Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

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The entirety of the Primeval Scarlet Dust Realm was shaken...

Since everybody felt the threat of this 'mysterious' entity, they also felt a foreboding sense of crisis. What's even more surprising for them is that this was felt by everybody at the same time; it didn't matter which race or clan they're from, so long as they're considered as living beings, they for sure felt whatever that thing is.

So, it's not surprising that they raised questions to their government. They all wanted to know where this threat was coming from and if there's anything being done to deal with it.

Some tried to play it off, saying that it's just a false alarm, that whatever they felt was just some reckless expert who had turned mad and that it wasn't targeted at them. But people hardly believed it, especially those who had access to the virtual universe for news; travels there really fast.
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Others were more candid and honest. Saying that they are also trying to investigate the source of this anomaly and would make decisions as they go. While this hardly comforted their citizens, at the very least, they were transparent, unlike others.

And then, there were members of 'The Six' who were ordered to keep their mouths shut for now and wait until a decision was made.

Unlike other creatures, most of them knew where this threat was coming from, and they universally didn't like the sound of it.

You see, as best as the Wise Dragon Clan tried to prevent the news of their Young Patriarch's death, it still inevitably leaked out. It has then become a hot topic under whispers amongst members of 'The Six'. Of course, they lamented the loss of the genius, but more importantly, it also served as a warning to the rest of them. A reminder that the Void was not to be trifled with.

As members of 'The Six', they're more familiar with the Void than other races or clans. To some of them, being sent to the borders was the cruelest punishment for their sins because hardly anybody returns from there. And even if they do, they're not quite the same.

The moment they felt the threat that rang throughout the realm, they instinctively knew that it came from the Void, and they had been scared since.

To remedy the situation and quell the panic somehow, their governments took action. Telling them to keep their speculations to themselves for now. Because if they, members of 'The Six,' feel this way against this threat, then what would the weaker creatures feel?

They can't add more fuel to the fire. The whole realm was already alarmed as it is. What they needed the most, in times like this, was order, not more chaos.

And so, they were essentially told and somewhat forced to keep their thoughts to themselves.

Unfortunately, it couldn't be considered a secret if more than two people knew about it. And as best as their governments tried to seal the news shut and prevent their people from spreading chaos and alarm, there will always be people who will slip up or simply do not care.

Rumors started spreading...the source became difficult to trace, but damage was already done. Right now, the circle was small, but eventually, it will spread like wildfire.

Trouble was brewing within the internal governance of the alliance, and it's very unfortunate that this might just get worse because their priority was preparing for the worst.

**

Contrary to the state of the alliance, the Border Patrol Guardians were relatively calm.

However, don't mistake this calmness for decadence or inaction. Unlike others, they, who had been entangled with the matters of the void, had been used to this.

Sure, the birth of the Void Prince surprised most of them, and his challenge made the atmosphere solemn. But at the end of the day, was this really any different from their usual routine? They've been sent here to guard the realm against invaders in the first place, and since the foundation of the guardians, when have they ever not confronted the creatures of the void?

Yes, this will be an all-out war; many people will die, and it will be miserable, but at the very bare bones of it all, this could be considered as just slightly more horrible Monday to them.

It's hectic, and that's to be expected. They are lacking manpower after all. Some would think that now would be the best time to replenish their workforce because this threat concerns the entirety of the realm. However, a lot of people disagreed.

It has been proven that forcing people to join the guardians has never been a good idea. At best, the recruits would be lazy and timid; at worst, they'd commit treason. And in times like this? The guardians can't tolerate any of that, so no, the idea was rejected even before it was solidified.

And so, it's business as usual for them. Yes, it's slightly more hectic than before, but that's hardly noticeable.

Though some people noticed that the camps were truly going all out this time. The big guns were out, so to say. Weapons that even the older and more experienced guardians had never seen before in their whole tenure were being shown.

The scanners are also working overtime. The entire realm was under surveillance so that the guardians could respond at the first sign of invasion.

Cedric found himself returning to the forge...

Since the Occult Decoding Team was temporarily disbanded, he had nowhere else to go.

Sure, if he really wanted to, he could've just said that he'd focus on cultivation to escape work. Nobody would've batted an eye because of his value. Additionally, Cedric wasn't short of merit points, so he really doesn't need any work.

But that just won't do for his peace of mind.

Cedric has never been one to escape his responsibilities. Besides, any excuses he could come up with make him feel greatly uncomfortable.

Focusing on cultivation? Yeah, right! There is still enough void energy within him that's waiting to be converted to Chaos Energy, as he labels it, and even if he were to move for days on end, the refinement will continue by itself so long as he's breathing. Sure, it'll be faster if he concentrates on it, but that would just bring his next breakthrough quickly.

Yes, breaking through the next stage of his cultivation was good, but don't forget, at each breakthrough, Cedric needed to siphon more void energy to refine. Would he dare to do that in the middle of a potential war? Debatable, at best.

Other excuses aside from this just make him even more uncomfortable. And so, to maintain his peace of mind and clear conscience, he decided to help out in any way he could. That's why he's back at the forge, assuming his identity of a Forge Master once more.

The difference is that he's way stronger now. And even though he hadn't crafted anything worthwhile since he was transferred out of this place, his skills didn't deteriorate. It became unstable, yes, but correcting that only took a day or two. Afterwards, he discovered that the promotion of his strength caused his skills to become even better.

Because of this, Cedric practically turned the forging room into his new home, as in he never went out. The only times he goes out are whenever he feels stuffed and wants to take a breath of fresh air or when he's taking more orders.

Speaking of orders, Cedric practically hoards them. His trip to the mission boards at the smithing section almost causes a scene every time since he would always take on numerous difficult tasks on his own.

At first, they highly doubted if he could do it, but since they lack manpower anyway, why not let him try? But to their surprise, Cedric comes through.

He submits the finished product ahead of time and in excellent condition. And since he's taking a lot of orders at the same time and submitting them ahead of schedule, he was hastening the movement within the camp exponentially by himself.

Cedric had completed hundreds of orders by the end of his second week since his return to the job. His presence lightened the burden on other Forge Masters by a lot, so much so that they couldn't even complain that he's hoarding the orders.

And the best part is that Cedric wasn't losing out in this. The merit points were just a bonus at this point; it's the forging process that really mattered because it also allowed him to refine his control over his strength even more.

In a sense, Cedric was treating this as training. And even though he hardly had time to cultivate, his progress wasn't slowing down. In fact, it's actually accelerating the more he works.

And most importantly, Cedric was helping. The hundreds of orders he's completing aren't just for show or for stock replenishment; each one is being put to use right away, and each one has the potential to save a life in this upcoming war.

Soon...very soon...everything he created will be put to the test. But while they still have time, it wouldn't hurt to create more.