Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

—July 5th, 2032 | 1 Hour Before Before the Negotiation Meeting | 2 Days Until the Rapture—

"Here's where you will live for the next three days." Evalyn said, leading everyone into a massive residential mansion built from rich dark woods, "And after if you choose to become a citizen."

"Can I ask you a question?" A beautiful brunette soldier with a straight ponytail asked inside the main living room.

It was Sandra Miles, the female special forces leader.

The soldiers shushed down. No one wanted to ask questions because they understood they could get wiped out by making a single mistake. So they cringed and awaited the blonde's reply.

"Go ahead." Evalyn nodded cordially.

"Mr. Lexicon knew what was coming." Sandra alleged, fighting past her beating heart, "So you planned all of this. I want to know why."

Everyone gasped, fearful that her blunt question would trigger immediate sanctions from the emotionless blonde.

"We're facing hell, and you're all valuable." Evalyn replied without hesitation, shocking everyone, "So instead of letting talent die, Kaze offered you power and security through citizenship."

"When you say [citizenship], do you mean equal or second-class citizens?" Sandra asked discerningly, making other people grimace.

"Immortal Skye organizes by talent alone." The blonde explained, "So once you've proven yourself trustworthy and become citizens, you will likely earn more privileges than average members."

Mixed emotions spread through the room. On one side, they were glad to hear they got offered full citizenship, letting them know they wouldn't be second-class citizens. However—

"How will we prove ourselves trustworthy?" The brunette asked coldly.

"You will remain in this mansion during Malta's attack on Immortal Skye." Evalyn replied, "And you will not betray us or break our national security rules."

Everyone was confused and whispered among themselves, trying to validate her words.

"You're not asking us to fight?" Sandra asked in bewilderment, "Not only that, you're asking we do the opposite?"

"Requiring it." The blonde clarified, "We care if you're trustworthy and won't betray us, not your loyalty.

Your aid is unnecessary, so we don't want competent people emotionally driven to betray us in a position to cause issues unless necessary."

The soldiers stared at her blankly. Countless things were puzzling about what she had just said.

"Are you saying you're confident you can face the Maltian military head-on with the forces you have?" Sandra asked with mixed emotions.

"I'm confident Kaze alone can face the entire Malta military." Evalyn replied firmly.

Her voice's lack of hesitation or wavering chilled everyone to the bones. It sounded like she spoke from experience, which horrified them.

"Join us, and you will prosper." The blonde declared, "Give us your long-term potential, and we'll give you power, security, and wealth without requiring you betray your current country. "

All the soldiers smiled wryly, feeling the desire to be happy but having their emotions crash into their loyalties and obligations.

"I have to get the other groups, so don't leave this mansion or try to contact the outside world." Evalyn ordered ominously, "A single leak threatens the lives of 3,750 people.

Since there are 500 of you, Crux will kill everyone in this mansion if we uncover an organized effort to leak information.

So if you seek life, I suggest you do anything it takes to prevent people from breaking the rules."

A spider web of anxiety-driven negative synesthesia connected all the soldiers who heard her words and watched her walk away, leaving the mansion.

…

"Brad! You're here!" A woman cried, running up to the athlete, "Why did we hear screaming? What's going on!?"

The regular members could hear the mass panic and screaming from the amphitheater earlier and watched downcast soldiers moving to the mansions.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, getting his story straight.

"General Michaels and Coronel Ryker betrayed Malta to expose a plot to invade Immortal Skye." Brad lied boldly.

Everyone in the area gasped in shock, shaking nervously.

"Thankfully, they know that attacking Kaze is suicide." He continued, "So they exposed the plot, saving our lives in a surprise attack in exchange for living here.

They want to be a resource to the country and build our strength, making us even more unstoppable.

Some soldiers didn't like that, but we stopped them with ease. Now, Kaze and Evalyn are negotiating with the military members."

The athlete cringed internally, understanding how ridiculously sales-like his words were. It was unnatural to speak that way, and he imagined he'd be found out.

However, thankfully, the words spoke for themselves.

Unfortunately, that wasn't necessarily a positive thing.

"Wait, did the Emperor say yes?" A woman asked with a beating heart.

"Yes." Brad confirmed, "However, he only did so because there is an equal number of female military members and the soldiers agreed to supervision."

He preemptively addressed a significant point, but it still pushed everyone's minds to the edge.

There were now three points of extreme conflict crashing into each other simultaneously.

Malta was planning an attack on Immortal Skye.

Faction members' families couldn't join Immortal Skye, but random soldiers were.

Soon, elite soldiers who still triggered feelings of powerlessness within the members would surround them soon.

"Oh…." The woman said, turning her head to the ground.

Her dark mood spread like wildfire, and soon everyone thought about the attack, their families, and their future. It was getting out of control.

"You can do this, Brad." He whispered to himself, "The Emperor trusted you could keep morale up. You need to do this to protect others."

After a deep breath, he put his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

She chuckled bitterly, looking up at him with teary eyes. "How is this all supposed to be okay?"

"Do you still not believe in the Emperor?" Brad laughed loudly, capturing everyone's attention, "Really?

Yesterday we learned that he's so strong Malta considers us a world superpower, he's treating their military like a group of children, and he's made us strong enough to fight them.

Yet you're still questioning if things will be okay?"

The woman's face turned light pink as she stared at him blankly, triggering similar reactions to spread through the room.

"Look, everyone." He chuckled, "The world's a damn mess, and I'm just as anxious as you are.

But everyone but us is living in that mess because they don't have our leader."

Sparks of hope and enthusiasm spread through the crowd.

"Hey, let me through!" A familiar voice cried in the distance, trying to push through hundreds of people congregating around the front door, where Brad entered.

"Let that guy through." Brad chuckled in amusement.

Everyone moved aside, and a lanky brown-haired man walked up, took a few panting breaths, and asked the athlete for clarification. "Wait, explain that all again."

After getting a breakdown of what happened again, the lanky teen turned to the people around him, shocked by their silence.

"What the fuck are ya'll doing!?" Larkin yelled in genuine exasperation, "Are you deaf!?

Malta's military general just fuckin' betrayed his country because his bitch ass knows that Immortal Skye is STRONGER than MALTA!

He just SURRENDERED to Emperor Fuckin' Scrawn! Why the hell isn't everyone cheering right now!?"

It took a moment to recover from the jester chastising [them] for being stupid. However, one person caught on faster than the rest.

"What a fucking legend!" A man roared, triggering a chain reaction.

The people in the back didn't hear what was happening, but it didn't matter. They immediately yelled when the violent wave of battle cries cut through the atmosphere.

…

"You fools!" Crux yelled in annoyance, golden light shooting from her hand, washing over the entire area, "If you make me use any more Soul Qi, I'll murder you all!"

A sound barrier washed over the three residential mansions the soldiers and officers stayed at.

The amount of Soul Qi that Crux had more Soul Qi than Kaze would get for years, even with his tendencies. However, she needed it to maintain her human form.

Moreover, it was invaluable; she used it to cut off noise from the mansions to prevent weak mortals from offending other weak mortals!

"Cake will not be enough!" Crux growled, "Maybe… one of his t-shirts? Yeah, maybe that will do. If he's lucky!

It'll have to be recently worn after that strange substance he calls [laundry detergent] gets put on it. But he might get my forgiveness! Maybe. Gah!"

…

"Everyone, calm down." Victoria ordered calmly. Her voice wasn't loud, but a dozen people immediately shut up, and another two dozen calmed tentatively.

They were at the campsite, and everyone was on edge. Many were shaking or hiding in their tents. It was a bad scene.

"Calm down!? Is that a joke?" Haiden scoffed loudly, "Soldiers were screaming in pain, panic, and terror en masse, and now battle cries are coming from the mansions!

Yet you're asking people to calm down? Are you insane, bitch?"

"Tell me, Haiden." The black-haired pixie scoffed, "What should we do?

Do you want to go against the Emperor's orders and end up on the outside?"

The woman scoffed, whipping her curly ponytail to the side. "No, I don't want to rush out and break the rules! I'm not an idiot.

That's not the issue here. We need to worry about our security!"

"Security?" Victoria laugh-scoffed, "Are you saying that we should go fight this invisible war you're implying is transpiring? Or threaten our security by breaking the rules?"

"You're disgustingly naive." Haiden scoffed in annoyance, "We can't; that's the issue!

Sure, a few of us have left after taking other jobs, but the rest of us? We're on our own.

There's something major going on right now. Where's the person sent to let us know what's happening? Hmmm?

People are getting hurt. Where's our security? Hmmm?

What will we do if our daily rations don't show up tomorrow?

We're totally fucked, Victoria. I'm not stupid enough to say people should break the rules, but I'm also not stupid enough to believe that standing around will always be the best option!"