Tribulations, p.19
Tribulations, page 19
“My advice to each and every one of you is to face and embrace the adversity that comes your way, as through it you can be refined and tempered. That way, when the time comes that you go home to find your parents dead, your house burned down, your life savings gone, you actually have a chance to survive it. That doesn’t mean that you should seek out harsh forms of adversity, or inflict it upon others, as the world is dark enough as it is. No, picking up a difficult hobby, or skill such as a martial art, or as many of you are about to graduate, scrape together a few thousand credits and try to create a business this summer. Even if you are college bound, you are as likely to fail and lose everything, but in doing so, those few months will likely prepare you more for life after college than anything you experience in college. It is often said that we learn more from our failures than our success, so go out there and fail and do it now, when doing so is still easy to recover from. If you wait until you find yourself with others who are depending on you, well, you may never find the courage to risk their security, even if you would risk your own.”
Alex paused as he walked to the edge of the stage as he looked out at students and the camera directly in front of him, to let that point sink in before continuing.
“Now…”
The next 15 minutes was spent on just how decisiveness and resilience would serve them well in Eternal Dominion. This included how they were all at the best point in their lives to take risks and how to ensure that they didn’t take a risk that would follow them forever, as certain things like murder were not so easy to recover from. By the end of it, Alex felt like he had tiptoed the line of not being appropriate for high schoolers, but he felt that after having over a year to come up with his final presentation it was the right move. He could still remember his first life where he had seen so many others end up settling without ever really trying, to include himself. He had never tried to build his own guild, or anything, as he had been content to join others and had been in more than one failed guild before landing in Twilight Sky.
While that experience had aided him in building his guild this time around, it still hadn’t cured him of the anxiety that came from doing so. Alex still felt that he had made too many mistakes early on, as he looked back and thought over how Kate had increased FAE’s efficiency since she had joined the team. While Tara had been doing well, Alex had recruited her based on what he knew she would become and just like Henry, she needed time to develop into that and lacked the experience that Kate had brought. While none of these had been death knells for FAE, had they been addressed from the start, it would be likely that they would have been able to take better advantage of his knowledge.
When Alex’s presentation was over and the cameras turned off and he was about to head backstage and the students were getting ready to leave, it happened. Five guys rushed the stage and came at Alex directly, as security was mostly blocked by the students trying to get outside. Though even the two that had a clear path to Alex wouldn’t arrive for at least a few seconds after the five guys. Alex only had a split second to decide how to react as they were closing in and he was all that was between them and the backstage area where everyone else was. With the image of his children getting caught up in the chaos of a fight, that made Alex stand his ground rather than escape.
When the idiot one, in Alex’s mind, arrived, he was mid-swing as he tried to use his backpack as a weapon. Rather than deflect or dodge the backpack, Alex just stepped forward and hit the arm that was almost vertical with the backpack extended further from the centrifugal force. With that, idiot one lost his grip and the backpack went flying off and Alex controlled him through his arm and sent him into idiot number two, just as idiot three arrived with a PE shirt in his hands. Alex could tell that idiot three wanted him to think his goal was to wrap the shirt around his neck and likely use it as a decoy. However, Alex wasn’t going to allow that to occur as instead, Alex made as if he was going to grab the shirt as idiot three smiled and let go of the shirt. That smile was short lived as Alex’s palm shot up and idiot three’s chin met it, and he lost his footing as idiots four and five hesitated at seeing the result. However, Alex didn’t hesitate. He took a few steps back and restored his form, as the first three idiots recovered and got back on their feet.
With the element of surprise lost and Alex having shown them that he wasn’t just someone who played video games all the time and couldn’t handle himself in a fight, the five idiots seemed unsure what to do. As such, they had already lost as two security guards arrived and Stacy came out from the back, as three more security guards climbed up on top of the stage. With three tasers pointed at the idiots and three more on the way, even the idiots knew that the fight was over as they tried to scatter. Only, three of them got tasered instantly and went down, as the other two got caught by the other security guards a few seconds later.
With the momentary excitement over, Alex just sighed as he saw the crowd of students who had witnessed it and knew that it was going to create a headache and a half. As Alex thought about it, even with the attack doomed to fail from the start, it had been planned well, as the point likely had never been to actually harm him, but to simply create issues. Just thinking of the time that would be spent being questioned by the police officers when they arrived and how possible court dates would only add to his already strained schedule. Not to mention that the officers would likely want to question every student here and gather up all video of the altercation as evidence. Just thinking about the wasted time that this could build up made Alex sigh, as he rejoined the others backstage.
For the remainder of the presentation, Alex found himself sitting in the back room talking to officers as they ran down their list of questions. This included Alex sharing how his known enemy list was longer than he cared for, with Abysses End, the Astors, a local gang that went by The Razors, groups that opposed the polyamory marriage legalization and much more. As Alex listed all of these groups off with Kate’s and Stacy’s help, he couldn’t help but think about just how muddy and digging into who was behind this attack would be. It was just too easy to say that they were motivated by their faith, or other beliefs, for it to be disproven as a motive. Then there would be the fact that this would likely make national headlines, if not international, due to the timing and Alex having more eyes than normal on him. By the time Alex made his way out to the stage once more, he was just ready to have the night over as he gave his closing speech that lasted all of ten minutes.
“… Now, as we bring this eventful night to a close, it is time for the surprise of the night. Just like last year, FAE will be hosting a convention, or perhaps a festival would be a better term, only this time we are hosting over 100 of them worldwide. For more information, all you need do is just read the post that should have just gone live on FAE’s official forum. Once there, find the one nearest you and check the dates that it will be held. As for those of you present, it will be held next Friday and Saturday after graduation. Just like last year, all teenagers ages 16 to 19 will be admitted for free along with a parent. Unlike last year, you can still get in if you want to buy a ticket, though you will be let in later and have to pay for certain parts that will be free for all teenagers. I believe last year’s was a major success and my hope is that the event will be successful enough to justify doing them at least every other year in most of the selected areas.
“Now, this was supposed to be when the question-and-answer portion began. However, due to the events of the night it has been canceled. However, to all of those present, if you have a question, feel free to write it down and I will answer a few dozen random ones over the next week and post them on FAE’s official forum.
“Thank you all for staying over, or tuning in. Now, good night.”
With that Alex made his way out of the back exit and into the SUV with Sam and Stacy, as everyone else had left the moment they weren’t needed any longer. Everything considered, Alex would call the event a wash as the altercation would likely overshadow everything else. Still, it would also cause the festivals to gain more attention and up the chances of success for them, and Alex would just need to wait and see what the final verdict was.
After returning to the rental home, they went right into celebrating Sam’s birthday as a few local friends had joined them for the evening as well. By the time 9PM rolled around, Alex was happy to see everyone off as he and Sam disappeared for a bit of alone time before logging in to ED for the night.
The next five days were uneventful in reality for Alex, aside for the update on the situation surrounding the five idiots and how their cases were being handled. Put simply, they weren’t talking and they were all minors with nothing on them besides storming the stage and rushing at Alex. Even if they were convicted, it would only be a year of imprisonment at the most and they would likely just get parole with a community service requirement. This simply annoyed him as he let the district attorney’s office know that he would be fine with them giving the five of them a plea deal. Though, he asked that it include them having to sit through the entirety of the video from the five days of hearings that he had had to sit through as a joke.
When Xeal finally returned to ED on day 265, it was once more Eira’s birthday and wedding anniversary, and so after he awoke in the morning, he spent the entirety of the day with her. They enjoyed themselves as it wasn’t until the evening that they returned to Cielo city and they celebrated with the others. This was followed by Ellis’s birthday on day 266, which like with his other children, saw Xeal spending the morning with them before he headed out so Gale could get some time with her in as well. As Xeal met up with Ekaitza for the date, he could tell that she was even more nervous than before, so he released a bit of his aura on her as he had done last time and it seem to help her relax a bit. As this took effect, she started to speak to Xeal as she greeted him.
“Xeal, thank you for inviting me on another-”
“Ekaitza, stop right there. Yes, you are getting a second date, but I must apologize to you and ask that you do something rather cruel.”
“So, this is you giving the others a push and not opening yourself up to me.”
“Yes, and I am sorry. I promise that I am taking no pleasure in it.”
“Yet all of us will understand and accept your choice in doing it. I suppose I need to tell them that you really only desire to get closer to me and finish the spiral.”
“No, you are to say that you think that if they are able to unlock and successfully challenge Demonic mode, that I will consider them again. Play it up in a desperate way and make it seem like you are grasping at straws as you do so.”
“Tell me, why should I do that to them?”
“What do you want?”
“For you to give us each a single deep kiss when we return triumphant and for me to tell them that you have agreed to it when I tell them.”
“What happened to the four of you competing for me and taking pleasure in the others’ misfortune?”
“You have let us be around your wives too long. We know that it is unrealistic with what you have said for us all to become one of your wives, but we still hope.”
“Would the four of you still be satisfied by just bearing children from me?”
“No, but we would do so happily as we would take that over being discarded and never even having a chance to embrace you.”
“I will have to think on that. Though I will promise you the kisses so long as all four of you succeed and get at least a B-ranked result, as I would actually be surprised at that point.”
“Better get some practice holding your breath, as the four of us are going to take full advantage of that…”
Xeal just smiled as he saw Ekaitza’s eyes light up as she declared that they would succeed, as the date shifted to lighter topics until it was time for Xeal to return to his estate. Once there, he enjoyed the remainder of Ellis’s third birthday, while at the same time preparing for the departure of Enye, Dyllis, Mari and Lingxin. Just as the four dragonoid women would be, they would be starting their tier-7 tribulations in the morning. Xeal could feel the tension long after the children had been put to bed, as he sat with them and just talked for a while. Finally, as it got late, Xeal gave them each a full bottle of the waters of youth and smiled as they each drank them. With that, Xeal was down to just under three gallons of the miracle substance left, as he enjoyed snuggling with the four of them and went to sleep.
When Xeal awoke in the morning, they had all already left and he turned his attention to grinding once more. With peace talks still ongoing in the Huáng empire, as the battlelines held until the results were known and Abysses End still trying to come up with a new plan of attack, he was happy to simply take advantage of the time. It also helped to keep him from thinking about what all of Enye’s party was likely facing at that very moment. Things continued like this for Xeal as he reached level 207 and the peace talks concluded with a five-year ceasefire on the Huáng empire’s continent. There were conditions that could cause it to become null and void, but it was to the Huáng empire’s advantage to accept it, as they regained their lost lands and extracted massive reparations in the process. Though it had come at the cost of most of the recovered airship components and Xeal knew that not only those nations, but every other one out there was looking into void plating.
While it had never been seen as worth it due to the difficulties and dangers for even void mages to pull off what Xeal had, that had changed with his actions. Now it would be more likely, that at least on crucial components and the points that they were connected to, the airship’s materials that would negate void magic would be used. Like with the shells of the void hounds that made great shields against such assaults, it wouldn’t take long for the technique to be applied to airships. Though this would result in a spike in demand for void iron and other void metals, and FAE would be happy to exploit that as they happened to have a halfway decent stockpile of them already.
Even so, this was a gift to Xeal and FAE, as it removed all NPCs from the battles there. While Abysses End still seemed determined to fight the war and push Jingong and FAE out, it was forced to do so in the grinding areas. Furthermore, it was only able to be even somewhat effective along the borders and all FAE needed to do was station some tier-7 players in those areas. Though once more players reached tier-7 it might become a bit more complicated, as Abysses End would start to be able to attempt to conquer the Huáng empire on its own. Xeal expected that to be exactly what the other five nations were planning on, as the treaty said nothing about prohibiting players from invading with the support of any country. Still, a celebration was scheduled for the night of day 291 that Xeal was expected to attend as the guest of honor.
Lingxin
Time seemed to be meaningless, as one day after another passed and struggled as she continued to climb a never-ending staircase. With each step that she took, danger was ever present as the faces of all those who had sought to control her brother, or remove her from his side appeared as specters. This included her own father and countless others who had been killed by her brother, or on his orders throughout the years. At first, they had just shouted, or taunted her as she passed by, but over time they had started to call her a murderer and the innocents that had been killed were mixed in as well. A few of them had even been poisoned by her own hand as they drank tea across from her brother, as was common when any of his concubine candidates was deemed as a hindrance. Finally, after a few days, they had started to try to attack her as she cut through their gaseous forms with her enchanted blade.
The only saving grace was that each attack only came when she ascended a step and she had been able to sleep on the few landings that she had arrived at after dealing with the assaults there. The first time she had done this, she had feared that the specters were just luring her into a false sense of security, but so far she had been fine each time. Though she had no idea how many days it had been and had taken to sleeping whenever a landing came along, out of fear of there not being another one before she would reach absolute exhaustion. Still, she never slept in peace as she found herself trapped in a nightmare each time, as blood rained from the skies and the forms of those she wronged still tormented her even there. Like this, Lingxin had pressed forward until she arrived at what finally seemed to be the top of the stairs and found her son, Xin, standing there looking at her in horror as he spoke.
“Mommy is a bad person. She killed so many.”
At these words Lingxin’s heart just about shattered. She had long treated all the acts of murder she and her brother committed as necessary for their survival. Just part of the politics of the nation that they found themselves ruling over and as natural as breathing. While this view had shifted upon meeting Xeal and being for all purposes rescued from herself in a way, she had never thought much about them, even as she had been climbing the stairs. She had even thought that the tribulation wasn’t going to live up to its reputation, until that moment as she struggled to find words while Xin continued to speak.
“Are all my mommies like this as well and what about Daddy?”
“No, no, you are just misunderstanding.”
“So, killing others is good? Am I going to need to kill people too? What about Xander, Maki and Ellis, will I kill them too?”
“No, no, no, no, you won’t-”
“Why, Mommy? I want to be strong, just like you and Daddy.”
Lingxin struggled to find the words to say as she looked at her son and wondered if she was even worthy to have the joy of being in his life. Even now she was placing him behind her own rise in power and she didn’t even know what it was for. She knew that she didn’t need to be doing any of this and that had she wished to, she could have just enjoyed a quiet life raising Xin and the others. Even if Xeal would have frowned at seeing her not reach her true potential, he would have held her just the same and accepted her decision with love and understanding. All she could think of was that even now she still held a fear of being discarded like so many of her brothers and sisters had been by her brother and father. Now, however, it was her son that she feared discarding her, as she pulled every bit of the will that she had left and closed the distance to Xin and picked him up and spoke.
