The Martial Unity

Even as the world shook with the resurrection of the beast tides, the Emperor of the Beast Domain gazed at the Emperor of the Great Nam Ocean.

“I can foresee the future.”

Rui’s tone was knowing.

“I can foresee that should I fail to protect us from the invasion of the true world, not even the fauna and flora of the Great Nam Ocean will be safe.”

An unfathomable knowledge lingered within his pitch-black eyes as he gazed at Jormungandr.

“I can foresee all of you will be next should I succumb to the forces of the true world.”

His voice was calm.

And yet, his words were menacing.

“And when they turn their gaze upon you and your domain after conquering the continent…” he continued with a wise tone. “They will stop at nothing to extract the treasures within your beautiful domain.”

The Transcendent Serpent regarded him with a celestial gaze.

The sheer amount of pressure that it put on him exceeded even that of the Eldritch Chimera.

Should it have wanted, it could have personally eradicated Rui’s predecessors even if Damian hadn’t broken to the Transcendent Realm.

“Human civilization maintained a respectable distance from the Great Nam Ocean because of your presence.” Rui closed his eyes slowly. “We respected and feared you. We limited ourselves to merely nibbling what the Great Nam Ocean had to offer. Tell me…”

His eyes opened slowly.

The future lingered within their depths.

A future of destruction, desolation, and pillaging.

“…Do you think the true world will spare your domain?”

The Jormungandr regarded the question with a knowing glint in its serpent eyes.

The answer was obvious.

Although it didn’t appreciate how human civilization had eroded the Beast Domain over the span of more than a millennium, from the greedy, aggressive behavior of the true world denizens, it knew that they would be a hundred times worse than human civilization.

What humanity had done the Beast Domain over one thousand years, they would do in one year.

They would deforest the entire planet and extract every milligram of esoteric matter.

They would systematically erase all life and draw from within them the power of esoteric reality.

And once they had violated the Panama Continent and drew from within it everything it had, they would eventually turn their eyes to Great Nam Ocean.

“Armed with the power of esoteric matter and esoteric technology enhancing their already tremendous power, the Great Nam Ocean stands no chance.”

Rui’s tone was one of unyielding certainty.

Absolute inevitability.

“They will destroy your domain.”

His words left no room for doubt.

“They will destroy everything you cherish enough to protect by imprisoning yourself,” Rui continued with a deep, knowing gaze that bore deep into the Jormungandr’s celestial serpentine eyes. “The only way you could possibly protect them is if you yourself rise to war.”

A glint of reluctance flickered within in the depths of the Transcendent Serpent’s eyes.

“In other words, you will either need to destroy the world by rising for war or…” Rui continued. “…helplessly watch the greed of the true world rape your domain.”

The unfathomable power within the depths of Rui’s pitch-black eyes bore deep into Jormungandr’s eyes.

“Or you could join my father and myself in our war against the true world.”

Jormungandr’s eyes flashed with a hint of distrust.

“I do not ask for you to relinquish your authority to me,” Rui replied calmly. “I only ask that you deploy your authority over the Great Nam Ocean to mobilize the forces of the Great Nam Ocean to protect the Panama Continent. In return, the Panama Continent will protect your domain should the true world try to infringe on it.”

An alliance between human civilization, the Beast Domain, and the Great Nam Ocean.

It would be an invincible force of extraordinary power.

“None of us can overcome the true world by our lonesome.”

Rui’s tone was of profound wisdom.

“We humans have tried and failed.”

His voice was one of reckoning.

“The Beast Domain is powerful, but is wounded from its battle against us.”

His eyes glinted with dark inevitability.

“Even with the full power of human civilization and the Beast Domain, our survival is uncertain.”

The true world was tremendously vast and filled with civilizations that were of the same, if not greater, caliber than human civilization.

Just how many warriors did they possess of extraordinary caliber?

Just how many resources did they have?

A mere month had passed since the Unfolding, and yet, human civilization was already crumbling apart despite its tremendous collective power.

They were dealing with a threat level that was on a different caliber entirely.

Rui wasn’t delusional enough to believe that he alone could solve everything and secure Panama’s survival, sovereignty, and prosperity.

“I urge you, Emperor of the Great Nam Ocean,” Rui spoke to it with respect. “I urge you to accept my offer. The destruction of the Panama Continent will bode poorly for the future of Gaia. After all…”

He gazed at it deeply with pitch-black eyes that reckoned with a knowing awareness.

“Only we can find the Fear that plagues your heart.”

RUMBLE…

His words elicited a reaction from Transcendent Serpent.

One that confirmed Rui’s suspicions.

In addition to not moving out of its compassion for life and Gaia, he strongly suspected that the serpent was afflicted with the same Fear that Astral Sovereign informed him about. The Martial Path that produced Martial Transcendents was their greatest source of hope against the Fear that was so intense that it paralyzed the serpent.

If human civilization was destroyed, then the Martial Path unique to the human species would be gone.

In which case, the Jormungandr would need to trust the true world to find a solution to the Fear that plagued its heart.

A hint of reluctance flickered in the depths of the celestial eyes of the Transcendent Serpent.

It was the final straw.

It made its decision swiftly.

What followed showed the world even more.

For the first time in its life, the Transcendent Serpent unleashed a hiss.

One that reverberated across all waters in the world.

A command from the highest authority within the waters of Gaia.

A declaration of war.

“HIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS!!!!”

RUMBLE!!!!!

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