The Systemic Lands (Dark Progressive LITRPG)

"I told you it would be a stupid idea," Jacob said off to one side. I turned to glare at him, but he didn't flinch. He knew I wouldn't kill him or tell him to shut up. While I had absolute control over him, he was far more useful as an advisor than as a puppet.

"Then come up with a better idea!" I yelled back. He just shook his head, and I clenched my fists.

"Killing Emperor Michael is like trying to kill a cockroach. You will end up ripping everything apart and he will scurry away. I told you that he would run away. It is clear from his history he won't engage a threat unless absolutely necessary or he has absolute confidence," Jacob replied. I had been told this before, but I hadn't realized how annoying such tactics truly were.

"I think it is time to explore other options," I said while unclenching my hands. I could feel the fear radiating off of Jacob. He knew what I wanted. But even with my threats he had refused, and he would refuse again.

"Attempting to weaponize the sphere will doom us all. You know my research indicates that the vast majority of the System's power is being used to seal it off. Creating a breach, will threaten everything once again. It would mean my death regardless," Jacob argued.

"Worry not. Your concerns will be addressed and then I trust there will be no more objections?" I asked and focused. The symbols etched onto his very soul resonated and he collapsed to his knees. A reminder of who was truly in charge.

He was lucky, I was not my mother. For she would have done far worse for his insolence. "Yes, Prince Qi Ji Long," he replied. I would not take up my title until my opponent was killed and my mother avenged.

It had been a hard road to reach this point, but now absolute power over the Systemic Lands was close. So close I could almost taste it. Only a single person stood before me and absolute domination. I could not catch up to their stats.

Instead, I had meta-points. One earned on my own, and the other two due to this sniveling human in front of me. Subjugation was a powerful skill, but it wasn't enough to overcome the one target I needed to defeat. The limitations were great, but that had allowed me to step on the path of my ancestors and my destiny.

Jacob had agreed to meet with me. I had hoped to convince him to side with me and aid me against the usurper. But he refused, and I had bound him. Even now, I could tell he was struggling helplessly to break free of my control. It was as amusing as it was pitiful. There was a sense of regret that I could not bind Emperor Michael to my will. I would have made his suffering a thing of legend.

Instead, I got this sniveling worm. But even a worm is useful to help the growth of another and to unlock my full potential. I had always kept my skill for energy manipulation hidden once I got my first stat points. Compared to the worthless humans I estimated my skill in manipulation was over a hundred times greater than anyone else's. A talent from the Heavens itself, as benefiting one of my storied linage.

A secret cache of blood from the Divine Empress. A daring foray into the bowels of the Forever City, deep underground. There I had found a vault, with my mother's very essence. With the help of the worm, it was but a simple matter to alter my energy signature to resemble hers.

When it clicked, I gained access to the knowledge she had. My skill in energy manipulation went from heaven defying to god like levels. Only the Heavens themselves had a chance to rival me. Even then, I might even be their equal in some regard.

While I was strengthening my body, it was faster to get stat points. Even with my tempering and cultivation, it was a very slow and steady process. I had been hoping to slow Emperor Michael down, but I had only severed all his ties to his Empire.

While I hated the man that had killed my mother and stolen my legacy, I could respect his power. It was beyond anything I had a chance of dealing with. He easily had around a million stat points in total. Far beyond what I could reach within any kind of reasonable timeframe.

The Heavens themselves might favor me, but it was not enough to defeat him. "How do you plan on capturing the Avatar?" I frowned at the insolent question. But it was a valid one. My mother knew of her value. Keeping her around and humbled was a cunning strategy of hers. She was useful in calling the power of the Heavens against dangerous threats.

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If we wanted to try and use the sphere as a weapon, then we needed the Avatar as our guarantee, that we could force the thing back out of the Systemic Lands. "I already have a plan in place. These attempts are merely to draw suspicion away from the true plot."

"And what might that be my Prince?" Jacob asked.

"A surprise of course. For words on the wind might carry. A shame that the resonance-based attack with some hair and his true name didn't work. I am disappointed," I replied while sending a glare at the kneeling worm.

"My Prince, I explained already, that his stats are too high. After a certain amount the connection can't handle the pressure. I tried to adjust it and overload the attack with the second attempt, but it was not enough. His own energy pushes against the ambient energy of the System," he said.

"The Heavens," I corrected him.

"My apologies, the Heavens my Prince. His stats would need to be a third of what they are to have any chance of success by my estimation." I nodded at that. I had inspected his plan, it was clever.

If I had been the one managing it, it would have succeeded. Unfortunately, I did not have the stats. That was a huge weakness I possessed. While my martial arts were strong, they would stand no chance with the huge discrepancy in power between Michael and myself.

It was fitting in a way. To claim the throne of the Systemic Lands should be no simple thing. His battle against my mother was legendary. So, our battle would be too. The real trick would be to draw him out of position and his people to strike and capture the Avatar.

Once I had her, then Jacob would create a device to breach into the lower layer. The sphere's energy would come forth and I would create a lensing technique to focus the energy, striking at Michael and drawing the sphere right on top of him.

With him dead, I would then be able to use the Avatar to defeat the sphere, ending the most serious threats against me and claiming my rightful place as ruler of this land. Soon all people would know my name and bow before me. The great Dragon Empire would be reborn from the ashes.

All who betrayed my mother would be made into a new throne, so that they may serenade all those who had thoughts of opposing me. There would be no mercy to anyone else. All would be absolutely crushed to ensure that no more threats might arise.

It would be easy enough to create slave soldiers from those that were slightly more powerful. It would not matter if they died, only that they served and obeyed.

It was unfortunate that I had made a hasty move once I had learned of his mother. That was before I had a true understanding of his nature. To sacrifice her, just showed how depraved he was. I considered torturing her, but that was not worth it. He expected that of me, but it would be better to keep her healthy and then use her at a pivotal moment to strike back.

Already safeguards had been put into place. There was shouting outside my throne room on the airship. Jacob looked up and then looked at me. "There appears to be a disturbance," he said.

"Of course, I planned it. You are but a servant with no concept of strategy. To secure the Avatar as a shield for our future plans, is not a simple matter after all. Michael will easily see through the first layer, and probably the second, but the third that I have planned, well he won't suspect a thing," I replied with a feral grin.

"We should strike at his airship instead and cripple his mobility and chance to grind up crystals. By destroying any airship production buildings, his movement will forever be-AHHHH!" I glared at Jacob as he screamed and writhed on the floor before me. Delicious pain coursed through his brain and body.

After a couple seconds I released my grip on him. He was panting for breath. "I have already explained once, but let me explain it a second time so you understand. Michael has one meta-point. One. Anymore and he can no longer be killed."

"But let's just wait around for him to get stronger? Bah! Foolishness. We have the advantage now. We must press it. Attack after attack. Plot after plot. To give him an inch of breathing room is to give him a mile," I said with a glare.

While it sounded like a good idea to try and use a delaying strategy, it was foolishness. My ability to track his location depended on the airship and the waves of energy it sent out. If I destroyed it, I would lose any chance of tracking him. It gave him mobility, but it also let me know his location.

He would not abandon it for long. The travel times between zones was too much. Not having an airship was too annoying. No, he would keep it and protect it. That left him exposed and allowed me to plot against him. Having him run around undetected was tantamount to creating a shadow war that would last forever.

If I wanted my throne, then he had to die. It was the only way. Using the sphere as a weapon was the best option. It was risky, but it was the only chance I had. While I could torture Jacob, he absolutely refused to act unless we had the Avatar. Even under torture he refused.

And while I hated him for that, I could see his point. Using one monster to destroy another would only work if we could defeat the survivor. Also, my plot had multiple levels to it. Each one more complex than the last. There was no chance he could unravel them all. If he did, then I would have to rethink my strategy. But until then, I would go ahead with my plan.