Chapter 492: Supply Chain Problems (2/2)

“They are the most pervasive impurity in this world.”

“And you have some of these weapons of righteousness?”

“You’ve heard that my church is in league with the Builder?”

“I have, but I barely know what that means. We live simple lives out here, away from important people and their problems.”

“The Builder is very bad. Our entire church has had to do things to see it cleansed, things that others can’t understand or forgive. But the Builder has something it gives to its soldiers. Something that makes them strong. My order has taken one of the things that produce this weapon and passed it through the purifying light of our redemption rituals. Now we can make people strong, without tainting them. Give this world a chance against the Builder. But the world hates us. Anyone who takes that power will be an outcast.”

“Better outcasts than corpses,” Merrick said. “What is this weapon?”

“It’s called a redeemed core. If you give it to an essence user, they lose their powers but gain new ones. More importantly, they gain an entire rank. Immediately.”

“An entire rank?”

“It won’t work on gold-rankers.”

“But on silvers?”

“It will take them to gold-rank.”

Merrick took a step back running his hands through his hair with a shocked expression.

“This is not a simple fix, Merrick, or some easy path to power. There are consequences, beyond how society will look at you. You give up all your essence abilities. You get new ones in return but not as many. You won't be the equal of an adventurer of your new rank.”

“But strong enough to fight monsters.”

“Yes. But there is another price as well.”

“And what is that?”

“Faith. The taint of the Builder is gone but the new power has to come from somewhere.”

“From your god.”

“Yes. You must open your heart and your soul to Purity without reservation or his power cannot flow into you. You cannot toy with divine power. I’ve seen what happens to those who try to claim this power with a deceitful heart. They become powerful but also mindless. Simpletons who know only how to obey and not to think. I would rather someone be honest and turn from my god than go through that.”

“I can worship your god. If he gives me the strength to save my people, he deserves my faith.”

Melody looked around, wary of the sentries who might overhear. She moved closer to Merrick again, speaking in a whisper as she rested a hand on his chest.

“It’s not that simple, Merrick. I’ve already told you more than I should. More than I’m allowed. I just… I see you. I see your courage and dedication to these people. You are the kind of man this world should be celebrating, not leaving to his death.”

“Then give me this power.”

“I can’t. If my people are going to expose themselves to help you, they have to know that you’ll truly be with us.”

“What are you saying?”

“It can’t just be you, Merrick. It has to be all your silver and bronze people. If you want Purity’s help, you all have to make a show of faith. Together.”

“I can’t tell my people to do that.”

“I know. This is why I didn’t want to say anything at all.”

Merrick walked away from Melody, back to the edge of the wall. He leaned on the balustrade, looking out over the sea. The breeze tousled his hair, the magical barrier over the fort long-depleted.

“It doesn’t even have to be monsters at this point,” he lamented. “Without the magical barrier, even a storm could deal with us.”

“There might be something else,” Melody said. “If your people were willing to show their faith, then perhaps I can convince my people can help you, in ways I cannot alone.”

“What kind of ways.”

“If you and your people take the power, it will take a little time for you to adjust. Days, in which you won’t be able to fend off monster attacks. But if my people knew they didn’t have to fear you, we could stand for you, until you are ready. Perhaps even share some of what supplies we do have. I can’t promise anything on my own, but–”

Merrick turned around to meet her gaze, eyes steely.

“I can’t tell my people to do this,” he said. “But I can ask.”

Jason was riding along a wide jungle roadway when he sensed the approach of several essence users. He was passing by another fort town when four auras emerged and rushed towards him. They were essence users; three bronze and a silver. All had monster cores in their auras, so not adventurers.

Shade pulled the skimmer to a stop, the vehicle and Jason’s familiars disappearing as he waited for the approaching people. He stood in the road, letting them come to him. It did not take long, all sprinting up the connection road leading from the nearby fort town.

“Adventurer,” the silver-ranker said as they arrived. They had gone hard enough that the bronze-rankers were exhausted from pushing themselves to match the silver’s speed.

“I take it that you are residents of that fortress town,” Jason said.

“I’m the town commander. Are you a supply courier?”

“I am, but my supplies are not for your town.”

“Please,” the commander said. “Our courier is more than a week overdue. The food came from the Fertility farm tower but our remaining mana batteries won’t hold out through another monster attack.”

“And if I give you the supplies for another, even more isolated town, what happens to them?”

“Please, I’m begging.”

Jason frowned.

“I can’t give you these supplies,” he said. “They were provided by another fortress town that charges mana batteries, though.”

“They have access to storm accumulators?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can leave your supplies here and go back for more. All we need are charged mana batteries.”

“I can’t make that decision,” Jason said. “But I’ve been there. I can portal you and I back there and you can plead your case to them for more supplies.”

The commander’s face lit up.

“You have a portal power?”

“I do. We can go right now.”

Standing in the open gates of the town, Merrick and Melody were facing one another, his hands clasped in hers.

“Come back quickly,” he said.

“I will,” she told him with a smile. “With good news, I promise.”

He reluctantly released her hands and she left, moving quickly but stopping to look back more than once before she disappeared into the jungle. She picked up the pace until she was certain that she was beyond Merrick’s aura senses. She slowed down and soon after, two women in white armour appeared. One wore tough but flexible leathers, like Melody, and handed her a fresh set from a dimensional bag. The other wore heavy armour made from the chitin of a monster, recoloured white.

“How did it go?” the leather-wearer asked as Melody stripped off her dirty armour.

“As planned,” Melody said. “All the silvers and bronze-rankers.”

The armoured woman chuckled.

“You’re still the best, Mel. Should we let the next supply courier through? We kill too many and people might come looking.”

“No,” Melody said. “It’s a monster surge and they send the expendable people for a reason. We’ll shield the fort from the next attack, give them supplies and let them fend off the one after by themselves. Then we let a supply run through. We can’t have them regretting their decision, after all.”