The stillness that followed the violent pulsation of the Reliquary map and Valka's urgent warning was almost more terrifying than the disturbance itself. Renn had sprung to his feet, heart hammering against his ribs, expecting… something. An attack, a new vision, a voice rumbling from the Whispering Peaks. His nuns had gathered around him in the Prime Essence Pool grotto, weapons in hand, tension vibrating in the magic-laden air.
But nothing happened. Only the constant dripping of the pool's waters in the silence.
The map in Renn's inventory returned to its usual warmth, the tear symbol no longer glowing with that desperate light. Valka, frowning and with her gaze lost in a distance only she seemed to perceive, slowly shook her head.
"It has… calmed, my lord," she whispered, confusion tingeing her normally serene voice. "The call, the warning… it has receded. Like a wave pulling back before a tsunami, or… or as if the beast has gone back to sleep, for now."
An expectant silence fell over the group. Lilith was the first to break it, her Seraph Succubus wings folding with a rustle. "Is that it? All that fuss for… nothing? How boring! Just when I thought we were going to get some action." Her pout was adorably incongruous with the power she emanated.
"I don't think it was 'nothing,' Lilith," Nyra retorted, her violet eyes thoughtful. "An energy of such magnitude doesn't stir and calm without reason. Something provoked it, and something stopped it. Or it's waiting for the right moment."
Just then, Renn's Lord's Bracelet, the System's primary interface, began to vibrate with unusual intensity, not with a personal notification, but with the cacophony of the Regional Chat exploding into a frenzy of messages. Renn projected it for his companions to see.
[Lord_Kael]: "DID ANYONE ELSE FEEL THAT?! My whole territory shook like a god was sneezing! My elementals went crazy!"
[Lord_Torin]: "Feel that, Kael, you say! Three of my watchtowers collapsed! And my dragon almost roasted himself from fright! What the hell was that energy pulse? There was no World Announcement!"
[Lord_Elara]: "It was… terrifying. Like the world held its breath and then suddenly let it out. My gryphon won't leave its nest. Is some Major Faction doing weapon tests?"
[Lord_Soren]: "This isn't normal! I've seen arcane storms, but this was… different! An overwhelming pressure and then… silence! Is the anonymous King of Hordes at it again?"
Renn read the messages with a mix of amusement and concern. The disturbance of the Sleepers, or whatever it was, had an unexpected reach. "It seems we weren't the only ones to notice the… cosmic hiccup," he commented dryly. "But if the Sleepers have decided to take a longer nap, it gives us a desperately needed breather."
Seraphina, always the voice of pragmatic reason, nodded. "Indeed, my lord. The threat from the Whispering Peaks is formidable, but uncertain in its timing. The Tithe to the Earth, however, has a thirty-day deadline. And though Ardyn has fallen, his territory, now ours, is far from secure. The fall of a Lord always creates a power vacuum. It's natural for others to try and gauge our new defenses or claim what they consider available."
Just as she finished speaking, Eryn, the Templar commander, entered the main hall of the Bastion, where they had moved to discuss. Her armor showed signs of a recent patrol, and her expression was grim.
"My lord, sisters," she greeted with a nod. "Patrols on the borders of Ardyn's former territory, beyond the immediate forests of the Bastion, have detected movement. Small groups of scouts, of unknown origin. Some wear crude leather and metal armor, others seem more adapted to the forest, with tribal insignia we don't recognize in our records. They seem to be testing our new frontiers, probing the ground for weaknesses."
Renn clenched his jaw. "I knew the peace wouldn't last. There's always someone else sniffing around." He looked at his resources on the System interface: 305,350 Sacred Crystals and 5,000 Epic Materials. A considerable sum, but defending two territories and preparing for the Tithe and an expedition to a High-Level Zone would quickly consume it.
"We cannot afford a war of attrition on multiple fronts while we prepare the Tithe ritual," Nyra said. "These unknown groups could be the vanguard of a more ambitious nearby Lord, or local tribes trying to exploit the change in power. A decisive show of force could deter them, or at least give us a clear idea of what we're up against."
"And for that," Lilith interjected with a feline smile, "we need our Templars to be even more terrifying than they already are. Isn't it time to go shopping, my lord? With so many crystals, we could outfit our girls with more than just steel and faith!"
Renn considered the idea. Strengthening the Templars was a smart investment. They were the backbone of his army, his eyes and ears in the field. "You're right, Lilith. Eryn, what's the current state of your sisters' equipment?"
Eryn frowned. "Functional, my lord. The spears and armor we recovered from the Ash Nest and what we could forge in our Sacred Workshop are of good quality, but against unknown forces, possibly from established Lords who have had time to equip their elites, we might find ourselves at a disadvantage in a prolonged confrontation."
"Then, we're going to balance the scales," Renn said, his eyes gleaming with determination. He opened the System Store on the holographic projection of his bracelet. The list of available items appeared, filtered by relevance for his troops.
[System Store]:
Resistance Potions: 400 Arcane Crystals.
Upgrade Scrolls (Low Level): 1000 Arcane Crystals.
Templar Runic Armor (Uncommon Quality): Full set of plate armor infused with minor protective runes. Grants +15% Defense, +10% Magic Resistance. Cost: 3,500 Arcane Crystals, 50 Epic Materials per set.
Sacred War Spears (Uncommon Quality): Spears forged with blessed steel, effective against corrupted beings. Grants +15% Attack, minor bonus holy damage. Cost: 2,500 Arcane Crystals, 30 Epic Materials per unit.
Elite Runic Armor (Human/Elf/Aasimar - Rare Quality): Superior protection with 50% magic resistance and 10% increase in physical damage. Cost: 30,000 Arcane Crystals, 300 Epic Materials per set.
Corrupted Horde Essence: 8000 Arcane Crystals.
Minor Ascension Scrolls (Troop): 10,000 Arcane Crystals.
"The 'Uncommon' quality runic armors and sacred spears seem like a good starting point for the eleven Templars," Seraphina noted. "Equipping all of them would cost: Armors (11 x 3,500 = 38,500 Crystals, 11 x 50 = 550 Epic Materials). Spears (11 x 2,500 = 27,500 Crystals, 11 x 30 = 330 Epic Materials). Total: 66,000 Arcane Crystals (or Sacred, as the Sacred Order System allows 1:1 conversion) and 880 Epic Materials."
Nyra nodded. "We have 5,500 Epic Materials. The cost is manageable. And it would leave us with 239,350 Sacred Crystals and 4,620 Epic Materials. A significant upgrade for them without depleting our main reserves, which we'll need for the Tithe ritual and the Summoning Sanctuary you obtained as a reward from the King of Hordes."
"I like it," Renn said. "But I want something extra for Eryn, as commander, and perhaps for Astrid and Melisa, who have shown exceptional ferocity." He looked at the "Elite Runic Armor." It was expensive, but the jump in quality was evident. "How about three of these for them? They would cost an additional 90,000 Crystals and 900 Epic Materials."
Lilith clapped softly. "Oh, my lord is always so generous with his most… enthusiastic warriors! Eryn will look divine in something that doesn't look like it came out of a generic armory."
Eryn, for once, seemed slightly surprised, though her face remained stoic. "My lord, it is too great an honor…"
"Nonsense, Eryn, you've earned it," Renn interrupted her. "So, the plan is: eight sets of Templar Runic Armor and Sacred War Spears for the rest of the girls. And three Elite Runic Armors for Eryn, Astrid, and Melisa. They can continue using their current spears for now, which are already of good quality, or we can buy them individual upgrades later."
The final calculation, projected by Seraphina:
8 Templar Sets (Armor+Spear): (8 x 3500) + (8 x 2500) = 28,000 + 20,000 = 48,000 Crystals. (8x50) + (8x30) = 400 + 240 = 640 Epic Materials.
3 Elite Armors: 3 x 30,000 = 90,000 Crystals. 3 x 300 = 900 Epic Materials.
Total Expenditure: 138,000 Sacred Crystals and 1,540 Epic Materials.
Remaining Resources: 305,350 - 138,000 = 167,350 Sacred Crystals. 5,000 - 1,540 = 3,460 Epic Materials.
"That still leaves us with a good cushion for the ritual, the Summoning Sanctuary, and the expedition to the Whispering Peaks, though that last one will have to wait a little longer than planned," Renn concluded. "Seraphina, proceed with the purchase through the System."
Seraphina nodded, and her fingers flew over the holographic interface Renn had authorized her to use for territory resource management.
[System: Purchase initiated… Processing… Items acquired: 8x Templar Runic Armor Set (Uncommon), 8x Sacred War Spear (Uncommon), 3x Elite Runic Armor (Rare). Items have been transferred to the Lord's inventory.]
A soft light emanated from Renn's bracelet, and he knew the equipment was available. The prospect of seeing his Templars, already formidable, equipped with superior runic weaponry, brought a predatory smile to his face. The unknown scavengers sniffing at his borders were about to get a very unpleasant surprise.
"Now," Renn said, addressing Eryn and with a gaze that implicitly included all the Templars. "It's time for the Sacred Order to show its new teeth. Those enemy scouts… we're going to give them a welcome they won't forget. One that will resonate in the ears of those who sent them and make them think twice before setting foot on our lands again."
The air in the Bastion crackled with an electric anticipation. The calm had broken, not by a direct threat from the Sleepers, but by the curiosity or ambition of unknown forces. And Renn was more than ready to use that circumstance against them, strengthening his Order and consolidating his legend as the anonymous Lord who made the Endless World tremble. The active "breather" was about to become very active for his enemies.