This chapter was originally very long but i decided to split it into another part. I can't really make a frequent update from now on considering I just got myself a job. When I got home, I got really tired. However, sometime I find myself a bit of a time to write. Anyway, here's part 3 and expecting part 4 soon. But not soon enough. By the way, I did this for free but we do appreciate donation. Anyway, ENJOY!

PS: If found any mistake, do notify me.

Part 4

Underground Level 18: Throne Hall

The rest of the guild members were waiting for Armada inside the throne hall. The throne hall has fifty opera boxes (twenty-five on each side) for the guild members to use. Each one of them is for two guild members.

At the end of the throne hall, there was a huge throne where it sits there giving off a mighty aura befitting its image. Multiple large crystals spiked out behind the throne. On the wall behind it, was a large black tapestry bearing the guild’s crest.

The throne hall was immense. It could fit more than a thousand people inside it and still has room for hundreds more. The ceiling above the hall stretch so high as if it can’t be seen. Seven large chandeliers hang from the ceiling in a heptagon formation. These chandeliers were just normal and not like the ones from outside the throne hall. Although it was just normal chandeliers, the items to make it are still quite expensive.

While looking at the seven chandeliers, Zenoral Akhtar, the guild treasurer frowns a bit. He still remembers how much this luxury cost. Is not that he doesn’t like expensive items but he just loves saving money for emergency uses. Buying unnecessary stuff is just a waste. It’s not that Blitz didn’t order him to make a separate account for the emergency uses. In fact, the guild master orders him multiple times in the past to make one. But he constantly forgets due to immerse himself in counting all those accumulated wealth.

I wonder how much amount of gold we have right now on the first account. Probably more than enough to build a country.

After that, his mind thinks about the emergency gold reserves account that the Blitz order him to make. On that account, there are tons of gold along with tons of valuable metal and other valuable items stored there. When one thinks about the amount it’s almost seventy-five times more than the first account. Ahhhh! This is a headache. I just hope nobody touches the emergency account. I prefer them to use money from the open account. The open account is the first account of the guild.

Seventy-five times more than the first account is not a small amount. It’s more than five mountains of treasures.

As he thinks about that, the one who shares the opera box with him spoke to him. “Still frowning even in this kind of time? We are near the end already, it’s probably best to think something else than just think the same thing.”

Hearing that man said that he replied, “Easy for you to say since you didn’t have to count all of our expenses and just lazing and relaxing around like the other one, Rhine.” Zenoral shares an opera box with Rhine. In the guild, Rhine is known as The Lucky Guy while Zenoral is known as The Economists.

Rhine is an Eternal. Unlike others who usually make themselves busy, he spends most of his time relaxing while playing musical instruments especially piano and organ. His magic and abilities are based on music no matter the genre. He extremely excels at music. The rest of them doesn’t seem to mind him doing the things he likes. However, it would be good for him if he would not just laze around and do something more beneficial.

While looking like a harmless individual from every angle, Rhine is a dangerous manipulator comparable to one of the other members whose class build is based on a politician. Unlike the politician member who manipulates people with words, he manipulates his opponents with the music he plays. He plays with the emotions, trauma, and sometimes dark history of his opponents. By influencing their hearts and minds with music, he can gain total control over his enemy's every action. This kind of abilities sometimes seen by others as mind-control. However, he claims that is not really mind-control.  

These abilities however have their drawbacks. If the opponent is deaf, his ability would be useless. An opponent with great mental resistance can fight the influence of it while an opponent that is immune, Rhine would be almost powerless against it. To combat this drawback of his magic and abilities, Rhine practice some close-quarter combat like fencing, boxing, karate, and various other martial arts so that Rhine can have some fighting chances.

Rhine's ability so far has been working very well against almost all sentient creatures. While for the non-sentient Rhine currently experimenting with the guild scientist to see whether he can affect them or not with his ability.

Not only that, but Rhine also possessed the ability to use his musical magic to inflict damage to his opponent physically in case if his opponent is immune to his musical influence.

On the other hand, Zenoral Akhtar is a half-dragon half-eternal. In other words, hybrid dragon-eternal. While Rhine was always relaxing, Zenoral is constantly busy like a bee. Sometimes he doesn’t get much sleep and works overtime. Zenoral magic and abilities are based on money and financial systems. With his abilities, he can detect whether certain countries or guilds' economies are strong or weak. He can also utilize this for his offensive and defensive capabilities. His physical strength is not just solely on his dragon and eternal traits but also can be derived from his magic too.

Despite always sitting behind the desk, his abilities are not to be messed with. With his abilities, he can make a country or guild go bankrupt anytime he wants. So far he’s done that to multiple guilds and countries that get rich from the poor. Zenoral has a few policies. One of them is ‘If you get rich by siphoning money from the poor, you deserve to be bankrupt to the point of even lower than poor people.’

He didn’t only go after countries or guilds, he also targets corporations and certain individuals too.

Then there is the question about what did he do with the money he takes? Well, he simply donates back to the poor people. Despite being stingy, he’s not the type to keep the money that he takes from others to himself. He’s only being stingy when it comes to giving money to his guild members.

Poverty is his main weakness. Without money, he’s powerless. He can only use his power based on how much money he spent. This is the kind of ability that one would not expect of a stingy person. Well, that’s why most of the time he’s always sitting behind the desk. Going into battle gonna force him to spend his money.

The money that he spent when using his power is not deducted from the guild account. But it’s deducted from his personnel account.

Every guild member has a personnel account.

“So you still thinking about how the guild economy is doing? I have to say, me being you gonna make me kill myself by overworking. That’s why I don’t want to be an accountant.” Said Rhine.

“I’m glad you didn’t become one. I can’t imagine you become like me or I become like you. It’s just impossible to imagine that. Although…your luck has proven its worth to the guild countless times now. Especially to our treasury.” Respond Zenoral.

Rhine just grins hearing Zenoral mentioning his luck.

There is a reason why Rhine is known as The Lucky Guy. While Zenoral was known as ‘The Economist’ because the economy is his main expertise. Rhine the lucky guy was known like that is because his luck is just beyond ridiculous.

One such case is that when he was at a certain casino playing poker, no matter how skilled the other side is Rhine somehow constantly won. His win ratio at that time is one-hundred to nothing. Another case on when he travels to a vast desert, he encounters a mountain load of treasures where numerous guilds were trying to find the damn stuff. At the moment he found the treasures, Rhine didn’t even realize that another guild that is just near that place was trying to find the same thing. Fortunately for him, that guild didn’t even realize he was there.

However, there is this most unforgettable moment where his luck pays off very well for Leaders 101. During a certain competition where the lucky prize is a global class item that can produce bottomless resources no matter what kind, Rhine somehow managed to acquire that item with almost no effort at all. When asked how he got this item he just said, Well I just pick a number and wait. That’s all. The number that he pick granted him that item.

Hearing that, all other members including Armada were shocked with mouths wide open. How great this guy's luck is? It's almost like this guy were the lady luck herself. That was what they thinking during that time. Not only that, some say that he’s siphoning the luck of others around him but Armada doesn’t think so.

When thinking back during that time, Rhine cannot help but smile wide. Albeit a bit creepy.

“Ok, now you creeping me out with your smile.” Said Zenoral.

“There’s nothing to be creep out from me. I’m just reminiscing. That’s all.” Rhine responds while laying back on his soft chair along with sipping a tea from his cup.

“I like this Earl Grey by the way. Such good quality.”

“I’m glad you like it but if you waste it, you will have hell to pay from me. If not here, in the afterlife.” Zenoral does not just hate people that like to waste, but he loathes them. Wasting is part of the devil’s job anyway.

“Don’t be too serious will you. Also, take a seat. You’ve been standing ever since we enter. You may not feel tired but it makes me feel tired man.”

Zenoral and only a few other members were still standing ever since they all assemble at the throne hall. Most of the others were already sitting and chatting with each other while waiting for Armada and two other members.

Sultan Nizam decided to wait for Armada right outside of the meeting chamber right after all of them exited. Moments ago, Lincoln decided to head out and check on both of them leaving his partner alone at one of the opera boxes. Currently, Lincoln’s partner sitting alone laying his back on the chair, sleeping. Zenoral just shook his head seeing that.

Zenoral ignores Rhine’s nagging and continues looking at the hall. He looks near the throne and he could see a woman with four wings on her back (a pair of white colour and a pair of black colour) standing beside the throne like a perfect attendant. She also has a black halo floating above her head. He knows who this is and who created her. He looks closely at her and realizes that she’s holding something. As he looks closely he identified what she’s holding, and his expression change to somewhat angry a bit and directed his anger at Lisbon.

To think that he gives her that item just like that? Does the Blitz know about this?

Lisbon just right in front of Zenoral and Rhine opera box noticed this but just smiles. He sips on his red wine from his chalice.

“What’s with that look Zenoral? Why are you suddenly angry at me?” Ask Lisbon.

The one beside Lisbon just doesn’t give a care.

“You have the guts to just take that item and give it to her huh? I wonder if the Blitz knows about this, Lisbon.”

Lisbon wondered what Zenoral was talking about. As soon as Zenoral looks at the woman near the throne, he noticed immediately.

“Ah! You mean that. No worries. It’s near the end anyway. Who gives care anymore?”

“I hope so Lisbon. I hope the Blitz didn’t give much thought about this.”

When it comes to the most powerful class of items the Global Class item, Armada would prefer it to be kept inside the vault at the treasury the entire time. Only use it when it was necessary only. Right now, the woman with wings is now holding that item.

“I think he will let this go. By the way, it’s good to give Helena that item anyway. Considering her class build is mostly on defence it’s better to give her some offensive type item. That item too can transform into a huge halberd for her to use.”

“It’s not about good or bad Lisbon. Please just inform us will you?”

“Fine then.” After saying that Lisbon continues sipping his wine from his crimson chalice.

Then, Zenoral’s attention focused next on a man who’s wearing a white navy officer uniform. His cape is too also white with a silver lining at the edges. His face is constantly smiling most of the time. The man he’s currently looking at is a great admiral in the guild. Named Kreuzer Z. Frederick. He’s currently sitting inside an opera box not far from Lisbon alongside his guildmates.

Although Leaders 101 location is in a world where there is no sea or any body of water, that doesn’t stop one of them from wanting to create a fleet of ships and commanding them. The main question is from where he’s gonna need the resources to build ships? The answer is from the lucky prize that Rhine just got of course. That global class item produces an infinite amount of resources after all.

Kreuzer picks the most high-quality items to build up his fleet. Then the next question came up. Where to put his damn fleet? The answer is simple to him. Just create another huge underground floor that can host a fleet of ships and can also test the ships. As the phrase goes easier said than done it’s not that simple. However, he got his way by asking Armada to make that massive floor. That floor is located at underground level 21: Naval Base.

The creation of that floor although by using Armada’s power is still used a considerable amount of fortune. That didn’t count yet the ships that Kreuzer had yet to design, build, conduct trial and all. The issue of who’s going to men those ships has been answered even during the designing phase. Reichenau Schutzstaffel SS will man the ships.

With that, Kreuzer got his fleet.

So far, his fleet has been quite useful to the defense of the guild base. One such case is that during the large enemy raids, his fleet conduct massive bombardment against the enemies by utilizing portal bombardment. The enemies were completely caught off guard at that moment and most of them are either heavily injured or perished. The cost of the enemy raid was astronomical.

Thinking about that, Zenoral just wanted to forget it already. Then Kreuzer calls out to him.

“What’s the long face, Akhtar? Still thinking about the expenses used to build my fleet and the naval base?”

“Not anymore, Kreuzer. Since the benefit of your fleet I have seen so far has been proven quite useful on many occasions.” Zenoral makes somewhat an angry smile by showing his front teeth when saying that.

He’s right of course. Compared to other projects, Kreuzer fleet project has been beneficial in many cases such as defending the guild base or laying down suppressing fire. In another case when some of the guild members are pinned down due to enemy forces having superior numbers, Kreuzer gave them support in the form of a storm of super-battleships, battleships, and cruisers artillery bombardment. Saturating the enemy's superior number into just one-tenth of their original size.

Kreuzer’s super-battleships and other warships are to be feared despite them just sitting on the underground naval base. His warship ammunition is unlimited due to its constantly resupplied by the global class item that produces unlimited resources. Every single of the ship's ammunition no matter the calibre or type is automatically resupplied by the item. This gave Zenoral somewhat of a huge relief because the auto-resupply of the ships does affect the guild's main account.

However, Kreuzer lacks one class of ship in his fleet and that is an aircraft carrier. According to him, he planned to add them later to the fleet. He’s already has a lot of designs for numerous types of carriers.

It’s too far too late now to add the carriers. Zenoral thought.

“It’s that so Akhtar? I’m glad to hear that. Although it’s a shame that I cannot add carriers to the fleet any longer due to the current predicament.”

“Well if you want to add them, you have to pay for it.”

“I know that of course. Money is used for everything these days. Isn’t that Dietrich?”

“Haha! That is right Kreuzer. Almost everything involves money these days.”

The one sharing the opera box with Kreuzer is a man named Dietrich. While Kreuzer dealt with ships, Dietrich dealt with armoured vehicles like tanks and an armoured personnel carrier. He’s known as a Tank Expert. Anything related to armoured warfare, he’s good at it. That is Dietrich's field of expertise along with some of the other members.

Back during the day, Dietrich's armoured blitzkrieg was quite deadly. However, there are two of the members that can make Dietrich run for his money. The two men in question are quietly playing chess with each other.

“Well, anyway not everything involves money. Besides, the Blitz and the other two take their sweet time I see.” Said Zenoral.

“Yeah. He surely took a long time. But give him a break will you.” Kreuzer replies.

“Of all of us, he’s the one with a job with the most headache anyway.” Rhine interjected them. Then Dietrich decided to join in.

“Yeah. Just imagine the stress of having to deal with all of us. I’m surprised he doesn’t berserk over it.”

“I really hope he didn’t go berserk. It would be a nightmare or worse.” Said Zenoral.

Just as the four of them were talking, they could hear one of their guild member making quite a loud voice. Annoying them.

“Hey, y’all don’t need to face the incoming apocalypse with such a gloomy face! We should at least party a little don’t y’all think!? For that I say, LET’S PARTY!!!!!!!!!!”

His voice is so loud forcing some of the members to close their ears with their hands. The loudness of his voice even causes one of the guildmates that were sleeping to wake up suddenly like a bomb has just blown off.

“What the fuck was that just now!?” Said Nero, the one who shares an opera box with Lincoln.

Even in this kind of time, that guy is still noisy as usual! That damn loudspeaker! Thought the rest of them.

That’s right. The noisy guy just now nickname is the loudspeaker. His name is Dietmar. Of all the people in the guild, he’s the most with the loudest voice of them all. In fact, that if you count out the Blitz. Sometimes the Blitz can become loud too but he rarely likes that, unlike Dietmar who is always loud, even in sleep.

“Let’s party! Let’s party! Let’s party! Let’s drunk in our sorrow and let’s par-“

Before he could finish, one person has enough of his antics.

“WILL YOU SHUT UP, GODDAMMIT DIETMAR!? Even in this kind of time you are still with your ‘Let’s party!’ At least read the mood will you!” Said angrily one of the members named Lowe. Lowe is quite short-fused among all of them.

“Aww, come on man! All just feeling gloomy face makes me sad you know! I don’t like to be sad at all! I wish to be happy even when near death!” Dietmar retort back at Lowe.

“Can you not see that different person's different ways of doing stuff!? And by the way, the Blitz sure took a long time! What is he doing!? Jerk off somewhere!?” Lowe counter back.

When Lowe said “Jerk off somewhere” most of the members were holding their laugh greatly just to make sure not to get the Blitz’s attention. The same cannot be said for Dietmar. He laughs out loud of course.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Can’t imagine him doing that! If you can imagine it, Lowe you probably have a dirty mind did you not!?”

“You-“

Before Lowe could continue, the door of Armageddon opens up and there’s enter Armada along with Lincoln, Sultan Nizam, and the palace servants.

All went quiet when they entered. Some were questioning on their mind why they brought along the palace servants. He proceeds forward towards the throne without looking around while Sultan and Lincoln get into their respective place. As he nears the throne, he looks at Helena who was standing near the throne and noticed the item that she’s holding.

He took a look at Lisbon and just sigh along with shaking his head. It’s an indication that he was displeased, but not too much.

He took a seat at the throne and looked at everyone. He then ordered the palace servants to stand by the side. Then he spoke.

“Well then all of you, I believe you have been waiting for me for quite a while I say. Dietmar and Lowe, both of you still fighting like before?” Armada said that while showing his sharp front teeth.

Lowe is undeterred by that.

“You should know Blitz that Dietmar is very loud to the point of annoying! It’s disturbing too by the way!”

“I cannot disagree that with you on that can I.”

Dietmar only make an “Hmph!” sound.

Zenoral then chipped in.

“Hey Blitz, why do you bring the palace servants here? If I remember, they were positioned in the hallway leading to the meeting chamber. The main reason why they were positioned there in the first place is to delay any enemies' advance while we are preparing a warm welcome to them.”

“Yes, Zenoral. You were right they were placed in the hallway for that purpose, but not anymore.”

“Why? Because the world is coming to an end and you decided that it’s quite lonely for them not to be with their master that you bring them here?”

“…Regarding that, I have an announcement to make.”

At this point, all eyes and ears are currently focusing on Armada. While the other two are already known about what he will say, the other member, Kronien has an idea of what Armada is going to say.

“Hope this announcement is not a troll from you. You know I have short-fused.” Lowe chipped in with an angry tone. Even if Armada is a galaxy-class threat, Lowe doesn’t give a fuck.

Armada just smiled at Lowe. He knows the man's temper.

“No, no Lowe. It’s not a troll or prank from me. In fact, this one is a real deal, came…from The Almighty One himself.” Armada reiterates the part of The Almighty One. This indicates that this announcement comes from God itself.

Upon hearing that, almost all of the members go into an uproar. Only a few held themselves back. Even the two who are playing chess turn their head to look at Armada.

“What!? The Almighty One himself!? So this is a big one huh!?” Said one of them.

“The world is nearing the end but if God himself told you something, it’s certainly a huge one!” Another one.

“What’s this!? A miracle coming!? It’s hard to believe!?” Another one.

“Now this is something we have been waiting for to hear!” Another one.

“Calm down all of you! The Blitz isn’t even saying what the announcement is!” And another one.

“So what is the announcement are about Blitz!?” Ask one of them excitedly.

Armada raises his left hand that doesn’t hold the Sceptre of Leaders 101, telling them to quiet down. With that, all of them quiet down. But excitement could be seen from every single of their faces and Armada noticed it.

“Quiet down will you all. How can I deliver the announcement with you all shouting? Anyway, here’s the announcement.”

Armada stand up and spoke the announcement.

“Dearest members of Leaders 101, for your information my future vision has been activated a while ago, and let’s just say the thing that I see are not our demise, but a bright future awaits us all. Most of us here thought that the end is near!? No. Instead, what my future vision has shown me is that a scene of a world that is unknown to us, even to me. In other words, a new world. After that, The Almighty One told me on what I see is true and not an illusion of any sort. For that my friends, the new world awaits us! However…we will not be the first one there. That is all.”

Then, he took a seat. All were silent for a moment and then, a somewhat evil smile appears on almost everyone's faces? They start talking with each other.

“So a new world, huh. I would consider that we are being spared from the apocalypse.”

“The end is not yet for us it seems. Good. Just good. I still have a lot of things to do too anyway.”

“More land to conquer, more resources to gather. But, do we even need all that? We have an item that can do that anyway.”

“Come on guys. Before we do anything rash, we need to observe first what kind of world this new world is.”

Among them, one of them asks a good question to Armada.

“When The Almighty One said that ‘we will not be the first one there’ does it mean that other guilds or nation is gonna be there too?”

Armada looks at that person and smiled. He’s currently waiting for that question to be honest.

“A good question you got there. The answer to that is yes. However, guilds or nations I do not know. From the same world as us or another world different from us, I do not know. But from what I know is that there will be others before us. How many? I do not know too. My question for that is, will we prepare for that threat…or not?”

All goes into silent hearing that.

So far, Leaders 101 has managed to always be prepared no matter who the enemies are. Except if the enemy is another galaxy-class threat, then they will be doomed. However, that’s unlikely to happen because Armada is one of them, and according to him, a galaxy class threat is forbidden by The Almighty One from engaging another galaxy-class threat.

They can only engage one another with the intention of training with one another. Real full combat is absolutely forbidden under any circumstances. If they do so, the punishment is they will cease to exist.

Then, one of the members stood up and spoke. He’s the one that was playing chess quietly just now with his guildmates.

“Of course we will be prepared. For that, we need to check up on our defensive forces and the condition of our equipment.”

“That’s right Manstein. For that, I need most of you to go check every floor above to check the conditions of our defence systems. Also, beware of hidden traps. After that, start regrouping here to prepare for the transfer.”

Then the one next to Manstein, Konstantin Romanovs stand up and spoke.

“When will the transfer occur? Hope we have enough time to check everything.”

“I do not know, but I can expect it around forty-five minutes from now considering the Cthulhu Mythos World is currently being sucked into the black hole. Then us next to be burned by the star. So we don’t have much time.”

Armada could already hear some were complaining already about the lack of time. However, he will not let this halt him. Armada stand up and spoke with a tone of a leader.

“Alright then, we don’t have much time now. Check the most important part of our defence especially near the entrance at levels 1, 2, and 3. Check also every gateway connected to each level of the floor to make sure they operate normally and of course, check the levels below us too. A whole lot of factory and hardware down there. Don’t want that to get damaged during the transfer. Now then, get moving men!”

Everything inside the guild base is being maintained in perfect condition all the time by magic and by the residents. So, they only need to check it once or twice every month. However, that was before. Now things are about to be different from now on.

With that being said, almost every single member moves out to conduct some inspection. Only a few remain inside the throne hall. However, before the members moved out he told them that there will be a meeting a few days after the transference. So he told them to bring to the meeting anything that they want to discuss.

Armada took a seat on the throne. He then pays his attention to Helena.

If I remember, Lisbon builds her race based on an angel. A fallen angel. Hmmm. She’s quite the look I must say.

Helena is the epitome of beauty. If not seductively beautiful. Wearing a white dress that has somewhat of a holy symbol sewn in it. She has two pairs of feather wings on her back. A black halo floating on top of her head. Her long black hair is somewhat gleaming. Overall, she’s godly beautiful.

He then switches his attention to an item she was holding. The item that she was holding has the appearance of a black metal stick with a crown floating on the tip of it. This item at first seems harmless but if one with knowledge of what this item is capable of, they would immediately have a second thought about it. This item also has its second form that Helena can use for close combat.

Several members who remain inside the throne hall approach Armada. Armada looks at Lisbon and spoke.

“I must say this. Lisbon, you got the guts to give her that global class item without permission. You know how powerful that item is right?”

“Of course I know. That’s why I gave it to her in the first place. Her class is built mainly on defence so that she can tank almost anything that the enemy can throw at her. But she also needs some offensive capability does it not?”

“I believe some of her class builds contain quite powerful offensive abilities, is it not? Well whatever, she can keep that item as long as she knows how to take care of it.”

Lisbon heaves a sigh of relief.

Kronien then asks.

“What kind of enemies do we expect?”

“I don’t really know. But what I can tell is that we have to be prepared as much as we can.”

“I see.” Kronien then quiets down. Kronien really is a man of a few words. Then, Rastenberg turns to ask.

“Then what if this threat turns out that even you have a hard time handling?”

Armada turns towards Rastenberg and smiles. Then he answered.

“Then, God help us all.”

“Is that so.” Rastenberg replied.

Then there is awkward silence around them. As if to break the awkwardness, Armada stands up and walks towards the large door.

“Where are you going?” Lisbon asks.

“I think I should check on something too. Just waiting and sitting makes me uncomfortable.”

“Better be quick then.”

“You got it!”

The door opens and Armada exits. After the door closes, Kronien starts speaking.

“Wonder what he’s checking.”

“Who knows.” Replied Lisbon.