Chapter 545: War Machine (1/2)

“I’m no-“ Thea was about to interject, but she just shrugged and accepted her new title in the end.

Zac only smiled wryly as he stepped into the teleporter with Thea, the squad of ten Zhix scouts and Ibtep following close behind.

It looked like the town didn’t get a lot of visitors as the guards reeled with shock when their group stepped out of the teleporter. The reclusive Marshall Scion wasn’t immediately recognized, but the small German town exploded with activity when the guards realized who they were.

The mayor, a shockingly rotund middle-aged lady, came rushing over with such momentum that she almost only looked like a spherical blur.

“Our armies are passing through here,” Thea said without preamble when the breathless mayor appeared. “More Zhix will come. A lot more. Tell your people to stand down. And close the gates to make sure our presence isn’t leaked.”

Zac nodded when he saw the Mayor give a rapid series of orders into a walkie-talkie without hesitation. Bringing a big shot like Thea rather than some random guide was already proving to be the right choice. He needed to hold up his part of the bargain though, so he turned to the group of scouts who all seemed fully focused on the mission.

“We’ll go on ahead,” Zac said as he took out his leaf. “Can you stay here and make sure there’s no trouble?”

“Sure,” Thea nodded. “I’ll catch up with the army.”

The group of scouts stepped onto the leaf after some explaining, and the group of 12 shot out toward the enemy hive. They stayed close to the ground to avoid getting spotted, though Zhix surveillance was seldom not performed aboveground. They rather built scouting chutes designed to catch the vibrations from the surface, sending the signals back to the hives as an early warning.

It only took them thirty minutes to reach their destination, a dense crop of forest on the opposite side of the hive. Zac figured that the array of Lübeck should be unaffected when activating the Jammer at this position, though the thing hadn't been through enough testing to ascertain its exact limits. This would be a learning experience for him as well.

The leaf stopped just above the ground and the group of scouts nodded at Zac before they spread out through the forest, soundlessly moving between the trees like ghosts. Only Ibtep stayed behind in case he was needed to communicate with the Zhix army. Zac stepped down from the flying treasure as well and took out a concealment array disk to avoid getting spotted.

He took out the Jamming array next, while also prodding the sigil in his mind that connected him to his butler. The small pagoda floated out from his sleeve a second later, after which the ghost appeared.

”My lord,” Triv said with a bow as he looked around.

“Convenient,” Ibtep muttered from the side, its eyes trained at the small pagoda. “Is it the same magic as that of the Ayr Hive in your base? If the Zhix could use this sort of magic on our hives…”

“I’m not sure,” Zac said. “I think only ghosts can live in this pagoda. But the Ayr Hive might be possible to mimic? Not sure how much use it would be though.”

“Imagine, one Zhix could carry a whole hive in its pocket, tens of thousands of warriors pouring out when attacked,” Ibtep muttered.

“I think it would be a bit uncomfortable to stay in someone’s pocket all day. Imagine the shaking,” Zac countered, which made Ibtep nod thoughtfully.

”This item is not made for the living,” Triv said as it shot Ibtep a cool glance. ”There are many ways to create portable worlds though, but all of them are beyond your means.”

“Some further thinking is required on this matter,” Ibtep only murmured, his eyes clearly spinning with ideas.

Zac shrugged and turned back toward the Jamming Array. The thing was pretty much idiot-proof thanks to his sister, so he only needed to place it down on the ground and insert Fifty E-Grade Miasma Crystals. He started to get to work, and Triv couldn't help but float over and look at the jammer with interest.

The preparations were soon finished, and Zac performed a cursory inspection before he sent a message to Thea to start calling over the Zhix. His job was essentially done by now, and he only needed to make sure no one messed with the jammer.

“The modifications are crude, but they can't hide the amazing ideas they were built upon. To think that it would be possible to rework the array this way. The person who did this is definitely a genius,” Triv muttered before it turned to Zac. “It’s your sister, isn’t it? She is a unique talent when it comes to understanding and modifying energy paths.”

Zac thought for a second before he nodded in affirmation. It wasn't like it was a big secret, especially not after Kenzie had helped Triv create his cultivation cave.

“You might want to consider sending her to one of the powerful Craftsman Sects in the Sector,” the ghost said. “It comes with some restrictions, but she will get proper guidance and she can return home as a resident Array Master after having reached a certain level.”

“Why would a sect be generous enough to train people before letting them go?” Zac asked with skepticism. “That would be like watering someone else’s fields.”

“They take a tax. If your sister returns to your force, you will have to pay a fee based on her attainments, part of which would go to the sect as remuneration for the training,” Triv said. “It is mostly just academies and craftsmen sects that do things this way though. Joining a combat-focused sect is generally a more permanent decision.”

”Pay a fee? For life?” Zac asked with a frown.

”No, until enough benefits have been provided,” Triv said. ”She can also work off that debt herself as a roaming cultivator or by staying inside the sect.”

”So you essentially become an indentured worker until you can free yourself?” Zac sighed. ”Doesn't sound like a good place to send Kenzie.”

”It might sound harsh, but such are the rules of the universe. No one will go out of their way and share their arduously accumulated heritage for no return. Just working off the debt over a few centuries isn't too bad as it will also help you improve on your craft, and there is no lack of applicants to such places. The best ones require both great connections and heaven-sent talents,” Triv said.

Kenzie’s future was something Zac had thought about, but it was ultimately up to her what path she wanted to take. She would need to find some environment that suited her unique gifts, and Zac knew that place wasn’t by his side. He needed mountains of enemies to cut his way through in order to progress, but she seemed far more suited to orthodox cultivation.