Two days later Maximilian sat in the new council chamber. It was the largest room in Nubia and reminded him a bit of the throne rooms you would see in Ancient Chinese stories. There was a central that slightly up and to the left of a table. A table where the small council he had made sat. He had assumed the makeshift throne would make him uncomfortable but that wasn't the case. If anything it felt uniquely natural. As if he had been sitting in his whole life. That being said it did nothing to make the meetings any easier. They had discussed everything from crop rotation to city alignment and it all could be boiled down to their current argument. One that he was irritatingly losing.

  "I understand your fear but no matter how strong you are you can't provide for a nation on your own." His mother repeated for the eighth time today. "You can't hunt the monsters here and go out there." She gestured to the doorway and the world beyond it. "Have you forgotten about your father? How many of us can even make it down the mountain let alone go far enough to find the people that need help. The people that will complete your quest? How long will you wait to do what you have to do." She spoke in a manner that cut through the nonsense until there was no choice but to agree. Yet, it didn't stop his misgivings. Someone had already died while he was gone in an attempt to hunt for food. That was a citizen that was lost. A citizen that he had taken under his protection. He would be no better than the kings, queens and other officials of the past if he just let people die for being too weak.

  "Your mother is right." Mama June began. "We can't hide up here forever. We can't rely on you or else we will be lost when and if you aren't available." Maximilian felt like he was dealing with an army worse than any number of monsters. He wasn't sure when or why but two of them had synced up. He knew he could overrule them but the more he talked the more he didn't want to.

  "If you want to be their leader than you have to be their leader not their parent. It is impossible for you to be both." His mother added. He could tell that they were ready to continue but he held up a hand to stop them.

  "Does anyone have an opinion that isn't related to the hunting issue?" He asked mostly to get time to gather his thoughts. Fortunately Nezha was ready and willing to provide.

  "I would like permission to purchase the contribution shop. I believe it will help you achieve your objectives while also pleasing your advisors." He gestured for Nezha to continue and the construct assistant obliged. "The contribution shop you have permission to purchase is run by humans. It is the Kel-Tal merit exchange. It has several prearranged systems that would be ideal for a burgeoning faction like your own."

  "I see and do we have the requirements to purchase such a thing? We are not in a position where we can buy much." Maximilian sat up in his chair. He recalled the brief conversation with the UWG's representative. He doubted they would end up with the same one, but it could be interesting.

  "I have already taken the initiative. I have saved a portion of the credits you provided to make this purchase. I had intended to do so before you returned but Mistress June felt it was better to discuss it first. She said it was important to cut once and measure twice."

  He raised an eyebrow at both of them before he nodded his agreement. When Nezha explained that he wasn't needed for that part and that it might be better for him to not be involved. He pushed it to the back of his mind. They went over a few more details before Maximilian had decided enough was enough. His irritation wasn't aimed at the meeting or even the people talking. He was irritated at the situation. He opened the mountain to exploration and let his council deal with the contribution system. Just giving the order felt like a gut punch but intellectually he knew it was right. With his current power he couldn't save everyone. He also couldn't hunt the creatures on the mountain not without reducing the strength of his own people. If he did, they would be forced to go further and further to level, and he couldn't stop them. Not unless he wanted to build a proper prison. Even if he was willing to imprison everyone by what right would he do it? That he wanted to keep them safe. He wasn't here to do that not to mention that he would only put them in more danger. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he couldn't be killed and if that happened, he would've raised these people like pigs to the slaughter. He would just have to find some way to deal with the consequences. After that he ended the meeting. They didn't need him for the rest of it and in truth he wasn't all that helpful. He hadn't learned anything that would help with survival so he couldn't plant crops or anything like that. Not unless they needed his strength and he had to admit that would be a waste of his time.

  He made his way back to the library and continued a book he had found yesterday. It wasn't the guide to cultivation that he wanted and needed but it was somewhat close. It was a personal account of a sectarian cultivator. One that also followed the Dao of lightning though his path was different than Maximilian's. He had started with the Lesser Dao of Sparks for one thing. The other was that he focused more on the spiritual aspect of lightning. The judgement of heaven. Which he had taken inspiration from something called "Tribulation Lightning." Maximilian had asked Nezha about it but the assistant was oddly uncooperative. He just refused to discuss it further than it being Heaven's punishment. He hadn't decided if he wanted to pursue that path for himself. It sounded powerful but it also felt taboo. Regardless he didn't think what he had now was anywhere near what that level. The Dao of Sparks was interesting. He had assumed he had to get different daos but that wasn't true. Nezha mentioned that he could have both of them if he wanted. It would just put a large strain on his affinities. Affinities that were already incredible. He just didn't get why. He had paged through the mystery cultivators life for an explanation but he hadn't done it. He made it through the first three realms with one dao and one dao only. Which was apparently fine. A fact that only made the situation weirder.

  He had been under the impression that the more the better. He knew that they all had to come together which stopped someone from gathering everything but why would you go for more if you didn't have to? It couldn't just be the attribute boost. There should be ways to make those up. He spent another three hours searching for that and many more answers. He found none of them. He wasn't sure if what he wanted wasn't there or if he needed to go to a different area of the library. He had asked about it of course but the librarian was clear. He wasn't strong enough. He could try it but if he failed the trial he wouldn't get to try again. That assumed he survived the challenge in the first place which wasn't a given. He wasn't willing to risk that. Not so soon anyway. There were too many people relying on the shelter he provided. With that done everything he had wanted to accomplish had been. Which meant it was time to head back to New Philadelphia. The tide had been averted but he still had control over the settlement. He didn't have any plans for it yet but it should make a strong launch and resupply point for him. He let his mother know that he would be gone but no one else. He doubted he could hide his movements forever but the fewer people that knew when he would be present was for the best.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Just as he was about to step through the array someone else entered the room. It took him a moment to remember the man's name but when he did he was only more confused. "Joshua?"

  "I was hoping you would take me with you?" Joshua asked. His staff slung across his shoulders. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I don't want to stay here any longer. I appreciate what you've done but I've spent more than a few years locked up and now I'd like to see the world."

  Maximilian was about to reject the man on principle but something stopped him. He assessed the man for several moments. He knew he couldn't avoid the man forever that he would have to decide what his policy would be on old world vs new world. Part of him knew that he couldn't hold crimes from back then against people but he also couldn't ignore every crime. "If you come with me I can't promise your safety. I am going to get stronger which means you will be behind the curve. I am over five times your level and with my other benefits the gap is likely even bigger than that."

  The man nodded. "I don't mean to come off as rude but no one could promise safety and if they did I wouldn't believe them." He gestured toward the door. "Even with that fancy shield you can't promise that it won't break. That a monster wont come or two or three that can get through it. You can't promise that the Network won't just wipe us all out because someone failed a quest we don't know about. What I am asking for is a chance. If I die than I die but I want to live. I am not sure if I lost my mind or not but it feels like there's an energy inside me and that if I don't use it now its going to fade away. That if I let it fade I won't get it back. Its a bit like that feeling when you work out and then sit down. How its hard to get back up again. Well I want to get back up."

  Maximilian wasn't sure what feeling the man was talking about but he could understand the hunger. "Alright, but you will have to answer some questions for me. I want to know why you were in jail. Answer that and you can come." Maximilian half expected Joshua to refuse or to walk away but instead he let out the sigh of a man who had long come to terms with that question. One that had gotten used to being asked it and answering it.

  "The same story as everyone else really. I was spending time with the wrong types of people. The types that promised an easy path. A path could make easy money. Life changing money and at first that was all it was. Just drop of a package her or there with no questions asked but like many others I got greedy. Jobs that involved carrying larger packages or packages that were harder to hide came up. Eventually I got caught. I was offered a deal if I gave up the people I was with, but I didn't. I am still not sure if that was the right answer, but it got me put away for twenty years though I only served half before all this craziness happened."

  Maximilian let him get out the whole story without interruption. His gut told him Joshua was honest at least about this which made the decision easy. He gestured toward the array. "Stay nearby. I will do what I can to help you. You said you were a cultivator last time we spoke. I don't have any more techniques to share but we might be able to come up with something. For now though you will have to get your spiritual energy through combat." He went over a few more things that would help to keep the man alive should it come down to it. Maximilian knew he couldn't protect him from everything but he would do what he could. He wished he had more clothes for him. "If we come across a mall we will look for something to protect yourself better than that."

  After that the two were off. They made both jumps and were in New Philadelphia less than ten minutes later. As soon as they stepped outside Joshua let out a low whistle. "I don't suppose you had been to the city before it was like this?" He asked

  Maximilian shook his head. "I assume you were?"

  He nodded. "I was born and raised here. Well not this part. This was a bit closer to down town for our income level."

  "Do you have family you want to search for? Not in the ruins but in general. I can't promise we will run into them but I can keep an ear out. People tend to respond well to me." He flashed him a smile.

  Joshua shook his head. "I bet. Pretty boys get all the luck. I hope you don't mind but was that." He signaled to Maximilian's entire body. "Before the Network or did you find some magic candy."

  Maximilian raised an eyebrow and stared at the man for a moment. "I was good looking before but not like this. I think its your affinities well I know it is. That and your Dao. I assume that as one or both advance I will look better and better. I must say though if your plan is to hit on me..."

  Joshua shook his head so fast that Maximilian was worried it might fall off. "I wasn't. I mean that. I didn't."

  Maximilian chuckled and shook his head. "Lets focus before you make things even odder between us. Keep your wits. I am not sure what will happen now that the beast tide was called off." The look of confusion on his face prompted Maximilian to give him an abridged explanation of the situation. "Its not too late to go back." He offered but Joshua made no move to leave. Something that Maximilian respected. Of course, respect would matter little in the grand scheme of things. Not without the power to keep himself safe. Fortunately he had worried for nothing. As they strode into the settlement they found nothing. There were no people nor beasts nor anything really. If he hadn't known better, he might have thought the settlement was still in use. Or that the Network had protected it, but he doubted it. It wasn't until they headed out of the area that they encountered their first monster. It was another of the serpents though this one was weaker than the group he had faced last time. He was going to kill it himself when he thought better of it.

  "You want to get better. You can handle the little guy." He gestured to the almost ten foot long snake with an echo of a grin on his face.

  "I'd hate to see what a big one looks like." Joshua grumbled as he stepped forward. The fight if you could call it that lasted for less than ten seconds. The serpent lunged he blocked it and spun into a downward thrust. Something that if it had been the old world would've shattered the thing's skull or at least hurt it badly. Unfortunately, the attack had no spiritual energy behind it, so it didn't help much. Maximilian cut the beast's head off a second before it would've killed Joshua.

  "Not bad." Maximilian stated as he considered whether to take the body. He decided against it. There was almost no chance that they would get back to Nubia before it spoiled. Which meant it would take up space. "You are going to need to get some spiritual energy or a dao I suppose. Actually, did you get anything for the kill?"

  He nodded. "Yeah, not much, a fifth of what I got when I was in Nubia."

  Maximilian thought about it for a moment and started to form a plan. "I think we can speed level you. Well, I am not sure how fast it would be. I can fight for you. As long as you deal a bit of damage you would get some energy. I imagine that I can weaken the creatures and let you get the kill. That should give you at least twenty percent of the energy. Which should get you a level or two." Maximilian drew up a simple combat plan. One that should work against most creatures. At least those with legs anyway. He tried to ignore the implications of chopping their legs off so that someone else could kill them, but it still felt wrong to him. He was only able to stomach it because they didn't suffer for long. They decided to spin the day and night in New Philadelphia to try and push Joshua up a level. Something that didn't happen until well after the sun had set. Maximilian decided to leave the man to spend his own points and pulled out a pair of spirit stones. The energy he gathered was nowhere near enough to get him level which meant he would need to compensate with his dwindling money. Part of him hated it and part of him didn't care. The money was there to serve a purpose and right now the purpose was to get stronger. When the sun rose he had lost half his 2nd-realm stones, gained a level and developed a decent reserve. Just in case he found something dangerous. He checked in with Joshua and the two set out in earnest.