced that since I had already managed to attract the interest of the Righteous Elevation Sect, they would inevitably come after me again.

To me, this was a very questionable assertion, lacking any substantial evidence. As for other leads on the sect, these two avenging relatives had virtually none. Yes, they knew what the girl cursed by Ishid looked like, but they themselves also said that the Righteous Elevation Sect was known for its ability to cover its tracks and employed excellent Illusion and Mental mages. Considering this, even I understood that Reygyana could look like anyone, which meant that searching by appearance—or even the best portrait—was simply pointless.

The only clue that could be considered somewhat real was the name of Rey's mentor. A magic teacher whom the cursed girl greatly respected and loved, and, as Kiadi told me, even after Reygyana defected to the side of the Righteous Elevation Sect, she sometimes visited her mentor.

However, this mentor was a very powerful mage, whose legends I had even heard in the Last Cycle, and she refused to talk to anyone. And forcing her to speak was something beyond both Joanna and Kiadi. Veltara the Sky Ripper was said to be the greatest Air and Lightning mage for at least a millennium. About fifty years ago, Veltara had decided to dedicate her life to meditation and ascended to the very top of the Peak of Storms—the tallest mountain of the Great Range—and never descended again.

But even this lead, as I knew, was a dead end since, according to my information, Veltara had died of old age earlier this year, before the first earthling set foot in Ain. And these news just hadn't reached Joanna and Kiadi yet. I didn't enlighten them about the death of Reygyana's mentor either. First, it would be foolish to play such a trump card right away, and second, I wouldn't have been able to answer how I learned such a fact.

In essence, after the brother and sister, worried about the possibility of my refusal, finally told me everything they knew about the Righteous Elevation Sect, I didn't particularly need them anymore. But, of course, I didn't even hint at this. For it would be foolish to cast aside such powerful allies who saw me as a comrade in a common cause. Such connections, even if not needed in the search for the mysterious sect, could still be useful in the future. So, I had managed to negotiate significant discounts at the Alchemists' Guild right on the spot.

And when I found out what exactly the siblings expected of me, I barely restrained a relieved laugh. They wanted me to live as before and simply inform them if the sect reached out to me in any way. In their ideal plan, I was supposed to be so interesting to this mysterious organization that I would use this interest to infiltrate their ranks and become a double agent. Frankly, knowing the true plans of the Righteous Elevation Sect, I wouldn't have minded if things went exactly according to this scenario.

Only, I didn't believe in this plan. Not at all. Why? Because I had already met Reygyana face to face, and I didn't notice any particular interest in me in her eyes. Although, to be fair, she did save me from the Sidhe.

Joanna and Kiadi also wanted me to try reaching the Peak of Storms after overcoming the Second Wall and attempt to talk to Veltara the Sky Ripper. Naturally, I easily agreed to this proposal, knowing that no conversation with the powerful sorceress would take place due to her untimely demise. In turn, the siblings promised to provide me with a detailed map of all the paths to Veltara's meditation spot. This was, to say the least, intriguing because if I managed to find the place first, everything Veltara had left behind could become mine.

That would have to wait, though, as the path to the Peak of Storms, and even more so the climb to its summit, was incredibly dangerous. I wouldn't venture there until I reached the Valirium rank, simply out of fear for my life. Besides, the Peak of Storms was located at the northern end of the Great Ridge, and a visit to its summit could be combined with the search for the lost altar of Seguna in the Northern Wastelands.

Realizing I was wandering around the city in circles, I headed towards the "Chalice of Light." While calming my jumbled thoughts, I reached the inn, went up to my room, hung my wet clothes to dry on the back of a chair, and collapsed onto the bed as if shot. After lying there for about five minutes, I reached for my backpack and took out a vial of calming potion. I drank it in one gulp and literally forced myself into breathing meditation.

It helped a bit. My nerves, taut as a rope, gradually relaxed, and my thoughts stopped racing like a herd of wild mustangs. Getting up from the bed, I began pacing the room—six steps one way and the same back. I needed to think sequentially, not jump from one thing to another.

So, a new, previously unaccounted and unknown factor had interfered with my future plans—the Righteous Elevation Sect. A deeply conspiratorial organization with considerable resources and, apparently, significant capabilities. The strength of this sect was evident in the fact that they managed to win a war against one of the Great Guilds. True, that war was secret and confined to the eastern part of the continent, but they won! Moreover, it was about a century ago, and how the sect had strengthened since then was completely unknown. If the words of the surviving servant of Joanna's grandfather were to be believed, the main goal of the sect was to free Eyrat the Creator from demonic captivity.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

But, setting aside my fears and the "memory of the future," there was nothing particularly objectionable about that goal from the point of view of commonly accepted faith in Ain. After all, the liberation of the Creator was declared as a primary aim across all beliefs. The disagreements lied only in how exactly the Creator would be freed.

There were three main branches of this faith. The first one held that Eyrat would free himself from captivity, return to Ain, gather the faithful, and punish the demons. This branch was supported by the priests of Ishid, Nemelida, and Dyled.

The second branch declared that one day the gods imprisoned in the Inverted Towers would rise with far greater power and crush the demons, thus freeing the Creator. As one might guess, the main proponents of this branch were the priests of Antares.

The third branch, the most popular among the people, believed that Eyrat's sons, Jegur and Evelan, would be reborn among humans, unite Ain under their just rule, teach everyone how to reach Mithril, and then this indomitable army would march on Giard. This version was supported by the followers of Kamo, Ishii, Elai, and, of course, the worshippers of Jegur and Evelan.

Besides these, there were many other versions. For instance, the priests of Aerad preached that the path to liberating the Creator lied on the hundredth floor of the Inverted Towers. The priests of Sundbad and Geruda, on the other hand, believed that one should not interfere and instead surrender to fate.

So even if the main goal of the Righteous Elevation Sect were made public and evidence provided—which, by the way, didn't exist—it wouldn't make the sect illegal or turn all priests against it. Yes, the idea of freeing the Creator through the efforts of ordinary people was undoubtedly heresy. But a minor one. And no one would believe that one of the humans could open the Gates to Giard, as only Eyrat himself had managed that before. Such a thing was simply beyond the local paradigm of thought. It was like, on Earth, someone declaring the goal of a scientific project to be human space travel without technology, relying solely on the abilities of the human body. Such claims would be laughed at, with fingers twirling at temples, but hardly tried or executed for.

So, even if I shouted, bellowed in the squares that the Gates to Giard would be opened by some sect, and demons would use this to start a new Invasion—no one would believe me. Absolutely no one. Just like they didn't believe Joanna in the Corps or Kiadi in the Alchemists' Guild.

As for Joanna's phrase about the "true goals" of the Righteous Elevation Sect, she probably said it out of desperation—when she realized I wasn't going to help them. Perhaps it had been prompted by a woman's intuition, but it might also be that there had been a certain calculation behind her words. After all, she considered me a representative of sortudo—a people who survived a global cataclysm that destroyed their homeland. And, consequently, she might have thought that even a hint of someone trying to open the Gates to Giard, thereby provoking a new Dark Age across all of Ain, would affect me like a red rag to a bull. Either way, her words had hit the mark, and I reconsidered refusing cooperation.

As for me, it didn't matter whether I believed that some sect, even a very powerful one, could open the Road to Giard or not. The point was, whether I wanted to or not, I couldn't get that possibility out of my mind. And it didn't matter whether some people opened the Gate on their own or if demons on the other side sensed their attempts and somehow used it to start an Invasion. Yes, it could very well be that this whole story about the sect's plans was nothing more than a dud. But now, I was forced to consider this possibility and even accept it as one of the main ones.

My strategy for saving Ain from the demons, in light of new information, needed revision. If the actions of some organization had triggered the Invasion, disrupting the plans of that mysterious sect became paramount. Finding its members, infiltrating if possible, gathering information.

However, I remembered the quester's response when I asked if the Invasion could be prevented. What did he say?

"There are things that remain constant," such were his words.

Did this mean that the mechanisms leading to the start of the Invasion were already in motion and couldn't be stopped?

Argh! My head was splitting. Everything was too contradictory.

The main problem was that I didn't have the necessary facts to understand what was really happening. And even the memory of the future didn't provide answers. Why did the demon invasion start in the Last Cycle? Why did the questers bring earthlings to Ain? What were the true goals of the questers? What was the role of the Shards in all this? And did the Shards have any special role at all, or was their arrival in Ain just a statistical anomaly?

The problem was that I knew almost nothing and could only work with theories of varying degrees of credibility. But how to act in complete ignorance? How could one make plans on such shaky ground? But not making plans and simply going with the flow wasn't an option either. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

All that was left was to build theories. And it was best to choose one as the main one. Sadly, I was no Morpheus, no match for him—he could keep an entire range of probabilities in mind. And he made his plans so that, regardless of which theory turned out to be true, he would still achieve an acceptable result. Although even Morpheus was let down by his excessive faith that perfect calculations would always lead to the desirable outcome. In the end, he had calculated everything, was completely confident, and still perished relying on those calculations.

Clearing my mind through deep meditation, I managed to get my thoughts in order and suppress the wave of despair.

So, what could I use as a basis?

If I assumed the questers weren't lying—and I had no evidence to the contrary—the Invasion would happen regardless. "There are things that remain constant." This meant that even if the Gates for the demons were opened from Ain, that couldn't be changed now. The process leading to this outcome had already been set in motion, otherwise, the quester's words would have been a lie. But the impossibility of preventing the Invasion didn't mean it couldn't be delayed. Of course, this theory was full of holes, but the idea itself was very tempting. If I managed to delay it by two years, or even just one... what possibilities that would open up!

Though maybe the Gates to Giard were already open, and the demons were quietly massing their strength somewhere out in the wilds of Ain, possibly even working to expand the capacity of the Road between worlds. That would be the worst-case scenario. But even then, if those Gates could be found, something could still be done! For instance, they could be closed, destroyed, or somehow interfered with. However, running around all of Ain searching for mysterious interworld Gates was also a bad option. This world was vast, with countless uncharted areas, and exploring them all would take centuries. Besides, I didn't even have a theoretical idea of what these interworld Gates would look like, making such a search even more challenging.

Nevertheless, creating a glider and the possibility of flights in light of this theory became strategically important. After all, aerial reconnaissance allowed for the exploration of a much larger area. As they said back home: "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst." Therefore, my further plans had to be based on the worst-case scenario.

And what would be the worst-case scenario?

It would be this: the Gates to Giard had already been opened. Moreover, demons were being helped by people from this side. Helped unknowingly, pursuing a righteous and holy—as they thought—goal. If Joanna's words were to be believed, Reygyana defected to the side of the Righteous Elevation Sect, hoping that Eyrat, freed from captivity, would lift Ishid's curse from her. For the Creator, such a task would indeed not be difficult.

And what could I do if this theory was true? The same as before: helping the Shards and other earthlings, of course, without forgetting about my own development. Only, instead of delving into Ain's past, I would focus on finding this mysterious sect and, through infiltration, learn the location of the interworld Gates.

But... What if this whole story with the Righteous Elevation Sect turned out to be a dud, and the demons somehow found a way to bypass the seals of the Inverted Towers on their own? Then the time spent searching for the sect would be wasted. Plus, I could lose my head, literally, if I ran into the same Rey in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In any case, it wasn't a good idea for me to rush off and act frantically right now. Also, discarding my plans to study Ain's past and find the causes of the First Invasion wasn't wise either. Because, for some reason, it seemed very important to me to understand the root cause of the conflict between Ain and Giard.

How convoluted everything was! Could I, an ordinary person, change the fate of two worlds at once? Probably not, but that didn't mean I couldn't try!

But what to do? Throw all my resources into finding the sect? If I knew for sure that it was they who were behind the opening of the Gates to Giard, that would be the right decision. The problem was, I wasn't sure. However, I couldn't just ignore a player like the Righteous Elevation Sect either.

And the worst part—I couldn't even discuss the situation with anyone! Well, I could, but that would only complicate things, according to the quester's words about the mysterious Scales...

The first rays of the sun were already rising above the city wall when I finally came up with a plan that more or less suited me.

I wouldn't drastically change my original strategy, but I would make some adjustments. For example, I would try to find a way to reach the Righteous Elevation Sect, but I would do so without excessive zeal. Maybe they would really find me interesting and contact me themselves? Besides, according to Kiadi, a girl resembling Reygyana was seen in Deytran about a week ago. And that's exactly where I planned to go.

It would also be good to find Morpheus. Not to tell him everything, but he liked puzzles and might take an interest in searching for a mysterious, powerful, and so secretive organization as the Righteous Elevation Sect.

This thought immediately lifted my spirits. After all, if anyone could handle such a task, it was Morpheus.

So, after Deytran, renting a house, and intense training, I would need to visit Kronis and search for the brilliant earthling in the city of knowledge. I really hoped he was alive and hadn't perished in some reckless adventure.