Chapter 314: The Contest of the First Age

Cassian found the marked report.

[Your troop Brigid has killed an Eight-Armed Naga — Epic.]

[Battle Essence +1,300,000. Aether +80,000. First-Age Coin ×1...]

"At last. A First-Age Coin."

When a Wonder of the First Age appeared, the maps around it could begin dropping these coins. The closer a hunting party came to the Wonder, the higher the chance.

He checked Brigid’s coordinates immediately.

Her fleet had rounded the Black Banner’s homeland and sailed east into the open ocean. It was now nearly five hundred thousand kilometers from Divine Province.

Was the Wonder somewhere across that vast expanse of water?

That would fit what Edran had told him.

"Is something wrong, Lord?" Liora asked carefully.

Cassian thought for a moment.

"When you return, keep the Ghost fleet exploring east."

"Yes, Lord."

She was curious, but accepted the order without hesitation.

The strongest monsters in the Homeworld’s new sector were currently around Level 100. With the Dawnwing corps accompanying the fleet, Cassian had little concern for its safety.

After lunch, Aurelia and Liora returned to the ocean. Veyra arranged the Eclipse Legionnaires’ trials at home. Celia went back to her Enclosure to train, while Sylvara returned to the Fields.

Cassian began buying the Blueprints and high-grade materials for more Legendary Fields.

Everyone had work to do, and the Domain settled into a steady rhythm.

A quiet week followed.

The new recruitment queue finished. Cassian paid for the recruits’ growth and the army’s trial advancements, while funded Time Acceleration gave them the training time they needed. All sixty thousand ordinary Legionnaires completed the required trials and stood at Level 30, Epic One-Star.

More than a hundred additional Legendary Fields were built, easing the pressure on the Domain’s food supply. Without Sylvara and the Five Elements Temple, he would have needed twice as many.

Since the naval battle, there had been no further news of powerful older-sector Lords descending to attack them. Whatever the Jade Court, Black Banner, and Western alliance were planning, they were keeping it to themselves.

Cassian was happy to enjoy the peace.

Meanwhile, the Ghost fleet continued east. First-Age Coins dropped more frequently as it advanced. By the end of the week, he had three hundred and eighteen in his possession.

He felt he must be nearing his target when Darian arrived in a hurry.

"Confirmed! The second World Wonder is a Firstborn Gate. Guess where it appeared."

Cassian nodded. A Gate after all.

Before anyone claimed it, a Firstborn Gate worked rather like a much more powerful Mystery Hut. Every refresh was guaranteed to offer a Mythic item, but it accepted only First-Age Coins.

Once occupied, it was said to open a passage into the ancient world. Uncounted opportunities waited there. Some accounts even claimed that a visitor could see Skyroot, long believed destroyed.

Whether that ancient world truly existed or was a copy preserved by the Realm remained an open question. Only a handful of Firstborn Gates had appeared during the Homeworld’s many thousands of years of Lord civilization.

That much, Cassian remembered from his school edition of A Guide to World Wonders.

As for the location, he already had a guess.

"Sunhaven Province?"

Darian stared.

"How did you know? House Frost lost several excellent agents confirming that!"

Cassian had guessed correctly. That did not stop him from frowning.

Sunhaven Province, also known as Sunhaven Isle, lay in the middle of the ocean. When the sector opened, its population had been even more mixed than Divine Province’s. Western Beacon, Black Banner, Woolhaven, the Thousand Isles, Coral Federation, Northbear—even the Crown had Lords there.

Several months ago, Western Beacon had won its Governorship contest by an overwhelming margin. With the Governor’s authority in its hands, it held an enormous advantage on the island.

The Realm did seem fond of giving the weaker side a chance to catch up.

There was one favorable point. Lords from the other nations still lived in Sunhaven. Faced with the temptations of a Firstborn Gate, they might not all be willing to support Western Beacon.

"Perhaps," Cassian said after a moment, "we should take Sunhaven Province."

"What?"

Darian went blank.

He considered himself bold. Apparently, Cassian had a rather different understanding of the word. Western Beacon had few roots in the upper Realms, but in the Seventh, it might well be the strongest nation of all.

Cassian laughed at his expression.

"Claiming a Firstborn Gate takes time. We don’t have to seize the Province today. What worries me is when the Gate opens next."

His smile faded a little.

"If they buy a powerful Mythic item before we can act, Divine Province could be in trouble. A Mythic warship, for example."

That was a real concern. At their current Levels, one powerful Mythic item could turn an entire war. A ship of that Quality might strip the Ghost fleet of its advantage at sea and give Western Beacon the means to counter it.

Darian let out a breath.

"We’re getting more people inside. We should learn when it opens soon."

Cassian nodded. Before he could reply, a string of notification tones interrupted them.

"A Homeworld announcement?"

He opened the Channel. Golden notices were already filling it.

Darian had received the same alert. He read in silence for a few moments, then sighed.

"Never mind. The whole Homeworld knows now. We can stop asking."

[Announcement: The Homeworld’s second Provincial Ranking has begun.]

[Ranking category: Contest of the First Age. Select to view rules.]

[1st Place — Governor: all attributes +1,000. Resident Lords: all attributes +100. Provincial National Fortune +20. Fortune Talismans ×2,000.]

[2nd Place — Governor: all attributes +600. Resident Lords: all attributes +60. Provincial National Fortune +12. Fortune Talismans ×1,200.]

[3rd Place — Governor: all attributes +400. Resident Lords: all attributes +40. Provincial National Fortune +8. Fortune Talismans ×800.]

[4th–10th Place — Governor: all attributes +200. Resident Lords: all attributes +20. Provincial National Fortune +4. Fortune Talismans ×400.]

[11th–100th Place — Governor: all attributes +100. Resident Lords: all attributes +10. Provincial National Fortune +2. Fortune Talismans ×200.]

[Results will be settled in four months.]

[The Firstborn Gate will open when the ranking concludes. Provincial placement will determine purchasing priority.]

"Double the rewards of the first ranking," Cassian murmured.

There was good news in the timing too. This contest would demand Western Beacon’s attention. If it kept that powerful enemy occupied, Divine Province would gain four precious months to develop.

He opened the rules.

[Firstborn Gate location: Sunhaven Province, coordinates (12898, 38528).]

[Provinces will be ranked by the number of First-Age Coins acquired.]

[During the contest, First-Age Coins cannot be traded or given across Provincial borders.]

[First-Age Coins do not drop when a Lord dies.]

[Monster kills by Lords descended from older sectors will not yield First-Age Coins.]

"This could have been designed for Western Beacon."

Cassian read through the conditions again.

"If they take first, forget the National Fortune and the Mythic goods for a moment. Two thousand Fortune Talismans added to one of their strongest Regions could give them something to rival Riftward. Perhaps even surpass it."

Darian’s expression darkened.

"Damn the Realm. It’s practically helping them stand up to us."

"Don’t be so angry." Cassian smiled. "Think of all the times the Realm’s favor helped us take first, from Riftward’s early rankings to Divine Province now. We’ve had the better share of it."

The Construction Ranking was a particularly good example. He could hardly object to every advantage that happened to fall elsewhere.

"I’ll send people to look around Sunhaven first."

Darian took a breath and calmed himself.

"We have contacts inside the Province. Do you need them to open a Gate for you?"

"No need." Cassian’s smile widened. "My fleet has already reached the waters off Sunhaven."

Darian had nothing to say.

Unless he remembered the map very badly, Sunhaven was seven to eight hundred thousand kilometers from Divine Province.