It was evident a lot of people had looked forward to getting out of the universe as fast as possible once it opened up. Jake had rightfully expected a few people to tag along with him, but he had severely underestimated just how many it would be... because he wasn’t sure when his poor little lodge had last been this busy.
The Sword Saint, along with Reika and some of the alchemists from the Noboru clan who’d joined the Order, were naturally there. Then there was Vesperia, Sylphie, Maria, and Carmen, but he also saw a bunch of people he expected to be members of other major factions. All were people Jake didn’t know.
Jake felt mixed emotions seeing all these people in his private space, but at least the ones he didn’t know were waiting outside. He also felt very mixed emotions upon seeing Carmen trying to convince the Sword Saint to take a banana. Sure, Rick had said harvesting bananas was good for the musa, but there was such a thing as asking permission first.
Deciding not to even bother confronting them, Jake flew over, and once he got close enough, used One Step to teleport down and appear on the porch, right beside Carmen, who was holding two bananas, looking to hand out one of them.
“Oh, you’re finally here,” Carmen said with a smile once she saw him, not a hint of shame in her voice. “I reckoned that you could hear the sound of me munching bananas from across the planet, and here you are.”
“There is no correlation between those two things,” Jake said in a deadpan tone, not even bothering as he turned to all the people there. “Quite an entourage... am I right to assume you all want to travel to the Order of the Malefic Viper with me?”
He got a few nods of confirmation as Carmen spoke again. “Traveling with you is the easiest way of getting out of the universe. Once were in the first universe, getting to anywhere else will be a lot simpler.”
“I should be charging for this,” Jake muttered.
“If the Chosen wishes for us to-“ one of the beastkin with a pretty respectable level began to speak as the Sword Saint cut him off.
“He’s joking. For a Chosen to charge paltry amounts to assist his fellow natives of the universe would be unsightly,” he said, Jake not sure if the old man was trying to save Jake’s dignity or just really wanted to move things along.“I gotta ask... aren’t you needed to do stuff here on Earth? With the World Council and all that?” Jake asked as he looked at the old man.
“No, and if I am, this is a good opportunity for those who rely on me to figure out solutions on their own,” the Sword Saint answered bluntly. Jake had noticed the old man seemed a bit on edge both now and during the meeting earlier, and he had a theory as to why.
“I guess it has gotten difficult finding anything worth fighting on Earth at this point, huh,” Jake said with a sigh.
“An unused blade will turn dull,” the old man merely answered, confirming what Jake thought.
Jake also got the feeling many of the others felt the same. There simply weren’t many things worth fighting left on their planets. If they wanted to find worthy opponents, they would have to either leave their current planets to explore their local star systems or go to another universe.
Exploring something like the solar system would take a long time, and it wasn’t even certain one would find things to fight. Jake guessed that one could find B-grades and stuff on other planets that were less hospitable to life, but the problem was that one couldn’t know for sure.
Meanwhile, if he went to the Order, he would have a massive list of potential hunting grounds with well-defined level ranges of monsters found there. Even if he went to someplace riskier, he would at least know there were opponents to fight. On the other hand, if he stayed, he could be flying within a space worm for several weeks – or some other vehicle for months - just to discover that Pluto not only wasn’t a planet but didn’t even have anything to kill on it.
Speaking of finding a place with things to potentially kill... seeing as Sylphie and the Sword Saint were both there, he wondered where they were planning to go once at the Order. Well, Sylphie probably didn’t have a plan but was just bored on Earth and wanted to tag along with him, but there was a good chance the Sword Saint didn’t have a set plan either.
“Hey, Sylphie, did you have any plans on where to go once we reach the first universe?” he asked the hawk.
“Ree,” she answered, surprising Jake a bit.
“Really? You need to go right away?” he asked.
“Ree.”
“It’s because I plan on going to the Pantheon of Life not that long after arriving at the Order, and I believe you and the Sword Saint have a standing invitation from Dina to visit, so I wondered if you wanted to come along?” Jake asked both the hawk and the old man.
Regarding Sylphie, Jake had entirely misjudged her. She did have a plan once she arrived in the first universe, though she luckily wasn’t in a rush. Stormild had actually contacted Sylphie and told her to go visit some “bird friends” and get to know them. Sylphie wasn’t clear on details, but he was pretty sure Stormild was talking about Sylphie visiting incredibly powerful divine beasts.
Also, he didn’t really care that he asked this question in front of a lot of other people. Villy had said it was good to make his visit public, so having these people spread the word about what happened shouldn’t be a problem—quite the opposite.
“I would assume the Pantheon of Life also has hunting grounds available?” the old man asked after a bit of thinking.
“Duh,” Jake said, shaking his head at the dumb question.
“Visiting the Pantheon of Life does seem like it could be an idea then,” the Sword Saint answered, pretty much confirming he was going.
“Ree,” Sylphie also confirmed her intent to go, meaning that their Nevermore Party would have a little reunion soon... what was left of it anyway.
“Excuse me, Sire, would it be possible to expedite our return?” Vesperia spoke up, spotting an opportunity to jump into the conversation.
Her tone instantly made Jake feel bad about not having waited to have this conversation with Sylphie and the Sword Saint, as he failed to consider that he was making everyone else wait for him to talk. He also recalled how Vesperia had gone through quite an ordeal to return to the Endless Empire the first time she returned, making him feel even worse as she probably wanted to rush back as quickly as possible for safety.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Oh, of course, let’s get going,” Jake said apologetically before he motioned for everyone to follow him as they headed down to this lab. Once there, they went to the room with the teleportation circle already prepared, and using his connection with the Malefic Viper as his Chosen, Jake began the minor ritual to initiate the teleportation.
“Do hang on, everyone. The process is still a bit crude, and getting pulled through the void doesn’t tend to be the most pleasant of experiences. Especially for any first-timers,” Jake warned them all as he felt the bridge between universes form.
Jake was ready as he braced himself for the journey through the void. He half-expected something to happen, but the seconds passed as he felt completely and utterly disorientated. Then, without further warning, he felt solid ground beneath his feet as his vision returned.
A few of the people around him fell to their knees and started dry-heaving, while Jake and his friends were mostly fine as this wasn’t their first time. Not to say both the Sword Saint and Maria didn’t look a lot more pale now than they had when they left Earth, but neither showed their discomfort outwardly.
Checking out his surroundings, Jake noticed they had teleported elsewhere than usual. Probably for the best, as Jake usually went straight to his own residence, something he wouldn’t have been a fan of with this many tagging along.
The destination this time was instead a large circular chamber with the teleporter in the middle and only one entrance, outside of which Jake saw their welcome party already waiting.
After having given everyone time to get their bearings, a recognizable voice echoed throughout the chamber as the door opened.
“I humbly welcome you all to the Order of the Malefic Viper, especially you, Lord Thayne, and I congratulate you on your victory over the Usurper of Yip of Yore,” the familiar demon spoke as Jake looked over and saw Irin walk in.
The succubus looked much the same as usual, with the only difference being her more conservative outfit. She usually wore quite revealing clothing, while now she looked more like a professional office clerk. He also gave her a quick Identify for good measure and saw she had made great progress.
[Demon – lvl 302]
She hadn’t come alone, either. With her were quite a few other succubi and incubi, and through a quick headcount on both sides of the chamber, Jake quickly realized there was one demon for everyone who had teleported there, minus a couple.
“Thank you,” Jake answered the succubus. “I assume everything’s been taken care of here while I was gone?”
“Naturally, but if you find anything wanting, promptly let me know,” she said with a smile as she walked closer. Jake also couldn’t help but notice how several of the demons around her were higher level, yet it was evident who was in charge of this welcoming party. And damn, did she look like she enjoyed that.
As Jake and Irin briefly spoke, the other demons also approached their respective targets. Jake was a bit confused at first about why they were there, but Irin luckily quickly explained telepathically.
“All of these people are individuals representing different factions, most of them small ones. While they naturally cannot compare to you or those you normally associate with, each of them is considered a genius in their respective fields of alchemy. Of course, their primary reason for being here is to form a stronger connection with the Order of the Malefic Viper while also being natives of not just your universe but your galaxy,” she let him know after instantly recognizing Jake had no idea who they were.
“See, this is why I made you my official liaison,” Jake answered in a thankful tone before speaking out loud to the alchemists. “Let us split up from here. I’m certain you all have a lot to process and go through, but just listen to the people from Humanoid Resources, and it should be fine. Happy onboarding.”
Turning back to Irin, he addressed her once more: “Take me to the gateway. For now, I plan on returning to my residence.”
“Please follow me once you’re ready to go,” Irin said with her usual professionalism before motioning for him to follow.
Jake nodded as he looked at the Sword Saint. “Will you come along, or...?”
“No, I’m sure there are people waiting for you at your residence, and I have no desire to barge in on your reunion. Just contact me once you plan on heading to the Pantheon of Life. In the meantime, I plan on doing some shopping. I’ve run out of high-quality painting supplies,” the old man answered, subtly complaining once more about the lack of proper opponents on Earth as he’d evidently had time to do so much painting he’d run out of materials.
“Alright,” Jake nodded as he turned to Maria and Vesperia, but before he could say anything, the True Royal spoke up.
“I shall leave immediately; I have an escort waiting for me,” Vesperia said in a hurried voice. “I would have loved to spend some more time, but it’s best I return to the Heartlands as soon as possible. Know that you are free to visit anytime, but even if you don’t, I am not planning to stay cooped up there forever..”
“I understand,” Jake nodded before throwing Maria a look.
“I just needed a ride to the universe, and I’ll find my way from here,” the fire archer answered. “See you around, and remember that favor you owe me.”
Jake nodded as the two got a few stares at the mention of an owed favor, as a lot of the people present understood the importance of something like that. Especially the demons part of Humanoid Resources knew just how important contracts and promises were.
“Same. Except for the promise part, but I damn well expect you to come or at least have a really good excuse not to if I ask for a favor,” Carmen said. “And in case you care, I plan on doing some hardcore training back at Valhal’s headquarters, but I may stop by now and then.”
“Alright,” Jake said with a smile. “See you around, and you’re always welcome, but do note that I may be at the Pantheon of Life for a while.”
“Eh, we’re gonna live for who knows how fucking long. I’m sure our schedules will match up eventually,” Carmen shrugged. “Anyhow, see ya.”
With those words, she left along with the Sword Saint and Maria, escorted by a bunch of demons, including an incubus that trailed a good five steps behind Carmen with a nervous look on his face.
Jake didn’t even have to ask Reika and the other alchemists from the Noboru clan as they had already spoken with their respective demons, and all Jake and Reika did was exchange a look as she mouthed thank you before they walked out of the chamber.
That left just Sylphie, who he didn’t even ask if she wanted to go to the residence with him. It was kind of a given as they’d already agreed to go to the Pantheon of Life later, and contrary to the Sword Saint, hawks didn’t need to go shopping for profession supplies.
Following Irin, they soon made it to a gate, and with Jake’s token, he walked through. His vision shifted for only a moment before he appeared in the large mansion alongside Sylphie and Irin who naturally also came along.
However, right as they entered his residence, Jake noticed something was off. Frowning, he released a Pulse of Perception, and outside of the mansion building, things certainly didn’t look the same as usual.
“What the hell happened here?” Jake asked with confusion, Irin quickly picking up on what he was asking.
“Lady Dawnleaf, along with the Grand Elder, have made some minor modifications to give her a personal space to conduct her alchemy without disturbing you or being disturbed herself,” the succubus answered.
“You call this minor?” Jake asked as he quickly went out the front door, making what Meira and Duskleaf had done come into full view.
Jake’s residence was its own separate space, and usually, it was just a decently sized compound with a few buildings and a pretty large lawn he normally used for rituals and stuff. Now, the space had been expanded significantly, the lawn extending many kilometers into the distance.
What’s more, a few kilometers away, a massive, mostly white white tower had appeared, standing at least a kilometer tall. At its top, a glowing white orb sat, and from it, a barrier fell to form a massive transparent bubble all around the tower with a radius of a kilometer or so. The design of the building gave clear mage tower vibes, and Jake couldn’t help but wonder when the hell they’d made it, but more than that, who’d made it.
Something he luckily quickly got an answer to.
“I was told experts from the Altmar Empire visited and assisted in constructing the tower for Lady Dawnleaf. Of course they weren’t allowed to be in your personal space, so Duskleaf had them make it in a separate one he then merged with your residence,” Irin explained.
“Damn, a lot has happened while I was gone, huh,” Jake muttered. “Any other massive news you may as well tell me now so I don’t get surprised later?”
Irin looked in thought for a while before answering. “Well, I’m not sure if it’s massive in your eyes, but I went to the Fourth Hell and met with the Demon Prince.”
“Oh, how is he doing?” Jake asked curiously. “Last I heard, the Devil King there made him his Chosen, so I reckon he’s doing well?”
“He’s doing quite well indeed,” Irin nodded. “In fact, he’s very recently gotten engaged to the daughter of the Devil Queen of the Second Hell in quite a momentous union.”
“That does sound nice,” Jake nodded.
“And he asked me if you’d be interested in being his best man.”