The return to the Great Tomb of Nexus was a quiet, triumphant affair. The delegation materialized in the throne room, the oppressive power of the Baharuth Empire's capital replaced by the familiar, comforting chill of their own domain.
Kaelus immediately strode to his throne and sat, the obsidian construct seeming to welcome him. He was a king returned to his castle, a god returned to his sanctum. His Guardians took their places around him, their posture radiating a new level of confidence. They had walked into the den of the most powerful human emperor on the continent and had emerged not only unscathed, but as the undisputed masters of the encounter.
"A most... enlightening excursion, my Lord," Rose was the first to speak, a genuinely pleased smile on her lips. "Emperor Jircniv's court was a treasure trove of information. The political landscape of the central and western nations is now significantly clearer."
"He was a snake," Gravity stated coolly, her usual disdain for mortals evident. "A clever snake, but a snake nonetheless. I am pleased you did not accept his pathetic offer of an 'alliance'. His power is insignificant."
Force, who had been standing silently, bowed his head. "The one they called Veserion has accepted our ways. He has been taken to the training halls on the seventh floor to begin his indoctrination. He has potential. His will is strong."
Kaelus gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. He had not only avoided a trap but had also poached one of the world's strongest martial artists. The gains from this trip were piling up.
He then turned his attention to his Queen. Lilliana stood before him, her composure as perfect as ever, but he could see a new light in her eyes. She had seen the other powers of the world, and she had seen them all humbled by his presence. Her calculated gambit to marry him was looking more and more like the wisest decision in the history of her kingdom.
"Your performance was satisfactory, Lilliana," Kaelus said. It was high praise from him, and she knew it.
"I merely played the part you assigned me, my Lord," she replied with a graceful curtsy. "Though I must confess, the Emperor's fear was a more potent negotiating tool than any trade agreement I could have offered."
She then presented him with a small, enchanted data crystal, a gift from Rose. "A full analysis of the various delegations, their likely motivations, their military strengths, and their observed interpersonal conflicts. Compiled from my own observations and the... discreet work of our agents."
Kaelus accepted the crystal, the information within it instantly absorbed into his consciousness. It was a perfect, comprehensive summary. The alliance between Rose and Lilliana had been even more effective than he had hoped. They were a devastatingly potent combination of overt political analysis and covert intelligence gathering.
As he processed the information, his gaze settled on one section: The Slane Theocracy. The report confirmed what Jircniv had said. They were a human-supremacist nation built on the worship of the Six Great Gods, who were almost certainly other Players from Yggdrasil. They possessed World-Level Items, the only things in existence that could potentially pose a true threat to him. And their hatred for other "gods" was absolute.
The Emperor had intended to use the Theocracy as a threat. Instead, he had simply pointed Kaelus towards his next logical target.
"The board has changed," Kaelus announced, his voice drawing the attention of everyone in the room. A magical map of the continent shimmered into existence above the floor, larger and more detailed than before.
"The Baharuth Empire is no longer a threat," he stated. "Jircniv will posture, but he will not act against us. He is a survivor. He will consolidate his power and wait for us to eliminate his rivals for him." He made a gesture, and the vast territory of the Empire on the map was colored a neutral grey. "They are irrelevant, for now."
"The Dragon Lords are proud and ancient," he continued. "They will not intervene unless their domains are directly threatened. They are a passive force." The northern mountains turned grey.
"The Elves are isolationists. The Beastmen are fractured. They are minor pieces." More territories faded to grey.
At the end of his pronouncements, only two areas on the map remained brightly colored. His own burgeoning black territory of the Dominion of Nexus, and the stark, white-and-gold territory of the Slane Theocracy to the south.
"These are the two true powers of this world," Kaelus declared. "An empire of humanity built on the worship of fallen gods, and an empire of monsters built on the worship of a present one. There is not room on this board for both of us. Conflict is not a possibility; it is a mathematical certainty."
The Guardians all straightened, their expressions turning deadly serious. The games were over. The next war was being declared.
"They possess items of great power," Kaelus warned, his gaze sweeping over his followers. "Trinkets left behind by their dead masters. These 'World-Level Items' can bend the laws of reality. They are not to be underestimated."
"Then we shall simply take their trinkets from them," Boom declared, his confidence absolute after their recent victories. "And present them to you as tribute!"
"Your confidence is a strength, Boom," Kaelus said, "but do not let it become a weakness. We will not engage the Theocracy with blind force. We will dismantle them, piece by piece, just as we did the Kingdom of Elysia."
He looked at Lilliana and Rose. "Begin by gathering all available information. I want to know the names of their Cardinals, the structure of their Scriptures, the location of their holy sites, and the legends surrounding their 'gods' and the items they left behind."
He then turned to Spidy, who materialized from the shadows with a gleeful smile. "This will be your most important mission yet. I want your webs spun throughout their entire nation. I want to know what their leaders eat for breakfast. I want to know their every secret, their every fear. But you will be careful. Their own intelligence network is likely formidable. Do not be detected."
"A nation of fanatics and secrets?" Spidy purred, her eight eyes glowing with delight. "It sounds like my favorite kind of playground, my Lord."
Finally, Kaelus looked at Gravity, Flora, and his other combat-focused Guardians. "And you will prepare. The enemy is a nation of god-worshippers. Their armies will consist of paladins, priests, and angels summoned from other planes. Their attacks will be holy in nature."
He paused, a dark, chilling amusement entering his tone.
"It is time we reminded this world what happens when prayers are answered by the wrong god."
The path forward was clear. The first arc had been about establishing his power on a local scale. The second arc had been about announcing his presence on the world stage. This new, third arc would be a holy war. A clash of gods and faiths, where the prize was not just territory, but the very souls of the entire human race.
Kaelus settled back into his throne, feeling the immense power he had accumulated. He now had kingdoms of men and dwarves, legendary heroes, and a court of fiercely loyal, monstrously powerful servants. And he was about to aim them all like a loaded cannon at the only other power on the planet that dared to call themselves divine. The game was about to reach a whole new level.