GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

197 Only Victory Will Do.

"Any other concerns I should know about?" Soverick asked the rest.

"No, sir."

"Spread the word. Let the men start their final preparations. Then they should rest. We will set out at first light tomorrow. We will not be able to find time to rest in the coming days."

His order was sent out to the army. In this army, his words were the law. The army prepared vitality rations, equipment, and weapons. Then they slept. Vitality core stage refiners don't need rest but matching for 22 days straight carrying weapons and executing maneuvers will leave them needing sleep. So they slept.

Then they rose up before dawn. They finished their final preparations before the first light of a new day. As the sun rose from the horizon, the youths stood in formation, ready to do battle. The light of the sun illuminated them and what you could see were soldiers decked out in uniform armor. They were not the rowdy youths of yesterday, they were part of an army now.

A lot has happened since the time Soverick became the army commander. While most were accepting, there were some who wanted to rebel. There were schemes and plans, tricks and lies that some used to sow discord in the army. Soverick can't take full credit for putting the soldiers in their place. He has the army command system to thank for that. The availability of electronic communication and surveillance systems helped to keep the army in order and to prepare for this moment.

"Now, the time has come." Soverick's voice rang in everyone's ear.

His voice reached every soldier through the communication device in their ear just like the information about their overall performance reached his wrist logger from everyone else's wrist logger.

"We didn't prepare for a long time. But we are ready. We haven't been an army for a long time and we don't know each other well. But we have a common goal. What is that goal?" He asked calmly.

"Victory!" They shouted back in reply.

He nodded. "It is good that you know. It is said that on the other side of fear is greatness. But we don't fear anything. Since we have overcome our fears, greatness will be ours. We are of one mind in our pursuit of this greatness. Nothing will stop us. We must have what we came for. What is it that we came for?"

"Victory!"

He nodded again. Then he continued his speech calmly. "Through blood and tears. Even if our bodies are broken. Even if our souls wear down. Even when rivers of blood flow. Even when the very earth is gorged on the blood we shed. Nothing will stop us. We fear nothing. Only victory will do. We must have..."

"Victory!"

Then he began to sing the army's anthem.

"To battle, we go.

"For one thing, we seek."

"We fear nothing."

"We fear no one."

"Only victory will do."

The rest of the army joined in and their voice reached the skies.

"Bloody bodies of foes."

"Rivers of blood will flow."

"The earth will gorge on it."

"But we trample on it."

"Only victory will do."

He wore his helmet and took his spear which he gripped tightly. Still, the singing continued without him.

"Till our bodies break."

"And our backs give out."

"Till our souls wear down."

"And our will gives up."

"Only victory will do."

He grinned from within his helmet that covered his face but left his multicolored eyes open to the world. He had promised them victory and there is only one way to achieve it. He stepped into the glowing portal of the divine dungeon.

"Even through stormy seas."

"Even through sundered skies."

"Even on our last breaths."

"Even on our last legs."

"Only victory will do."

Even when he was gone, the song continued. They entered the portal squad by squad according to the plan. They had faith in their leader that he will hold the ground for them. But the job couldn't be completed without their effort. So the army funneled into the dungeon. It took days but the last one finally entered the portal. Even then, when it only remained one single person, that single person was still singing the army's anthem. Because only victory will do.

On the Leviathan Battle Star.

The Origin gods and all the people watching felt the weight of the army's determination. It was in their words and their actions. It sounded from their bones as it was voiced from their mouth.

An Origin god sighed and said. "Only victory will do."

Guntu was scowling heavily. Things seemed good but he had some fears. A lot of it actually.

"Let's hope that they don't experience defeat."

That's what Guntu is mostly afraid of. It was a grand thing to see so many youths of different bloodlines and creeds made into an orderly army. They had a grand momentum and a grand aim. If they failed, their failure will be grand too. And Soverick is at the head of it all.

He was feeling concerned but the son of legend was smiling ear to ear.

"Tell me again. Why shouldn't I just blow the divine dungeon to kingdom come?" Guntu asked.

"Because we need a hero in the upcoming era of conquest." The son of legends answered.

Guntu shook his head. He didn't like it one bit. The Ghastorix family needed Soverick for his bloodline. Soverick needs to become an Origin god for his bloodline to become eternal. But the plane also needs Soverick. The racial council has plans for him that they have refused to divulge.

Guntu can't refuse the racial council even if they had forcefully demanded for Soverick. The entire Ghastorix family can't either. They would have done whatever they can do to help the plane. But the racial council didn't make forceful demands. They made demands, but they also paid for the Ghastorix's help with an offer they can't refuse.

The offer wasn't one of violence. It is an object that any Origin god will be willing to give their all for. With that object, ancestor Ghastorix doesn't need to sacrifice his potential to become a world god. That means the family doesn't need Soverick anymore. But that only brought more questions. Why will a titan like the racial council pay that much for Soverick?

Soverick is definitely special and unique. He is a talented genius. But is he worth that much? Guntu doubts that the racial council will make such a bad deal. Something was going on that Guntu didn't know and he didn't like it one bit. He could smell a good story somewhere and he wanted to see it. He wanted to be a part of it.

"It is too much pressure to place the hopes of our plane on some youths. They have lived peaceful lives until now." Another Origin god said.

Many agreed with him. Most of the youths they brought came from their family academies. They train but they don't live the life of violence that they used to live in the past. The plane has been peaceful until recently. It didn't help that descendants don't need to go to the ancient battlefield anymore since some cities have Origin energy. That's why most families have made it a must for all their descendants to participate in the tower of heaven once they become transcendents. It will give them something to aim for and will weed out the weak.

"Yes. Things would have been easier if mana entities could enter. We will have many options then."

"Our youths will have awakened their bloodlines. The scrappy angels will not be a match for them.

"You're going too far. We can simply flood it with golems."

"That won't work. The dungeon won't allow things with a mana core to enter."

They continued to talk and clamor as they watched the army disappear into the divine dungeon.

Guntu wasn't listening. He turned to the son of legends again and asked.

"What exactly do you need Soverick for?"

He wanted to know badly.

The son of legends smiled and said, "Refinement makes a man capable of doing what a thousand men can do. It is difficult and dangerous, but it is possible. What is even greater is making a thousand men perform as a single man."

Guntu didn't understand the answer.

The son of legends wasn't done. "Let me ask you this. Who can break a mountain with a single strike, a single transcendent or a mana entity?"

Guntu answered. "A transcendent."

The son of legends asked again. "What about if we have a thousand mana entity?"

"Then it's possible for the mana entities to break the mountain."

The son of legends rephrased the question. "Is it possible for a single strike each from one thousand mana entities to break a mountain?"

"Yes, it is possible." Guntu answered.

Small drops of water makes up the seas.

"But what if only a single strike from a single mana entity is allowed?"

Guntu didn't have to think too much about the answer.

"Then it is not possible no matter how many mana entities there are."

As long as only a single mana entity can strike, the number of mana entities is irrelevant.