(15 days later, Planet Tithia)
Once Leo had gathered all the information he needed about Moltherak's Time-Stilled World, and had laid his hands on the first batch of hand-crafted mana heart pendants, he summoned Chaosbringer to Tithia, to discuss some important business.
"What is it Lord Boss? Why do you look so serious today?" Chaosbringer asked, as he arrived at the restaurant Leo asked him to meet, while being dressed not as the Seventh Elder, but rather as his usual self.
"Chaosbringer, what I'm about to tell you today is something that you must treat with both discretion and sincerity, since it's a matter that has been bothering me for a long time." Leo began, as his words instantly made Chaosbringer listen in rapt attention.
"When I first joined the Cult, I wasn't sure if this place was the right fit for me or not, and hence I kept looking for a way out, in-case everything went southwards.... However, over time, I've started to like this place, despite its obvious challenges." Leo explained, as he gave Chaosbringer all the context that he could.
"Hence, the plan that I initially made as a back-up to take my family and run away, is the same plan that I have now, but for the whole Cult.
Whereby, in-case a catastrophic calamity ever falls upon us, I can relocate the majority of the Cult to a safe location, where they will be safe from the clutches of the righteous faction." Leo explained, as Chaosbringer's eyes widened in shock at his proposal, for he couldn't even begin to comprehend the logistics behind such a project.
To relocate the majority of the Cult to a safe location?
Was such a feat even possible?
Chaosbringer wondered, as Leo continued with his explanation.
"I've named it the 'Ghost Protocol'. It's my plan to save the Cult and fulfill my duty as its Shadow Dragon just in-case everything goes to hell.
However, I'll need your help to make it a reality...."
Leo said in a heavy tone, as Chaosbringer instantly pushed his hands forward, to clutch Leo's palm across the table.
"Whatever you need, Lord Boss, your humble servant is always ready to help you to the best of his abilities," he assured, as Leo nodded slowly in acknowledgement, though the weight of his own words still pressed heavy on his chest.
"The task I'm assigning you, will require sacrifice from your men.
They may suffer significantly trying to make my dream a reality, and hence, it will be tough to convince them to go on such a suicidal path.
But I've weighed the pros and cons, and arrived at the conclusion that it must be done." Leo said, as Chaosbringer looked into his eyes with nothing but resolve.
"I'm not sure if you're aware of them, but in this universe lay dimensional anomalies called 'Time Stilled Worlds'.
The mana of these worlds is stale and tainted, and hence any sane creature with a working mana circuit that enters these worlds, is transformed into a mindless creature driven by nothing but primal instinct.
It doesn't matter if you're a Monarch or an Amateur tier warrior, if you're exposed to the tainted mana long enough, you will be corrupted...."
Leo said, as Chaosbringer nodded in understanding, though his jaw clenched at the thought of such cursed realms.
"This hostile nature of this world's mana is both a boon and a curse for us.
On one hand, it's a boon because our enemies suffer the same fate as us, if they chase us into these worlds.
And on the other hand, it's a curse for us, because prolonged exposure can turn us insane as well.
However, recently, Amanda has developed a device that can help one survive prolonged exposure to tainted mana without turning insane, and it's my desire that we send some of our finest warriors into the Time-Stilled World, equipped with these devices, so that they can start developing massive cities inside them."
Leo shared, as at this moment Chaosbringer's eyes finally sparkled with understanding, for he now realized what his Lord Boss truly intended to build: a second home, hidden in the shadows of time itself.
"Every day that passes in the outside world, is akin to 100 days inside the Time-Stilled World, and hence the development of these cities can in theory happen at a much faster pace compared to normal, however, sending men in there comes with its own risks.
The world is full of dangerous creatures that are nothing like what they are used to fighting here in the normal universe, and there's no saying as to what problems they may face there in terms of finding the resources necessary to start construction, or the weather conditions they might have to face while working.
Hence, it's safe to say that this is a very risky project.
However, like I already told you before....
It's something I feel must be done."
Leo emphasized, as Chaosbringer nodded in understanding, his eyes now brimming not with fear but with the same reckless loyalty that had once built their empire back on the Arc Ship, as though even the idea of colonizing hell itself was something he would follow Leo into without hesitation.
"The final goal I have is to make cluster cities out there that can house as many people as possible.
But we don't just need to house them.
Naturally, we also need to feed them, provide basic amenities for them and help them live a normal life.
And achieving all that will need not only masterful planning and engineering, but also significant sacrifice.
Recently, I keep having this gnawing feeling in my chest that the Cult may face an unprecedented crisis very soon, and hence, I feel like the sooner we can get this project up and running, the better I will feel, for in the end, if everything goes to hell, that hellish place might be the last bastion the Cult can hold onto." Leo expressed, as Chaosbringer gulped nervously after learning about his dream.
What Leo wanted to achieve was indeed a tall task that needed a lot of talented people to complete.
However, Chaosbringer could see why his Lord wanted to do this.
And since his Lord wanted it done, he was going to try his best to get it done, no matter the cost.
(More chapters in Buyers Club for TMT)