'They indeed came...'
Ashton's guesses were on point. Important people from both the Celestial and Hypogean camps came. They practically arrived at the same time, much to his surprise.
It's as if they've talked about it before coming here.
'If it weren't for the Dream Laws, I might've been forced to confront the two of them at the same time. That surely wouldn't end well for me.' Ashton grimaced at the bullet he just dodged.
The two additions to his headache were strong. Extremely so.
No human, not even him, was strong enough to face them currently. He could feel the disparity right away the moment he laid eyes on them.
This made him understand why the System's senses were triggered, which ended up with his meeting with the Beast God and Death God. He was indeed in grave danger. Those two were simply beyond the level that he could currently handle.
If they managed to get close, Ashton wouldn't even know how he died.
The one from the Hypogean Camp was certainly a Demon Emperor at the very least. Demon Emperors are the direct subordinate of the Demon God and surely their strength wasn't anything he could scoff about.
On the other hand, there also came one of the Celestial God's Miraculous Children, which was the one who just visited a few days ago.
Both were extremely dangerous. Ashton sweated real bad once he discovered their presence. He did his absolute best to set up numerous ways to prevent them from hurting anybody. Thankfully, he succeeded.
Again, he had his Dream Laws to thank for that.
Even though he was inexperienced with it, he still managed to utilize it well enough to make sure that the situation will fall in Humanity's favor.
When the Demon Emperor and the Miraculous Son visited, he sensed them approaching the Twisted Heavenly Bulwark. He used their confidence as fuel to make an illusion that the barrier was so flimsy that it tore apart the moment they approached it.
That scene caused them to feel better about themselves, even if slightly, which was enough for them to lower their guard. And when that happened, that's when he pulled them into a Dream and trapped them in there.
He fed them visions of mixed truths and lies. And while they navigated the dream, Ashton planted a seed of suggestion in their subconscious mind, making them not attack humanity personally. It's a suggestion to basically leave the fighting to their subordinates while they remain stationed where they are.
Ashton did this for several reasons...
The main reason was to buy time for Humanity. They absolutely could not handle a direct confrontation against those two just yet so they needed to stall for time.
If the suggestion works and Ashton thinks that it will, then those two will start sending their stronger minions here by hook or by crook, which is relatively fine so long as it's not the two.
Humanity can use those stronger minions to temper themselves in battle, making them stronger. This is obviously what Ashton was gunning for.
The longer the time he bought for Humanity, the higher their chances are for survival.
Sighing in helplessness, Ashton rested his back on his chair and looked out the window. He gazed at the clouds that passed by as he marinated in his thoughts.
'The next passing years would be tense...' he mused to himself.
Alice stood in the middle of a Dojo.
She's wearing a training gi with her hair tied in a bun to keep it from being a nuisance.
Her forehead was covered with droplets of sweat, pouring down on her face and drenching her clothes. However, she didn't pay any attention to that.
Instead, she gripped a wooden sword firmly with an expression of clear-cut focus. She expertly performed a series of sword stances. The way she connected it made the entire performance look like an artistic yet also very lethal dance.
Others might not know but those who know a thing or two about swords would realize that this dance was, in truth, just the basic sword stances performed one after another.
Alice was undoubtedly the strongest sword wielder in this era. Everybody acknowledges that. She owned that title without even needing to ask for it.
Her expertise in her techniques was a subject of interest and inspiration to many. If she were to announce that she's accepting a disciple, there would be a very long list of applicants that would show up at her door in no time flat.
That being said, despite her achievements, Alice still felt incompetent. And this doesn't just apply to her, Mary and Blake felt the same way as well.
They were doing great. Truly, they do.
Ashton has told them this multiple times already. In fact, if Heroes of the old were still alive in this current era, they would probably be the same because truly, they are a different breed.
They are stronger, more experienced, and received more guidance and resources compared to their predecessors. They are a cut above the rest and they should be proud of that.
Unfortunately, the world sometimes likes making fun of people be it intentionally or not.
The moment they started feeling confident and proud about their progress, something happened that made them feel like shit all over again.
Ashton might've tried his best to keep mum about what happened but he's not fooling them. He might be stronger than them but not by much.
They felt the arrival of two monsters too, and their reactions to it were anything but heroic.
They froze. Unable to move a single finger nor even dared to breathe out loud.
The presence of those two overwhelmed them that easily, and they weren't even trying. They came with the intent to see the competition, not to kill, yet that apparently was enough for Alice, Blake, and Mary to feel like all they could do was wait for their doom.
All they did was stare as Ashton hurriedly used everything in his power to make sure that everybody was safe. He didn't say a word, not even a cry for help.
He did it all by himself, driven by sheer duty and responsibility, he was able to face something that was clearly beyond his pay grade and handle it beautifully.
It took the three of them a whole hour after those two left to get their motor functions back. Even then, the weakness they felt didn't allow them to feel relief or peace.
They hadn't talked about that incident yet, but was there a need to?
The fact that they all threw themselves in training, immediately, after they recovered and hadn't looked back, was enough to say what they wanted to say, right?
Whatever strength she might possess right now? It's nowhere near enough to confront the monsters she just saw. She's gonna more strength if she wanted to be useful.
Sadly, she's met with a bottleneck right now. This was normal of course, after all, she was attempting to break her mortal shackles to transcend her current form. No matter who you ask, they'd say the same thing, that it's going to be extremely challenging to do that.
But Alice was already a the cusp of enlightenment. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel, she could practically feel the thin film that was preventing her from advancing.
Whatever she was doing was obviously working. She just needs a little more push and pressure, then she'd cross that stage.
It might take her months at best, or years at worst, but she's gonna do it damn it! She'd be damned if she was caught lacking like that again.
The three of them thought the same thing. They're still relying heavily on Ashton, especially for things that should've been their duty.
Ashton has said it before. He's Humanity's last line of defense. His duty is to run the world behind the scenes. He's a trump card so he can't show himself often.
They are the main force of Humanity. The ones that the spotlight should focus on. They will be the named and famed Heroes. Not fake ones obviously since they have the strength that comes with the title and responsibility.
When the invaders come, it is their duty to be there and face them, not Ashton's.
They signed up for this. They were made fully aware of what was expected of them before they signed the contract. They know that this is something that they must do and they didn't hesitate to take it.
If they had the audacity to consume all the resources given to them, then they should also have the same energy when confronting those who threatened the safety of their race.
Admittedly, they're in this for the long haul. There's a chance that they will die on duty but that's a risk that they have learned to accept.
'Finish this war in this era...end it once and for all.'
These are the words that fueled them now, it also represents their overall goal. And if they happen to fall while tending to their duties, so be it.
For the sake of Humanity's future, their lives are a small price to pay.
