Chapter 1,334.

Anson­—no, Janos!—watched as the deranged scholar scurried back to his workshop while the memory domain collapsed around them. Kadel’s mysterious power had somewhat calmed down, but he still left small fractures in the dream behind him. His ability to fuse with the River of Time was amazing, but Time was a Dao fraught with taboos.

It was also this ability that made the experiment possible. Janos knew it was impossible to bring out anyone else. It was only possible with Kadel because he already had one foot outside reality. Still, it was a step in the right direction. Hopefully, Kadel would retain the memory of his experience when he returned to the dream.

Janos shook his head and turned away. The Seat of Truth had been his home for months, yet he felt nothing at seeing its end. It was only a reflection of the academy that was faded. The true academy was still in the dream, having gained a completely new future. His only regret was failing to learn more about the ‘Ancient Arcana’ that Kadel based his theories on.

The Realmkeeper Orb thrummed, using the last of its energy to stabilize Janos’s immediate surroundings. The experiment had drained most of his resources, leaving only a small reserve for the final piece of his plan. Janos rushed to the teleportation room, shocking its controller with his sudden appearance.

Months of mental conditioning allowed his illusion to activate without a hitch, and the Array Master’s expression immediately shifted from wariness to deep respect. “Greetings, Lord Explorer!”

“Hm,” Janos nodded. “The Mercurial Court has summoned me. Send me to the closest node.”

“Of course!” the guard readily agreed and swiftly made the necessary adjustments to the Teleportation Array.

Janos stepped onto the disk and the world twisted. The Realmkeeper Orb ran out of energy, and the backlash directly knocked Janos unconscious. He was pleasantly surprised to wake up in one piece with no immediate threats lurking nearby. He was stuck hallway inside a tree, but some wiggling allowed him to squeeze out. The Mercurial Court’s pillar was much closer than yesterday and two rings had appeared around it. It was just like the other ones who’d suddenly changed over the past weeks.

This jump was much better than the previous, saving Janos more than a month’s travel. It wasn’t enough to fully recoup the time spent in the Seat of Truth, but the delay was more than worth it. His Realmsinger Seal had nearly tripled in strength, which should mean his solution led to an improved future.

The Mercurial Court’s pillar was now less than two months away. If Janos could find another piece of the communal dream, he might be able to jump directly to the court. It was there he’d find out whether his efforts had borne fruit. Even if Kadel failed or ignored his parting comment, he should have advanced the technique. Someone in the Mercurial Court would have picked up the mantle, taking Janos closer to the solution he sought.

Janos gently looked at the drained Realmkeeper Orb. It had been damaged by the jump, but its core remained intact. Its alterations had also followed him out of the dream, and the orb was already drawing on the continent’s Imperial Faith to replenish its reserves.

His goal had never changed. The only difference was that Janos finally saw a glimmer of hope.

“Um’ha, be patient for a little longer. I will bring you out, no matter what.”

-------------------------------

Hundreds of soldiers had gathered in the central square of the 24th Battalion, or the Intrepid Battalion as it was named. Unofficially, the unit was simply known as the Tartys division, sharing the name with the enormous legion to which it belonged. It was where the Tartys Clan had sent the direct descendants of its local branch for the past fifty generations, using it as a test and training ground.

The Tartys Clan was one of the most powerful Founding Families beneath the Imperial Bloodlines with a strong presence on multiple continents. Accordingly, the rich and powerful did everything in their power to have their sons and daughters sent to the 24th Battalion. When else would you have such a good opportunity to get to know a future pillar of the Left Imperial Expanse's military branch?

There were close to a thousand factions represented in the 800-thousand-man-strong battalion. The rest were seasoned veterans and skilled recruits who essentially had turned into bodyguards. That wasn’t to say the noblemen were weak. What they lacked in military experience, they made up for in personal foundations and equipment. In raw power, the Intrepid Battalion could take on a whole regiment.

This time, the gathering wasn’t to hold the Dao Debates which Aywin Tartys seemed to enjoy. Two noblemen, a brother and sister, were made to kneel in the central square. Their uniforms were dirty and ripped—an exceedingly rare scene in the Intrepid Battalion—and the man had taken a serious beating before being brought over. With their Cosmic Energy sealed, they looked like filthy vagrants surrounded by immortals.

“To think something like this would happen in the Intrepid Battalion. And from descendants of Clan Burlai, no less,” Aywin Tartys sighed. “The army law is strict. I cannot promise anything beyond a fair trial. Your best chance of survival is by cooperating with the investigation. How long has this been going on?”

“Lord, I swear it was only for a few months. And my actions were in service of the Tar—of the Empire! I was trying to contribute by exposing the ring leaders. I was going to report my findings the moment I found something tangible.”

Joanna watched the farce play out with a neutral expression, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.

‘The Burlai Tribe is one of the strongest locals in the Tartys faction. They’ve been trying to tie the knot between the little flower and the young Lord,’ Kruta explained, hinting at the beautiful woman kneeling next to the traitor. ‘Well, she’ll be lucky if she can become a concubine after today.’

Joanna nodded in understanding. It would have been impossible for her to untangle the Intrepid Battalion’s complex web of relationships by herself. She neither had the skill nor the patience. Despite the Orc’s best efforts, they still didn’t understand what the memory domain expected of them. As far as Joanna could tell, the disaster had already struck before they arrived.

Mervin Burlai had consorted with a rebel army; that much was clear. Worse, he’d inadvertently exposed the movements of the Cessina Legion that operated in the same region as them. By all accounts, the leak was unintentional. Mervin didn’t understand the implications of the seemingly random information he’d divulged, but the rebel leaders had connected the dots. They used the intelligence to mount a deadly ambush that ruined General Cessina’s plans and left thousands of elite soldiers dead.

By the time she and Kruta arrived, the Intrepid Battalion was dealing with the aftermath. Kruta’s identity as an army inspector made it easy to join the investigation, not that anyone would dare say no to Indra Eyler’s disciple. It only took three days to figure out what had happened and intercept the suspects before they could escape.

Joanna had little patience for Aywin Tartys, with his refined manners and scholarly appearance. Frankly, she felt his presence in the army was doing more harm than good. That didn’t change the fact that the Peak Hegemon was exceptionally competent. He’d swiftly unearthed the plot when word came down that the ambush might be related to an information leak.

Marvin had left behind enough clues to make an ironclad case. Aywin would be the next one facing inquiry if he looked the other way on account of the Burlai Clan’s close relationship with his family. What was Joanna supposed to do? What were they missing? Their presence hadn’t changed the timeline at all.

Marvin couldn’t have exposed any new information after the ambush. He’d been too busy planning his escape. The sister was only brought into the mess after the fact, reluctantly choosing to help to protect her clan’s image. There was no chance in hell the rebels would mount a rescue for an exposed asset. They had their hands full running from the squads Aywin sent to assist the Cessina Legion.

Joanna frowned with annoyance as the interrogation dragged on, once more considering if she should give up on the memory and move on. She’d come to hate convoluted messes like this. Why would the System send her such a trial after she’d claimed her spot through a series of death matches?

The stuffy feeling partly came from the Intrepid Battalion itself. Military discipline had gotten worse with every memory domain she’d visited. Joanna could still remember how bravely the common soldiers fought to fend off the beast tide. They’d displayed courage and valor against an overwhelming threat, all to protect the surviving civilians.

Joanna couldn’t imagine the Intrepid Battalion doing anything of the sort. The camp looked more like a Daoist sect than a military base. Captains were debating valor instead of practicing it. They sought the Dao in silent meditation rather than on the battlefield. There was no camaraderie or shared values. Joanna had even seen some noblemen covertly celebrating the Cessina Legion’s loss, seeing it as a setback for their “competition.”

She’d kept her opinions to herself and tried to reserve judgment. The Intrepid Battalion might be worse than average, but the different forms of management could be the optimal approach for high-grade elite units. It was a cultivator army. The higher one reached, the more one needed to look inward for answers. Military drills could only take you so far on the path to immortality.

Joanna shook her head, reminding herself she was inside an illusion. The only thing she needed to focus on was gathering more Imperial Fate for her empty seal.

‘Wait, what did he say?’ Joanna asked, having tuned Aywin for the past minutes.

‘The leader just announced that the rebels have suffered a catastrophic defeat just minutes ago. He’d anticipated their escape route and sent a unit to block their path. This smooth talker will walk out walk out of this mess looking like a hero,’ Kruta said, his outward appearance perfectly masking the deep disdain in his voice. ‘Quite the coincidence he knew exactly where they’d go, wouldn’t you say? The numbers on the burned note I restored, maybe they were coordinates?’

‘Could it really have been a setup? Would he dare go so far?’ Joanna asked.

Kruta had discovered indications that Aywin knew about Marvin’s unsavory connections for a while. The Tartys scion was keeping tabs on most of the battalion’s important descendants, collecting misdeeds and scandalous secrets for future use. Mervin was a fool, but he was also a direct descendant of Clan Burlai. He would become a valuable tool in the future.  

Marvin still believed overhearing the innocuous supply request that exposed the Cessina Legion’s position was an accident. Could there be more to it? What if Marvin’s bumbling incompetence hadn’t cost Aywin a valuable pawn before he could be utilized? Was this a setup designed to make Aywin look like a hero?

‘Try to confirm the details about the rebel army’s defeat. See if you can match the numbers with something tangible now that it’s over,’ Joanna asked.

The Orc nodded before silently blending with the growing crowd. Joanna stayed by Aywin’s side, trying to decide if this young scholar really was audacious enough to pull off such a scheme.

Aywin loved talking about his ideas and visions and how he would update the Imperial War Machine to suit the modern age. He had grand ambitions, but his dreams couldn’t be achieved by a battalion commander. Cultivators were incredibly long-lived, and there were generations of descendants ahead in line for promotion. Jumping ahead needed contribution.

Would knowing change anything? Their only evidence of a potential plot had been incinerated, and Kruta only managed to glean a few numbers by analyzing the echoes of fire. They still had a copy of Aywin’s black book, but that wasn’t enough when the direct descendant of a Founding Family was involved. It had been kept by Aywin’s assistant, and it only touched on Mervin’s association with suspected rebels.

If Aywin was guilty of something more, he’d played his hand almost perfectly. Joanna looked at the scions gathered around the kneeling captives. Did they know? They should at least suspect something, not that they’d let it show on their faces. There was nothing to gain in getting involved for these budding politicians. The risks of making an enemy of the Tartys Clan far outweighed the potential gain.

Tassil Burlai’s defeated expression as she knelt next to her brother had gained a new meaning. Tassil remained silent, perhaps knowing that exposing any dirty laundry at this stage would only backfire. Their only chance of survival was by playing along with their accuser. It was becoming increasingly clear that Aywin was leaving them a way out, practically spoon-feeding Marvin excuses through leading questions.

The two couldn’t avoid being sent to prison or a sinner’s legion, where they could be silently extracted as soon as the world had forgotten about their misdeeds. The expanding Clan Burlai would have to curtail their ambitions after Tartys reinforced their position as the top dog.

Joanna looked at the rugged veterans observing the interrogation from a distance. Their expressions weren’t indecipherable like the noblemen’s. They might not understand exactly what happened, but they’d been assigned to the Intrepid Battalion long enough to know how this story goes. Their resignation was palpable. Who knew? Next time it might be them that were discarded.

Kruta returned shortly after. He’d failed to find the smoking gun they needed. Joanna took a deep breath as she looked up at the falling memory lanterns. Each represented a life that had burned for a common purpose—the glory of the Empire and the betterment of its people. Maybe these lanterns belonged to the veterans gathered here today. Would someone like Aywin Tartys manage to leave a lantern behind?

Was this how it would end? Sixty thousand loyal soldiers had fallen.

“I give up.”

“Miss Thompson?” Aywin said, turning to Joanna with confusion.

“There is ironclad evidence to confirm that Marvin Burlai divulged information that led to the attack on the Ceccina Legion,” Joanna said as she walked toward the kneeling traitor. “Kruta Redleaf, what is the punishment for divulging military secrets to the Empire’s enemies?”

‘Girl, you know I don’t know all those—’ Kruta's complaint was cut short by a murderous stare.

“Uh, death?” Kruta repeated himself with more conviction when no one jumped out to correct him. “Death.”

“Miss, the world is not black and white,” Aywin smoothly interjected. “Brother Burlai’s mistakes are deep and undeniable, but there are still points that need to be thoroughly investigated. For instance, Brother Burlai’s claim that he’s been working undercover to—”

Aywin’s expression grew dark as he watched Marvin topple. A wet gurgle escaped the traitor’s throat from the hole Joanna had opened with her spear. Her stab had been so smooth that even Aywin failed to react in time. There was no Killing Intent to provide a warning, and Joanna hadn’t bothered to even look at Marvin when she executed him. She may as well have been her taking out the garbage.

“What are you doing!” Aywin wheezed, his aura surging. “We are not mad butchers! There are checks and balances in place! Punishments are only meted out when the facts have been established. How am I supposed to face Marquis Burlai? Or General Tartys?”

Joanna had already tuned out Aywin’s complaints. Her focus was on the veterans, elite soldiers much like the ones who’d died because of some nobleman’s selfish scheme. Just like her soldiers back home. They’d bravely fought far from home, never knowing if they’d ever see Earth again. Most of them didn’t. They met their end on some ruined planet at the sector’s edge.

For what? The Atwood Empire had desperately fought, not once backing down against the Kan’Tanu’s relentless advance. They exchanged their blood for time, hoping for a miracle. And Zac actually delivered one. They overcame all odds to slay the Kan’Tanu Pope and release the Eternal Guardians. The goal was left open when they passed the ball to the Zecia Alliance.

They didn’t even try to score.

Weeks of growing irritation boiled over into smoldering fury as Joanna recalled the update she got from the Zecian sealbearer. About Zecia’s great exodus. How the strongest factions didn’t even try to deal with the disorganized Kan’Tanu Cult refugees pouring into the sector.

Joanna couldn’t do anything about the injustices back home, but she refused to back down when seeing the same thing right before her eyes. She had been caught up in the tangle, tainted by the same corruption that plagued the Intrepid Battalion. There was only one remedy to deal with this kind of sickness.  

“Tassil Burlai. You failed to report your brother’s treason. Worse, you destroyed evidence to hide his misdeeds, hindering the investigation,” Joanna continued. “What is the punishment?”

Kruta, seeing Joanna had no intention of stopping, no longer held back. “Death!”

The Orc’s roar was imbued with the flames of war. His voice spread through the Intrepid Battalion, shaking the camp awake from its decadent stupor. Thousands of hardened warriors poured out of their secluded cultivation. They rose into the air to find the source of the commotion, and Joanna could almost hear how countless transmissions caught the veterans up to speed.

“Enough!” Aywin yelled. “You are not the law. You’re a visitor acting as judge and executioner. I have already reported your actions to General Tartys. He shall—”

The threat meant nothing to Joanna at this point. Another stab ended Tassil’s life, and there was finally a reaction among the noblemen: fear. Fear of the cold, gleaming truth at the tip of Joanna’s spear, of the unbending conviction it represented. Aywin looked truly aghast, but Joanna could tell he still hadn’t woken up. She could see the calculations behind the façade, the weighing of pros and cons to decide his response.

While some cowered from the bloodshed, others welcomed it. Joanna’s actions clearly resonated with the veterans. The clear lines and swift executions reminded them of the real face of the Limitless Army, of why they were feared across the Cosmos. They’d reached the top by being ruthless against both themselves and their enemies.

“Tassil’s involvement was limited, and she is a fourth-generation descendant of Ebenos Burlai! Clan Burlai has provided the Imperial Army with both financial support and critical intelligence, greatly assisting the cause. Your wanton actions will cool the hearts of those supporting the Empire’s great undertaking.”

Joanna finally turned to directly face the infuriated commander. Why had she worried about some tribunal and evidence? It didn’t even matter if Aywin had set Marvin up. Knowing about a subordinate’s connection to rebels was bad enough. If he’d done his job, those sixty thousand soldiers would still be alive.

“The Empire’s enemies are everywhere, and they’ll exploit any weakness they find. Your leadership has undeniably created results. The Intrepid Battalion’s battle record surpasses that of the past generations,” Joanna conceded before her tone hardened. “However, there are lines that must never be crossed! Military dogma is written with the blood of our predecessors! Our doctrine exists to protect the citizens. It’s there to safeguard the flame of our conviction!”

“We are not politicians. We are not philosophers. We are the Empire’s blades. Our world is black and white!” Joanna boomed, each word gaining power until her voice shook the base like claps of thunder. “Aywin Tarsys, you ignored the reports of Marvin Burlai’s crimes, along with many others. The 24th has become a den of corruption under your watch, and your inaction caused the death of sixty thousand of the Empire’s subjects.”

“Absurd, you’re defaming Clan Tartys with your—"

“24TH BATALLION! WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT?” Joanna roared as her murderous intent exploded.

It condensed into a massive avatar of slaughter that perfectly represented the Limitless Empire’s judgment. It was almost as if the Emperor’s Spear had descended in person. The apparition embodied the immutable law that was the imperial rule, and the whole world responded. Imperial Faith rushed into the apparition, pouring out of the ground and from the memory domain itself.

Most came from the faithful soldiers who saw clearly after years of blurred lines and hollow glory. The Empire was calling on them, and they would answer. Thousands upon thousands of streams of Killing Intent poured into the avatar as the battalion responded in one voice that shook the Heavens.

“DEATH!”

The fury and indignity of a million soldiers fused into the apparition’s spear, and it descended on Aywin Tarsys for ultimate judgment. When his abilities failed to stop its descent, a powerful barrier sprung up in their stead. It was a protective mark left by General Tarsys himself, and the illusory silhouette of a middle-aged man appeared. Just his summoned form was no weaker than the Kan’Tanu pope, and the real thing was no doubt already making his way over.

The projection briefly looked at the suspended spear before turning to Joanna. She calmly met his gaze. Aywin was smart enough not to say anything in his ancestor’s presence, but his look of superiority said everything. However, his refined appearance crumbled when the projection sighed and shook his head. The world resumed and the law was enforced.

The avatar of slaughter had been empowered by Aywin's own subordinates and ratified by Imperial Faith. Going against it was no different than going against the will of the Empire. The ancestor was clearly cut from the same cloth as Aywin, and he’d swiftly concluded that a single descendant wasn’t worth it.

The memory domain was already collapsing from offering its faith to power the attack. Joanna looked at the horrified scions running for their lives. There was no absolution in her actions. Joanna felt hollow. Her own issues remained, and she hadn’t even solved the root of the memory domain’s problem. She’d only treated the symptoms. At best, her actions would serve as a warning to others following a crooked path.

“I guess that’s one way to deal with things,” Kruta coughed as he walked over. “What’s next?”

Joanna didn’t immediately answer. She watched as the last pieces of the domain condensed into a streak of light that flew into her chest. A voice echoed in her mind as a bloody halo was born around the Indomitable Court’s pillar.

‘Child, come see me. It’s time to see if you’re qualified to wield my spear.’