"So how is the war developing?" Leo asked curiously, as once he got over his discomfort being around ChaosBringer, he went straight down to business.
"The war is developing decently, my liege, the South has already been unified under your banner and we are about 10 days of conquest away from laying a siege on StrongHaven.
If things stay the way they are currently, we should be able to conquer the city before the debuff period ends, however, our scouts report that the righteous faction players have started to reinforce the city defences and are stocking up on supplies in preparation for a long siege.
Under such circumstances, if they have the necessary numbers to defend, it's near impossible to conquer StrongHaven City with brute force alone, which is a source of great concern and shame for me" ChaosBringer said, as he gave a curt summary of the situation.
"What about the North and West?" Leo asked, scratching his chin, as he soaked in all the information that ChaosBringer provided.
"The north is as good as conquered. With the North Duke Denver Willow dead, the northern NPC nobles have no-one to rally around and have become easy pickings for the three major guilds that we have allied with.
Currently, over 50% of the northern Duchy is under the control of our partners and they are making rapid progress.
As things stand, they are expected to swear fealty to us once you officially take the throne" ChaosBringer said, as he led with the good news.
"The West however is more complicated…." He continued, as he balled a fist, his own nails digging into his flesh as his jaw tightened just a little.
"The WhiteSabers are struggling to make gains in the West, with the DarkSky guild and the West Duke's forces mounting a formidable challenge
As of now, only a few small villages have been annexed and they are facing intense struggles to even hold on to them.
Their guildmaster has requested manpower and logistic assistance from us and we have obliged what we could spare, however, things don't look so bright in the west.
For now, it seems unlikely that we will be able to annex it anytime soon" ChaosBringer reported, as Leo simply waved off his concerns.
"Let me worry about the West, I have a score to settle with a certain someone there… You just focus on the siege in StrongHaven and contact me if you need some specific assistance that no-one else can perform.
As long as it's assassination or creating an opening, I'll complete any mission that you give me" Leo replied, as ChaosBringer bowed deeply once more.
"You humble me with your faith in my abilities to lead–" he said, his voice cracking and his eyes tearing up as he genuinely seemed moved by Leo's words.
Initially he had come here only to seek advice on how to tackle the StrongHaven City problem, however, with Leo delegating that same problem back to him, he had circled back to point zero.
Nonetheless, he felt much more confident in being able to tackle this problem now that Leo had shown faith in him, with his brain suddenly feeling reinvigorated.
"I will not disappoint you my liege, even if the heavens open up and swallow me, I will find a way to deliver StrongHaven City to you and roll a red carpet for you all the way from the city gates till the throne room" ChaosBringer promised, as Leo gave him a thumbs up sign.
"I expect nothing less from the leader of the Uprising" he said, as he hand signed him to take his leave now.
Bowing, ChaosBringer took his leave with tears streaking down his eyes, as he began to feel enlightened.
'Lord Boss expects me to win this for him…. He believes in my competence! I must not let him down now–' ChaosBringer thought, as he rushed back to his office to come-up with a new plan to capture StrongHaven City.
*************
(Meanwhile Luke)
After weeks of practicing the mind meditation manual, Luke finally began noticing major improvements to his character build.
His two newly acquired [Legendary] ranked skills were now up-to (Intermediate) proficiency, while his Semi-Legendary skills were already on (Advanced).
He had already managed to clear the level threshold to become a (Master) level fighter and now, as long as he could bring his two (Legendary) ranked skills to (Advanced) mastery, he could finally step into the ranks of a master warrior just like his brother and PinkLotus.
"I made a lot of mistakes early into my gaming career by learning skills I should not have.
I had to re-do my foundation twice and get accustomed to new skills that have not yet become second nature to be in battle…" Luke mused, reflecting on his gaming journey, as he finally managed to single out the exact moments where he made mistakes.
"Leo's master, Ben Faulkner, played a huge role in him becoming who he is today…. Having a master warrior as a teacher helped him avoid many foundational mistakes and set him on the right path ahead.
I could have been the same…. After my stellar performance in the grand tournament, there were many master knights willing to take me under their tutelage and I should have taken them up on their offer.
However, just because of my commitments for the DarkSky guild, I could not join them, or the West Duke's forces, both of which could have changed my gaming career big time…" Luke mused as he let out a deep sigh.
While he did not regret his time at the DarkSky guild, as it was a productive learning experience in its own right, in hindsight he felt like he could have done better if he remained united and free like Leo, having dared to rely on his own strength rather than finding a reliable shoulder to lean on.
"Never again…. Once we land on planet Terra Nova, I'll never make this same mistake again. I won't be tied down unless there are significant benefits attached" Luke resolved, as he decided to learn from his mistakes and move on.