CHAPTER 612: RA'AZEL

Preparation Is

Ra’azel sat in his workshop, the new one given to him by the Exalted Empire. Resources were piled up in large boxes, those that he was actively using at least. Many more were kept in spatial storages; he had enough resources to outfit an empire. It was one of the benefits that he enjoyed the most. His allies were generous with resources, more than Ra’azel had imagined they would be. But then again, he now realized that resources were worth little to them. Their industry produced more than they needed, their bottlenecks were the crafting speeds of their more delicate products, not the resources to make them.

So, Ra’azel was given everything that he asked for. He had built up his arsenal to nearly the levels he possessed before. He even managed to make some really nasty things that he had only had ideas for but never had the time or the resources to make before. He would’ve been able to make even more if he wasn’t obligated to help the empire and their project.

But thankfully, his little gambit had paid off. Now, he had the time to prepare to capitalize on it. He had made many improvements on his Soul following his defeat, some that were only possible because his Soul was in such a vulnerable and weakened state. He had rebuilt himself stronger, as he always did. He rarely lost, rarely made such miscalculations, but when he did, he always learned and came back stronger.

He raised a hand and a thin metal disk floated above his worktable, several red gemstones followed after it. They rotated slowly and he reached out with tendrils of Soul, wrapping them up gently before drawing tethers down to the plate. He didn’t often utilize his Soul in his constructs, they were meant to be expendable, tools to be used for the right situation at the right time. But this time he was going against a powerful opponent.

He had felt the power of the Way, knew the danger. It could be overcome, and the Soul was a resource uniquely suited for such matches. Will was a powerful thing, but the Soul was indomitable. It was the core of a person’s being, the most powerful thing in existence. It was one thing that even the Framework couldn’t truly break. There were powers capable of affecting it, even attacking it, but ultimately the core of it was hard to change. And for those like Ra’azel himself, whose Soul was greater still, well, it would take a lot more to overcome him.

He wove runes into the crystals as he laid them down into the plate, layering in a sequence, then double checking it before finally adding the trigger.

His target was powerful, but he had some inkling of their power. He was tailoring his constructs to counter and overcome.

The best fight was one that wasn’t fought at all. Why take the risk when you could win a fight outright? Ambush and overwhelming force were Ra’azel’s favored tools.

Though, he also had enough experience to know that he had to be prepared for things to not go according to plan. The scars on his Soul he still felt were a testament to his hubris. He was not going to make the same mistake again.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

While his new allies had provided everything he asked as far as materials were concerned, but they seemed to balk at his other requests. They’ve refused to provide him with Souls. He knew that most had an aversion to such things, but surely they had criminals suited to the purpose.

Sadly, they’ve not budged on that. Which meant that he was limited to only the things he had harvested before. Most of his most powerful Soul constructs and implants had been lost in his battle, and most of the ones he had harvested since had gone towards helping him heal his injuries.

But as a replacement they had agreed to provide him with their own constructs. A lot of them. They’ve provided him with drones, mines, missiles and other constructs that relied on natural interactions of Essence. They weren’t as powerful as his constructs, but he could easily adjust and improve them with runes. And on the bright side, their fabricators could manufacture them in great numbers and at great speeds.

Ra’azel finished his construct, and quickly stored the plate in his spatial storage, attaching a tiny thread of soul to it so that he could pull it out with ease and speed.

Just as he finished, he sensed a vessel approaching. He walked out of the tent that was his workshop and looked around. Another group of cthul stood nearby, looking the same way. They were the fire-team assigned to his “mission”. Not the most powerful or most talented, of course. The Exalted Empire couldn’t spare them, but Ra’azel would take all the help he could get. They had been ready to start planning their attack for two days now, but the Speaker had informed Ra’azel that they should wait until the final member of the team arrived.

Which, Ra’azel believed was just now landing. He waited until the shuttle settled and a ramp lowered, allowing the passengers to walk out.

The first was a Speaker, clearly identifiable by the invasive implants on their heads that allowed their god to take speak through them. The second person was a lot more interesting.

Ra’azel blinked as he took the human in. He was tall, wearing simple garments, brown pants and black wool shirt, over which he had a simple leather coat. What caught Ra’azel’s eyes was the color of the man’s hair, blood red. It was familiar to him. He spread his senses and grazed against the man’s Soul.

He raised an eyebrow at what he sensed but didn’t react. The man met Ra’azel’s eyes, and Ra’azel knew that he had detected the delicate brush against his Soul. That at least spoke well for the man’s capabilities. The task in front of them was going to be hard, strength was a requirement.

“Ra’azel Equinar,” the Speaker greeted.

“Speaker, this is our final member I assume?”

“Yes,” the Speaker said, then gestured at the man. “Meet Erik Ornn, he’s a mercenary that’s agreed to take part in our task.”

“I see,” Ra’azel said as he looked the man over again. “I understand the reasoning.”

Erik Ornn narrowed his eyes at Ra’azel’s inspection. “I know you.”

“Oh?” Ra’azel asked.

“You were there, when I fought the Warden. I watched from a distance as you killed Heor.”

Ra’azel shrugged. “Don’t know who that is, but the Warden, ah that one I know. I know you too, though not personally. I believe I’ve encountered some you are related to.”

Erik tilted his head. “My path has diverged from that of those still in thrall to the power offered by the Framework. We’ll see each other again when the true world is born.”

Ra’azel knew enough to recognize a zealot filled with unwavering faith. He could also feel an unusual weight on the man’s Soul. He had touched something far greater than himself. Though not something related to the Ways. Ra’azel had to pull back his desire to be more aggressive. He had made promises and couldn’t just dissect anyone he found interesting.

“Regardless, I hope that you are prepared. Our foe is powerful.”

“I am.”

“We should move to the command tent,” the Speaker said, addressing Ra’azel. “I shall gather the rest, and you may present your plan.”

“Yes, we should.”