'I've overextended, and now I have to think about what to do.'
'If even Death got active, it means that I have drawn too much attention to myself.'
'Technically, Death and the Champion of Light should be working together, but I don't know how deep their cooperation is. Are they constantly talking with each other, or do they just want to achieve the same goal?'
'I think it depends a lot on the Champion of Light's personality.'
'I don't know him very well, but I believe he is a bit full of himself.'
'He was a relatively young human that shot to the peak of human power instantly. People who don't progress naturally tend to get lost in their newfound power.'
'But if I'm wrong, he will directly tell Death who I am, and Death will kill me immediately.'
'My survival is the most important. Without me, humanity can't deal with the aliens.'
Nick took a deep breath.
Finally, he called the Left Arm.
"Report," the Left Arm ordered.
"I was just checking in," Nick said. "Are there any new orders?"
'If the Left Arm believes that it is safe for me to return, she will say so.'
"There has been an unforeseen development," the Left Arm said. "Something significant has happened, and we need you to return."
'She says it's safe to return.'
"I will come back immediately," Nick answered.
"Good," the Left Arm said before cutting the connection.
Nick took another deep breath and left the stronghold.
On his way, he transformed into Julian Winter.
When he entered Death's perception, Nick became nervous, but he trusted the Left Arm.
The couple of seconds flying back felt way too long, but Nick managed to enter Aegis' headquarters without any incidents.
'If Death and the Champion of Light were in constant contact, this would have been the perfect moment to assassinate me. Luckily, their cooperation seems to be limited.'
Nick went directly to the Left Arm's office.
"New orders?" Nick asked.
The Left Arm wordlessly stood up and opened the door to the Champion of Light's office.
'As expected,' Nick thought.
The two of them wordlessly entered the office, and Nick saw the Champion of Light looking out of a new window that hadn't been there before.
It seemed like he had redecorated his office a bit.
"Champion," Nick spoke respectfully with a small bow.
The Left Arm stopped beside the throne and just looked at Nick.
"You've been doing a lot these couple of days," the Champion spoke with his deep voice.
"I have to contribute. I believe this is the most effective way to contribute," Nick answered.
"Over 400 captured Specters in barely two weeks," the Champion spoke slowly. "Several Demons, and many Fanatics."
"You dealt with traitors…"
And then, the Champion turned around.
"And killed five Protectors."
Nick's eyes widened in surprise. "Champion?" he asked.
The Champion slowly walked to his throne.
"While I am glad that you are contributing to humanity with your full potential, your actions have had a bad impact on Aegis," he said.
The Champion sat on his throne and rested his head on his right fist.
"Death and I have an unspoken agreement. If we fight to the death, one side will be decimated. A fight between us would change the entire world, and none of us are certain of our victory." ꭆἁΝổBÊȿ
"Because of that, we do not fight. I sit in this room all day, and Death stays somewhere in the ocean, far away from humanity."
"However," he spoke deeply. "Your little rampage has pushed Death to break this agreement."
"Travel between Aegis' headquarters and the outside world has been forbidden for Protectors and stronger. The reason is that Death killed every Protector who came here."
Nick took a deep breath.
Five Protectors had died.
Humanity had fewer than 100 Protectors in total.
"I want you to stop helping the cities with capturing Specters," the Champion spoke. "We have angered Death too much, and it's retaliating."
"We can't afford to fight it at this very moment. I might be strong, but my power is limited compared to Death. I can keep it at bay, but I have little confidence in killing it."
"If we were to fight, even with the help of the Technician and the Left Arm, our chances of victory are less than ten percent, and this calculation doesn't even involve the Trio of Destruction."
"The Specters can retreat into the ocean, where the Shark Mother and the Salt Trident are their shields. If it looks like they are losing the battle, they will retreat into the ocean, and we will be helpless to take advantage of their weakness."
"In short, provoking a final conflict with the Specters will end in Aegis' destruction. Therefore, we have to grow in a more subtle way."
"Do you understand the problem?" he asked.
'Quite a lot of words to justify your actions. People tend to talk a lot when they are lying. You don't even have to justify yourself to me. You can just give orders, and I will follow,' Nick thought.
"I understand," Nick spoke respectfully. "I will keep a low profile."
"You are still an unknown to the Specters, and that's the advantage we have," the Champion spoke. "You have caused the death of two Corruptors, and that put the Specters at a disadvantage."
"They are desperate, and they are lashing out. In the end, the Specters are still much more powerful than us. We must grow stronger without angering them too much."
"Champion," the Left Arm suddenly interjected.
"Yes?" the Champion asked, looking over.
"The Specters are humanity's enemy," she said. "I understand the problem, but we are in a war. Trying to win without angering the enemy does not sound like a successful strategy."
"Death's attack shows that our strategies are working. If we don't fight back, the Specters will devour us."
"Stopping our offensive just when it is working seems unreasonable."
"That sounds more like something a double agent would suggest."
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