498 The Warlord (1/2)

Against the clever tactics used by the cohesive coalition of immortal cultivators, the disorganized groups of the blood sect could do nothing but throw themselves to their death.

Every single maneuver which possessed a semblance of strategic significance was promptly countered by their opposing force, and in just a few minutes, this led to a catastrophic loss for the blood sect.

To validate this victory was the minimal number of losses on the side of the immortal cultivators, which had been possible only thanks to the competence of their leader, a mysterious man who, in the last couple of years, had united a few mercenary groups and used them to take over what was left of the once powerful universal government.

This change in leadership had only been possible due to the desperate situation in which the former ruling group of Daniel's universe was left to deal with. Specifically, to defend a territory larger than their numbers allowed, and to protect more citizens than they could count.

Faced with the menace of the blood sect, which saw the weaker cultivators of their universe as nothing but cultivation resources, the senate of the universal government had split into three sides, each supported by one of the three main bodies that, through arguments and small scale conflicts, tried to elevate their representatives into becoming the person that would lead humanity out of this difficult situation.

Unfortunately, while the judges, military and explorers fought against each other to gain the control of their now weakened faction, the blood cultivators ran rampant throughout their territories, slaughtering billions of people every single day, one planet at a time.

During those chaotic times, from within the terrified population of the universal government, arose a group of mercenaries led by a man that was simply referred to as ”The Warlord.” A man who, by piling one victory after the other in his efforts against this brutal invasion, quickly gained the support of the citizens of the universal government, and after that, of the military, the explorers, and the judges.

In just a couple of years, he had been recognized as a hero born to protect the universal government, and gained enough respect to be nominated as the temporary and sole ruler of this falling civilization.

Thanks to the strategic brilliance and peerless leading abilities that he possessed, the universal government was able to reunite as one, absorb many of the faction that had left after the opening to the multiverse, and managed to become one of the major powers in the universe.. But more importantly, they had grown to a state where, surviving the invasions of the fearsome blood sect, was not just a dream.

The last battle was nothing but the new addition to a long streak of victories achieved by the Warlord.

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Planet Alcazar.

Amongst the most important places in Alcazar, the planet that was once considered the very core of the universal government, were the headquarters of each of the three forces of the universal government.. The Military Barracks, base of the army, home to grand generals, and place where most important military operations were planned and directed.. The Sextant, base of the explorers corp, home to retired scouts, assassins and cartographers, and the place that contained the most detailed map of the explored universe in existence, as well as the second most vast collection of knowledge after Hiel Academy. Last but not least, was the Tribunal.

Other than being home to the grand judges and the place where the factions of the universal government could solve their problems without having to go to war, the Tribunal contained Alcazar's only prison. An underground structure where important prisoners of war would be kept captive and used as leverage over their factions, or tortured for information.

Right now, this dark dungeon was reserved for only four individuals. This small group of prisoners was composed of three young men and one young woman, all dressed in tattered red clothes and covered in shallow wounds. Their wrists and ankles were tied to the walls with suppressing chains, which absorbed any form of essence within their bodies before they could even use it to treat their injuries. These four people were the young nobles that had just led an expedition of blood cultivators to attack the universal government, and had been captured as a result of their defeat.

”How did this happen..” muttered one of the young men while behaving in a panic-stricken way. From his behaviour, it was clear that this was the very first time he had been in real danger, and that was shown by his difficulty in maintaining his calm, ”They are so weak.. How did we lose..?”

”Fucking vermins.. Just wait until my father realizes that I have disappeared. He'll bring our whole damn universe to find me.” Said the young woman with indignation. In her mind, despite believing that being stronger gave her the right to consume humans as mere cultivation resources, the idea of being mistreated was unfathomable, and the greatest offence of all.

Of the four young blood cultivators, only two had maintained their composure, and they were the young man dressed in red and golden clothes, and a lanky young man who appeared to be in his late teens. The latter appeared to be looking around, in hope to find a way to free himself from the chains, while the former, was staring intently at the door.

”They won't kill us. If that was their plan, they would have killed us already. They brought us here to interrogate us.” Said the young man with the highest status, a noble of the original universe of the blood sect, and a direct descendant of the now deceased Murderous God.

”How can you say that?” asked his terrified companion.

”The man in heavy armor, that must be the one they call the Warlord, the man who took down many of our parties in the last two years. Since he was there personally, then it's clear that others were captured before us. They will likely interrogate us, and keep us alive to use us as leverage against the sect. If your universes have followed protocol, you should be trained for this.. Only give half truths and make them struggle for the information.” Responded the leader of this group of young cultivators with a matter-of-fact and confident tone.

What he said was able to ease the anxiousness that the most outspoken amongst the four were feeling, but it didn't seem to do anything for the lanky young man, who turned towards him, and said with as much confidence, ”Or they'll execute us in front of an angry mob of mortals.”