Zogarth
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Chapter 925 - Vision, Phones, & End of World Congress
🕑 Added 2024-05-30 10:54:12 +0000 UTCJake had really, really, hoped he didn’t have to do that, but alas, it was part of his job. It was not just him making some impulsive decision to kill an asshole – though it would definitely not be out of character for him – but something Miranda and he had discussed long before the congress began. It was also something only he could do.
In a brief moment, the entire atmosphere of the room changed, as none dared say anything for several seconds, while most just stared at the now lifeless man on the ground.
Miranda purposefully let this atmosphere hang in the air for several moments. After what felt like an eternity to many of those present, she let out a loud sigh. ”There always has to be one person who can’t follow basic rules, huh? Would those who came with him be so kind as to remove the body? If not, we shall dispose of it for you.”
One of those who was part of the dead man's entourage quickly moved and picked up the body before putting it in a spatial storage after he'd unfortunately died due to an overdose of overconfidence and stupidity. Jake’s method of killing had at least left a pristine corpse, making an open-casket funeral more than possible. How kind of him.
”Now, before we proceed, I guess I should address the thoughts many of you are currently having. You question how we can kill someone in a World Congress where violence is meant to be forbidden. However, this doubt is rooted in a basic misunderstanding of how things work here on this planet,” Miranda continued as she had all attention on her.
”You were all given a folder outlining the, quite frankly, very basic laws of Earth, but it appears some had not read the final clause,” she continued as she spoke in a far more serious voice with the final part: ”These rules do not apply to Lord Thayne, the World Leader. His actions and decisions supersede the law, and every action is justified. To have given the man a single warning for not being able to follow a few basic rules was already a kindness that wasn’t warranted.”
She definitely wasn’t fucking around as she said this. Her explanation was also the reason why Jake had to be the one to do this. If Miranda or others acted outside the rules and laws, it would put the entire system into question. At that point, what even would be the meaning of laws if Jake could exempt some people willy-nilly?
No, if it was only Jake, that was easy to understand and, across the multiverse, a surprisingly normal thing. It was far from odd to see rulers be immune to laws, with their families often also included in this immunity. In fact, many monarchies before the system also had clauses that meant the direct royal family couldn’t be punished according to the law… though in reality, they often would if they did commit a harsh enough crime.
All of this is to say is that Jake’s action hadn’t been out of pocket according to the logic of the multiverse, and Miranda had told him that should a situation like this arrive, he was free to act with impunity. It had all been a political move that helped make it very clear these factions were in someone else’s territory now.
”Everyone seems to understand, I hope?” Miranda said with a smile. ”Good. Now, let’s continue unless there are any more interruptions or complaints?”
Surprisingly, there weren’t. Almost as if instant death by someone looking angrily at you was a good deterrent.
“Moving on. Before the rude interruption, we were discussing where the Prima Guardian might appear, and discussing placements of groups to act as rapid-response teams. Based on the description of the event, the Prima Guardian will not act immediately, but we cannot be sure about the regular Primas or any other beasts or monsters fighting alongside them,” Miranda continued. “We didn’t quite get to it before, but does anyone have something to add or some information their faction has obtained about the event? Probable speculation is also welcome.”
Jake hadn’t really expected anyone to know much… and when he saw Jacob raise a hand to speak, Jake really hoped he wasn’t going to complain about the man who had just been killed. It was clear Jake tended to be fine with killing, but he really didn’t want to attack someone he still considered a friend… and while he and Jacob had definitely drifted apart in recent years, Jake still considered the Augur a friend.
Luckily, that wasn’t what he wanted to say as he spoke after Miranda gave him the go-ahead.
“Thank you for the time. Let me begin by saying that the Holy Church truly doesn’t know more than Ms. Wells has already shared, but personally, I may have gained some insight. What I’m about to say cannot really be confirmed by anyone but myself. However, I believe it’s still vital to share nonetheless,” Jacob began. “After returning to the planet, I have focused on divining anything I could regarding the upcoming event… and I finally had a vision just yesterday. Please, allow me to share it.”
Instantly, quite a few people, Jake included, perked up with interest. Miranda also looked serious and nodded. Jacob closed his eyes for a moment as he continued.
“I saw a dark void filled with glowing crystals in the sky, barely giving any light. The ground is soft, shifting. I’m hot; the air is dry and nearly devoid of all life. Then, suddenly, the sky is alight. It burns as a grand shadow falls over me before something explodes, and a shockwave rushes over my face, ending the vision.”
The room was silent, as Jake really hoped some smart people would interpret the vision. For a moment, Jake thought that Jacob talked about the moon when he mentioned it being devoid of life, but the moon wasn’t soft and definitely not hot. Plus, it had to be on Earth, right…
A desert, maybe?
”This is the divination in its raw form, but allow me to share my interpretation,” Jacob said. ”The lights are stars, and the environment I feel makes me believe it’s in an area close to the equator. Far from the oceans, as there is no moisture in the air. As for the shadow and the shockwave… I believe this Prima Guardian will arrive on some kind of meteorite or a celestial object that will crash onto Earth from space.”
Jacob finished, getting quite a few murmurs from all around. Jake also subtly nodded, Jacob’s interpretation seeming pretty spot on. The Prima Guardian arriving on a meteor or something also made a lot more sense than it just popping into existence somewhere.
As for not believing Jacob’s vision or taking it with a grain of salt… well, there was a reason factions were keen on recruiting an Augur. There was no reason not to trust his divination, and it was honestly pretty good information.
”Do you think it’s possible to narrow down exactly where it still strike down?” Miranda asked.
”I can’t make any promises, but I will do my best,” Jacob answered in a humble tone. ”My plans are to travel the planet a bit during this final preparation period and try to find a more exact location.”
”Directly on the other side of the planet, there is a massive desert,” Jake decided to speak, for the first time not infusing his voice with mana or trying to intimidate anyone. ”From your description, that seems like a probable location.”
”A desert would indeed match my vision,” Jacob nodded. ”For the system event to take place borderline as far away from where the enlightened live would also make sense from a system point of view… I shall make it the first place I investigate once the congress is over.”
”Sounds like we can avoid much prep work if we can narrow down the location,” Miranda smiled. ”Nevertheless, we should continue preparations with the assumption the exact touch-down spot of the Prima Guardian isn’t found in time. With the vision, we can at least eliminate a lot of potential areas, such as all the oceans, large lakes, forests, and whatnot.”
The mood in the room had changed rapidly, no longer as tense, after good news was shared. Jacob and the Holy Church had also quickly ”redeemed” themselves after that moron had gotten himself killed, as no one dwelled on the matter anymore.
For the rest of the World Congress, people remained polite and well-mannered. A few discussions did get a bit heated at times, but never in any way that went against the rules. Just what one would expect of normal political stuff.
As the meeting was winding down, they touched on perhaps the most important subject… who was actually going to fight the Prima Guardian?
”It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Earth does not need any assistance dealing with this system event. I truly don’t believe we will find ourselves unable to handle it, or the difficulty of this event will be so high that none shall pass,” Miranda said. ”That is even considering the fact we are going for a perfect record. Also, we don’t plan on delaying the engagement at all, but take down the Prima Guardian as quickly as possible.”
As a reminder, the Prima Guardian event wasn’t necessarily designed to just be a quick boss fight and then be done. Chances were it was meant to be a longer scenario based on the system messages given prior:
”In five years, the Guardian will arrive on Earth with its army and must be defeated within five years of arrival, or the Guardian will move to claim the world for itself as the barrier naturally falls.”
This message kind of had two implications. The first was naturally that they had five years to do the event… but the wording of saying it will ”move to claim the world” kind of indicated that perhaps this Prima Guardian couldn’t move much or was limited in its movements somehow within these five years.
Not that these things mattered to Earth, as they planned on slaying the boss immediately. The barrier in the message was the one defending the Planetary Pylon, and the only way to dispel the barrier was to either have both keys – one given to the Guardian and one to Jake - or wait for five years after the Prima Guardian arrived.
”The plan is not to simply amass an army and try to defeat the Prima Guardian this way. I’m going to be honest; the vast majority would only get in the way. No, it’s better to focus on reducing or entirely avoiding taking any damage from regular Primas and whatever else may come at us,” Miranda continued. ”For the Prima Guardian, we will assemble an elite team led by Lord Thayne himself. Those who are deemed qualified will be contacted shortly after the World Congress, and should there be anyone out there believing they are also qualified to participate, they can come to Haven and be tested. Just know that the standards are quite high, and I cannot promise the testing method is safe for those too weak.”
Jake had honestly expected some complaints about this announcement, but surprisingly, no one said anything in disagreement. Perhaps they also realized it was better to have one small elite team rather than an entire army. In general, armies tended to be pretty ineffective in the multiverse unless they were facing other armies.
Sure, it was probably possible to overwhelm the Prima Guardian with sheer numbers, and even Jake would struggle if he was bombarded with spells from a few thousand weaker people. Unless he just dodged and ran away, that is.
No, it was for sure better to have one elite team. As for who would be on this team… well, many of the expected people. Jake wasn’t entirely sure about everyone yet, but quite a few were already set, and the more Jake thought about the team that would face the Prima Guardian, the worse he felt for the poor boss.
With this final topic getting finished uncontested, there really wasn’t much more to discuss. After a few more very minor topics and a few clarifying questions, there was just one more thing.
”To finish, please all take one of these,” Miranda said as she summoned a large table filled with what looked like old phones in boxes. ”These are developed by Arnold and allow anyone using them to contact a communication central from anywhere on the planet. Additionally, they all have location-tracking magic embedded in them, allowing those using it to send their exact location. Use them to relay information to Haven during this final preparation time, and at the same time, we will use them to keep everyone up-to-date.”
Arnold had produced thousands of these magic phones over the last year or so, and Jake already knew they were spread far and wide. Jake had one himself at his home, though he had more of a landline with a direct connection to Miranda.
These phones, as Jake decided to call them, did have the slight downside that they had a pretty limited lifespan. The energy required to fulfill some of their functions wasn’t infinite, and Arnold hadn’t created any way to recharge them. At first, Jake believed this was a design flaw, but he came to realize it was entirely on purpose.
It was planned obsolescence and a way to protect his designs. Trying to break open the device or analyze it too much would result in the phone breaking itself. Of course, it was technically possible to break the magical encryption, keeping its secrets safe, but that was where the planned obsolescence came into play. Once they ran out of energy, all magic within would disappear, making the phones no more than fancy bricks. So, the encryption didn’t need to be unbreakable, just good enough to hold up until the phone died.
Miranda also made sure to warn people of this.
”Just a small side note: do not try to mess with these, or you may break them. We also expect every single one returned after the event is concluded, and a hefty fine will be given if they are lost or damaged in any way. So don’t get any fancy ideas, alright? Also, if they leave Earth, they break, so be sure not to do that,” Miranda said as Jake saw a few people visually deflate, as they had definitely planned on analyzing or sending the phone back to their factions in another universe.
Analyzing void-related magic, which many – including Jake – suspected these phones used, was of immense interest to even the larger factions.
Also, if anyone did decide to try and take the phone anyway, Earth would get paid handsomely, making this quite a potentially profitable strategy. It was all a great deal for Earth and the coffers of the World Council even if people didn’t turn in their phones, and ultimately, it wasn’t like Arnold was using some super-secret tech. Arnold had even made clear he expected a number to be ”forgotten.”
Distributing the phones, nearly every person of influence from the different factions got a good handful to also give out to their subordinates. It really was a massive undertaking, and Jake was glad he wasn’t the one working at this communication center Miranda had set up in Haven.
Once all the phones were given out and a bit more small talk, it truly was time to announce the end of the Fourth World Congress of Earth, as Miranda spoke loudly with all eyes on her.
”I wish to thank you all for coming today, and despite a brief moment of rudeness, I believe things went rather splendidly,” Miranda said with a smile. ”Continue to work hard, everyone, and together, may we reap the best rewards possible. Who knows… maybe there’s even some achievement if we’re the first planet in this entire universe to take down the Prima Guardian.”
With these words, a countdown appeared, marking the end of the congress. The countdown would last an hour for everyone to just do their own thing. During this time, Vesperia looked quite busy as many approached her, and Jake decided to spend this time briefly saying hello to some of his friends before he and everyone else were thrown back from whence they came.
Which, in Jake’s case, was his lodge.
Oh, and would you look at that… there was an empty alchemy lab right beneath it. It would sure be a shame to leave it unattended while there was still a bit of time to spare. No one would object to that, right?
Comments
Kconraw
Thx for the chapter
Zuuuuuri
So I’m catching up again… I guess that’s a thing. Anyway the Prima guardian is in the sun isn’t it…
Naotsugu97
I love that even now, getting close to 1k chapters, I still laugh out loud when reading this series! Thanks!
VenL.C.
Keep it coming Zog! 🤘 I am a bit surprised that when finding out the probable landing spot of Prima to be the desert, Jake didn’t immediately decide to contact Sandy and pop over for glance at the old stomping grounds.
Jeff McCulley
“Secretly”? Have you listened to Jim Butcher?
Chase Burton
Dope! Thanks for the chapter!
Justin van mele
I can see them beating there guardian and then all the factions of earth helping a different planet. That way not only will earth get a boost in reputation but new and old factions can start building their own.
Owen Kaz
No no no, it will start next thursday. Then we get the battle about to start on friday. Because then we will get a weekend cliff after a week of buildup. because Zog is secretly a sadist, like all authors.
John Looney
Sandy getting cyber void augments is the craziest genre hopping thought I’ve ever had
KenTX325
I think Casper likes being undead. He has a girlfriend also. I think one target for the Jake juice ritual is fixing the vampires blood problem.
KenTX325
Agree that interstellar conquest is likely. First of all that seems to be what B grade is about. That is what the Viper did in B grade. He also has super worm Sandy and Arnold who may start making spaceships. He has friends like Vespy and Fallen King to rule planets for him. He also has a world wonder to win. Time to start planning for B grade.
Tyler Krogh
I don’t think anyone besides Jake knows that they are in the center of the planet
Saadou
Pretty he would have dipped if Jake wasn't such a sugar daddy or rather the sugar daddy potential he hold
Dan
So I'm guessing the prima war will kick off the new week on Monday, because there's no way in hell Zog is gonna give us the satisfaction of seeing it start tomorrow
Owen Kaz
Ok so, has anyone else kinda been thinking to themselves that we might see Jake go on an interstellar ramage after the Prima is defeated? We know you can make alliances to deal with the Primas, however, we've been left rather short of details on what you can do after you've killed yours if your in it alone. I recon either assault other Prima's and takeover other worlds through conquest, have the option to simply provide aid to other worlds (likely gaining part of their privileges and rights to control the space wonder later on) or just do nothing.
ShaunB
I wonder if the mysterious present the Cheeto faced bastard left behind is going to mess with the Prima scenario making them lose somehow.
Owen Kaz
Arnold is basically motivated by 2 things, Research, and Development. He ultimately disregarded the dead carrot walking's bloodline and chose to stand by Jake for the Future. Both because of the immense potential Jake has, and the resources and research materials and projects Jake will provide in the future.
Owen Kaz
Nah, the Moon has already been set up as Jake's first B-grade fight location. He'll likely be heading up there after the Prima event is finished across the 93rd universe and he's gained some sweet levels and titles. Also we'll have a crafting intermission where he makes himself something from the spoils of multiversal war.
Caelum
Arnold is such a mysterious character. How does he really feel about Jake? The only thing I vaguely remember is that he would be scared to betray him.
Cam
I wonder if the prima is the moon? What if the moon crashes down?
RonGAR
@WannaBeATree Thx for the correction. LOL
Jeff McCulley
Jake’s Arrow of Antiaircraft Fire?
Jeff McCulley
Zogarth is as Zogarth does?
Jeff McCulley
If you recall, how Jake knew what “the other side of the world” looked like was because that’s where Ell’Hakan sent him. Where he met Sandy, and had to return from. So, basically, the other side of the world from Haven.
Jeff McCulley
Heh. I was kind of half hoping that Jake would manage a quick chat with Casper before leaving. If we don’t see it tomorrow, well, they’ll manage sometime, right? Then rereading Chapter 880, I ran across this… “t was still a bit weird that Casper had turned into a pale undead, but alas, what can you do about it?” …and burst out laughing! I mean, I’d already been thinking about how Casper would LOVE to see the Labyrinth, and maybe stay on Earth with that there. Then, that comment along with two other facts crystallized. A. The refill in Jake Juice he got. B. The outrageous success of the Cerulean Demon ritual. So, yeah, Jake, what’s a guy to do… …besides, you know, a Jake Juice ritual to turn his buddy living again? 🤣
Arkenian
It's been mentioned previously that humanity is pretty clustered in a (relatively) small area of the planet - which presumably reflects how small the surviving human population is vs. A much larger planet than the original
Ilinorin
The enlightened area is what Jake is speaking of. Prior to C grade monsters/beasts were not able to enter that area if they were raised to C grade by natural treasures given out by the system. You could also assume he just meant from haven, as he was tossed to that area(the other side of the world) from haven by EH.
Jeff McCulley
William WAS on Cheetoh’s homeworld, He just needed to grab some evidence, then was headed to Nevermore. Not sure how long ago that was in real time, but given that Jake’s been home at least a year and a half, probably at least two years.
Jay tolley
I feel it's up to everyone listening to use common sense to figure that. Other side from where they live. Referring to the dessert El Hakan sent jake to and he figured sylphie was right below him.
Aerlevsedi
I feel like he said something about the invited bosses of the tutorial being in the same boat as monsters that consumed one of the special treasures provided by the system. The ones they're negotiating with to not join the prima guardian because they can only join pg or remain neutral.
Gardor
"Directly on the other side of the planet, there is a massive desert" Other side from where? They're currently in the center of the planet, and I'm not sure how centralized all humanity/monster/beasts are.
Gallagher.563
I see it now. Zogarth is totally going to cliff us tomorrow. This whole week of set-up is just there to torture us tomorrow.
ChRiAn
Laws only make sense when there is a mechanism to enforce them. And in a power system like OH it alsoakes sense that the lawmakers are the strongest, otherwise why should they follow them?
ChRiAn
Fallen King can participate, I can't remember it ever saying otherwise
ChRiAn
Or redirect it to hit the moon at least
Phasmatic7
Thankies for the chapie zogie!
Hunter Thornton
There was a feller wiser than me once said obsession and addiction are sometimes the same………………… I’m starting to to think he mighta been right
WannaBeATree
*Arnold?
WannaBeATree
If it is an asteroid, can they destroy it even before it hits earth? That should give bonus points, right?
visigoth
William's plan to escape from EH's world was to use the Nevermore token to teleport there as an intermediary stop before returning to Earth. The jellyfish teleported him there but he has no way to get back, which is why he plans to use the teleports in Nevermore.
Sushi
She has come a long way from the time she thought Jake was a psychotic murderer after he admitted to killing a few people in the tutorial.
wartgalore
Yes he did
Clint
Yep. He can go again in C grade, he just isn’t eligible for the leaderboards.
Clint
Would love it so much if that’s where the Prima does crash down and no one thought of it because “space is cold”. Also because the interaction of Jake + Prima Guardian + B-grade ghost thing has epic potential.
Star
Hasn't William already gone to Nevermore when in D class, because Eversmile recommend it?
Elijah Reitmeier
William is on Cheetoh’s home planet doing the sneaky karmic stuff, not in Nevermore iirc
BlackRazaras
Thanks for the chapter
brennon Petersen
Tftc!
Olof Karlsson
Thanks for the chapter!
joel southard
Nice thank you for the chapter
Laurent Jerry
What do you mean the moon id not hot ? Its scorched hot on its bright side
KenTX325
This sentence needs to be fixed. “ No, it’s better to focus on reducing or entirely avoiding we take any damage from regular Primas”
Specter
Thank you! contact a communication central from anywhere central -> center/centre
Zogarth
Fix
Zogarth
Fix
Jeff McCulley
Sure, and he has experience aplenty interpreting his own visions. That said…he may simply be unaware of Earth’s underworld, since it was discovered since he left. You can’t fit something to context you’re unaware of, right? That said, just playing Devil’s Advocate here.
Jeff McCulley
“As for who would be on this team… well, many of the expected people.” A team a notch up from Nevermore, with everyone from Earth focused on one team? I mean, sure the Fallen King can’t participate, but he’ll be replaced by the likes of Carmen, Arnold, Casper, Vesperia, Caleb, Maria…plus probably at least one new, previously unknown powerhouse joins the group, too. I mean, besides Lillian. Oh, and as fun as Dina was, Jake gets his preferred bottomless healing battery, Eron, back! The only person I’m missing is William. Perhaps he’s just not back from Nevermore yet? Or he’s keeping a low profile because of his role as a spy, and where? Or, maybe…Jake forgot who he was again? That could never happen, right? Er……right?
TyranT-Rex
Yeah I figure there will be more discussion when the option actually opens up, but would have been nice for it to at least be mentioned.
RonGAR
With so many flashy ways to attack someone, instant death with just a stare would've browned the pants of a lot of on-lookers. ----- I agree Jacob did redeem the HC members. Good on him. But honestly, it sounds like he was there for the arrival and was the first one to die. Did he predicted his own death, and is unknowingly on his way to make it happen? ------ Arnold coming through in the clutch with Void Tech. His war chest is about to get pretty large. Jakes going to have a lot of items to shop for next time he heads over to the Viper HQ. ----- TFTC
Paulo Furlaneto
Tftc
Kt-x
Thanks for the chapter!
Jeff McCulley
I think that’s a given…but it would be nice to hear them say it, right?
John Balman
I thought was Jacob was having intuitive way of deciphering the visions besides just the images he sees
Jeff McCulley
Thanks for the chapter, Zogarth!
Jeff McCulley
“I saw a dark void filled with glowing crystals in the sky, barely giving any light.” I wondered at first if this was a cavern deep beneath the surface, near the planetary core. Small gems embedded in the ceiling. I mean, it would make sense if the whole reason the Prima didn’t “move” to collect the Planetary Pylon was because he was already sitting right next to it, right? That said, Jacob’s interpretation is far better than mine…but that doesn’t mean Zogarth isn’t being sneaky, right?
Vega
Thanks for the explanation this chapter. Edits: deterrence -> deterrent suborniates -> subordinates
Jeff McCulley
Also, “communication central from” >center Sorry, still working my way through over breakfast.
John Balman
TFTC!
Mownmbasa
I completely agree with the way Miranda set the earth's law and interpretation of it. Might makes right and to be frank they are lucky Jake even gives them a warning. Rarely in reality powerful leaders ever give a warning before putting someone down. And to be honest one of the perks of being the strongest is the ability to do things just because you can without having to justify your actions according to your vision. So many times i feel that MC's get lost in debates about ethics and morality and miss the fundamental rule about nature and universe, only weak debate an action, the strong just do.
Cory Sauls
TFTC. Always time for Alchemy.
JJB4345_80_815
Yes, thank you for the chappy Zogarth!
TyranT-Rex
I was hoping they would discuss their plans after they beat the Prima Guardian. If they would go and help other planets and who would go. Been looking forward to this event for a long time.
Xander Cadence
Tftc
Athena
tftc :) "pristine corpsed," -> "pristine corpse," " warning for being able" -> " warning for not being able" "Augur, a friend." -> "Augur a friend." "avoiding we take any damage" -> "avoiding taking any damage" "getting finished uncontended," -> "getting finished uncontested,"
Zogarth
Fix
Zogarth
Fix
Jeff McCulley
“pristine corpsed” >corpse
Sayjinlord
Thanks for the chapter!
Strato Junon
Jake going isolation mode. So relatable. Tyfc!
ValVal
I love that Miranda predicted someone would cause trouble, and told Jake before hand to just kill them. She probably knew he would kill them anyways and just wanted it to be part of the plan.
Oler
Perfectly good lab mmm
Pip Mitchell
tftc! an edit - excempt should be exempt
Jackson Hyche
TFTC
Daniel Hamilton
TFTC
