After Frederik finished his training session – something others started to call a suicidal workout –, he left the other psychos in the arena. Frederik went to his room and considered returning to the Origin Expanse to grow stronger.
"I haven't called Dad for a while," he recalled, opening the holographic screen of his crystal watch.
Frederik called his father.
[Frederik! I didn't expect to hear from you today. Is something wrong?] Igor Kolbenheim asked.
It was rare for his sons to call, especially Frederik, as he was the busiest, keeping up with Michael and the other Awakened working for Michael. Igor Kolbenheim heard about everything Michael had done for his family. He knew that Michael had sent someone from the Seraph family to tend to his wounds and that he had hired someone from the Sun Guild to remove the minor curse from Frederik. Neither was cheap. Most families weren't influential enough to employ a member of the Seraph family. Their service cost was exorbitant. Nobody would pay for the Seraph family's service if they weren't desperate.
But that was exactly what Michael did. Without hesitation, according to the rumors.
"Everything is fine. I noticed that I haven't called you for a while now, and I wanted to check on you. Are my brothers taking care of you, or are they still…" Frederik couldn't even finish his sentence when he heard his father groan.
[Your brothers are…your brothers. You know them as well as I do. They're unique and not fans of taking care of other people. I haven't seen them for a while now. I only know that they're not dead. Other than that…They could be everywhere.]
'I could have expected that.' Frederik murmured in his mind.
"I guess they're fine then. The last time I heard from my brothers, they'd asked me about Michael and demanded that I should get them a bunch of Soultraits. They don't even listen to me when I tell them I'm soulbound never to give anyone the Soultrait Symbols I procure from Michael's territory."
[I spoiled them too much. Well…I spoiled everyone too much. My children, all of them, were pampered too much.]
Frederik smiled wryly but had to acknowledge that his father was right. If he hadn't met Michael only a few months after he manifested his War Rune, he would probably still be a spoiled brat. Michael's beating and mocking had been painful, but they had helped him grow stronger.
[I'm proud of you. You grew up so well. Your mother would have been proud.] Igor Kolbenheim said. His voice cracked mid-sentence, and a somber veil shrouded the father-son duo, [You are the best son I — No we – could have wished for!]
Frederik choked a little bit, and his eyes got watery. A vibrant smile blossomed on his face.
"You are a great father, too," He mumbled before changing the topic.
Frederik chatted with his father for quite a while. They talked a lot about the past until they moved on to recent issues, worries, and incidents. At some point, Igor Kolbenheim mentioned Jacqueline Orlando.
Frederik still had some issues with the Orlando family, but his confidence in their relationship skyrocketed shortly after he joined Michael's territory. With three compatible Soultraits and the means to grow stronger quickly, Frederik felt more comfortable approaching Jacqueline once again.
They couldn't meet up often, but he called Jacqueline more frequently. He was confident that he could get her back.
"I know I'm selfish when I say this…but please wait for me. I will grow stronger, and I will show the whole Tritan Alliance that I'm worthy of you!" – Frederik had declared in one of their last calls.
Jacqueline burst into tears at that time and bawled her eyes out, saying that she would wait as long as it took.
The communicate was cut off after someone entered her room. Frederik couldn't see everything but was pretty sure Jacqueline was under surveillance. She didn't reveal everything she'd gone through since they 'separated'; however, Frederik could tell him the clues she'd given him.
Recalling that scenario, Frederik clenched his fists tightly. The white of his knuckles was visible even after opening his palms. The Runic Gate manifested before him as he willed it to open.
"That's not enough. I need to grow even stronger!!" He declared and stepped into the Runic Gate.
Frederik returned to the Untamed Jungle, where he would continue the suicidal workout he'd stopped earlier. There was no time to waste.
**
Kraft Viton sighed heavily. He leaned over large bundles of paper and could hardly suppress his urge to tear the reports into a thousand pieces. Several holographic screens surrounded him with live updates about the Sacred Desert and the number of Undead forces spreading in all directions.
"Why are these idiots still waiting? What are they waiting for in the first place? They don't think the Undead forces disappear just like that…right?" He cursed High Society for their lack of action.
High Society had always been passive and slow to react, but this was a new low for them. It was almost like they didn't look after about the Sacred Desert.
"Are they giving up on the Sacred Desert? But why? Decades of our effort will go to waste if we lose it now!"
Kraft Viton wasn't that connected to the Sacred Desert. It didn't have any sentimental value. However, mankind generated a good portion of their wealth from the Sacred Desert and the surrounding areas. If they were to lose everything, mankind would suffer a lot. It was only obvious that they gained a fortune from other regions as well. Many anomalies generated a fortune even though their territories were relatively small. However, the Sacred Desert was unique due to its connection to other high-ranked territories with energy stone deposits and many other resources that were hard to come by elsewhere.
"The other human domains will gain more importance if we lose the Sacred Desert. But that doesn't help the other members of High Society a lot. The Bartholomew Corporation will gain the most."
The majority of the Barren Lands belonged to the Bartholomew Corporation. That didn't mean they'd claimed the Barren Lands. It was more accurate to say that most Lords in the Barren Lands signed Soul Contracts with the Bartholomew Corporation. The reason was simple; The Agriculture Project.
Transforming the wastelands of the Barren Lands into nourishable soil was far from easy, but the Bartholomew Corporation made it possible. They generated enough food for the other Lords in dire need. After all, everyone had to feed their subjects. The better the food, the easier it would be to strengthen their subjects' Links of Loyalty and to strengthen them as well.
The Bartholomew Corporation solved the food shortage, but they were not yet done expanding the Agriculture Project. The Bartholomew Corporation prepared for a large-scale expansion and decided to stock enough food to feed billions of Summnons across the territories.
The biggest problem with the large-scale expansion was that the Bartholomew Corporation desired to expand out of the Sacred Desert. It had the best connections to other highly valuable regions and offered the best conditions for expansion
—that was until the Undead forces appeared.
"Maybe it's time to gather reinforcements on my own."
