Maximilian didn't relax until he was certain the wind wall he made would stay in place. He hadn't had the idea until after he had finished his speech, so he couldn't say he understood what he had done. He had braided the wind together into a pattern that could be considered solid, though it wasn't, not really. It was a bit like trying in a wind tunnel. If you were strong enough, you could push your way through. He had no idea how he had placed it in the window, or why it didn't destroy anything. He could tell he had put enough power in it to rip apart most weaker beasts, yet it was peaceful. Weird.

  "I thought we were trying to keep a low profile," Joshua said.

  "Eh, you guys are keeping a low profile. I don't want any harm to come to any of you. I, on the other hand, have to play the game. Keep up appearances and all that. Also, if I'm being honest, it was fun."

  "Perhaps, but that might have been a bit overboard. It would be better for us to maintain respectful relationships with all the factions. At least until we are ready to separate from them completely." His mother added.

  "I don't disagree, but I refuse to negotiate from a position of weakness. I wanted them to know that I am not a citizen of the U.S. or even of the old world that needs to get in line. I am a ruler. One recognized by the Network. I will be respected. Now I admit that maybe the killing intent and aura part might've been unneeded, but everyone needs a nuclear deterrent, right? So far, most people know me as a name on a list. That was their first real taste of what I could do."

  Maximilian flexed his fingers as the booth settled into a calm silence. For a moment, he thought they would be upset with him or be against what he had done, but that wasn't the case. Sure, they had their disagreements, but that was it. They didn't question too hard. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He was confident that his mother would always tell him what she thought, but everyone else? He pushed those thoughts down deep inside. He had chosen this road. He could've fled the mountain back then. He could've run away. Refused to found a settlement. He could still abdicate his position. There were plenty who would take over if he said the word. He was here because he wanted to be. Which meant he would deal with the consequences. Fortunately, the UWG sent the meeting into an intermission soon after. He did feel a bit bad about that since she had lost control of the crowd after his display. He wouldn't say he regretted his actions, though. He had needed to make a statement, and that he did.

  "Make sure you return here." He started as they headed toward the exit to their booth. "I would like to see what else the government can tell us."

  "I will see about making some connections. Trade routes will need to form soon. Nubia is in an excellent position if we put in the time and effort."

  Maximilian nodded and was just about to head down the hall when he caught sight of a familiar man in golden armor. A short distance behind him was a pair of Asian men. One who looked like they were in their mid-fifties or early sixties. The other was a few years younger than himself. Maximilian smiled as he realized that his plans had already been made. "Stay close together and be safe. It seems like my peers want a conversation." He said as both Justinian and Yao stepped out of the building. A few moments later, the trio stood on the roof of the stadium. Maximilian looked out at the city while the pair stood a few feet behind him. He wished he could say that he had taken some sort of control over the situation, but he hadn't. The three didn't seem overly worried.

  "I hope neither of you found my display overly disrespectful," Maximilian said, hoping to get a rise out of either of them.

  "Not at all. It was the most interesting part of the meeting so far. It was disappointing that the so-called UWG had decided to try to focus on old-world logic and rules. Though it made some sense. They don't have any true elites on their side," Justinian replied as he leaned against the metal of the stadium's sign.

  "Neither I nor the clan have any complaints. Your behavior was acceptable, and the control you have over your abilities is impressive," Yao offered.

  Maximilian nodded as he turned to give the duo his full attention. "So what are your plans? I assume that we aren't here to fight and establish the future leader of the planet."

  Justinian laughed right before an eight-foot-long spear appeared in his left hand. Maximilian smiled as he wrapped himself in wind, water, and electricity. Yao didn't move, but Maximilian couldn't say he was passive. He had relaxed in that way that martial artists do. He felt like he was ready to move at a moment's notice. The trio stared at each other for several moments before they laughed, and Maximilian dispersed his energy. Justinian did the same with his spear. "The stage isn't set for that. We are all too weak," Justinian said after a while. "We also shouldn't weaken the Earth too soon."

  "On that we agree. I don't believe we've seen the worst that the monsters can do. They will get stronger, and their natural hierarchy will be more dangerous than we give them credit for."

  Maximilian rubbed his chin as he considered it for a moment. "I believe you are right. I haven't come across anything too tough recently. Which makes me think that the real dangers are restricted. I hesitate to say it, but the Network feels like a video game. One where the threat will scale as we achieve certain milestones."

  "Now that would make things much more interesting," Justinian replied. "It would make some sense. If the most powerful monsters appeared all at once, we likely wouldn't survive. At least most of us wouldn't."

  "Do you now think this would be important information to share with the others?"

  "There would be no point," Justinian replied before Maximilian had the chance to speak. "The others are unlikely to accidentally trigger something. Which means that telling them would only add fear and pressure on us. They would want us to slow down to give the rest of the world a chance to catch up or be more prepared. Something that I doubt any of us would be willing to do."

  "Further, I can't say that I am right. If I shared my thoughts and it turned out I was wrong, people would have panicked needlessly. We would also have to worry about the chances that someone might try to trigger the end of the world by killing people. I don't think there would be any challenge for that, but there might be."

  "Very well. I will share your concerns with the clan patriarch," Yao replied.

  Maximilian raised an eyebrow at that but decided to ignore it. He was pretty certain that the man wasn't going to budge on that, and he didn't really care. Justinian's appraisal was the more accurate one. He knew he had no interest in slowing down his progression. He even believed that he knew what the first trigger would be. He was already pretty close to level 27. Which should be the end of the "Early" Foundation realm. Shouldn't that cause the monsters to get a boost?

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  "The information is yours now. I am not going to make a fuss if you decide to share it with the government. I don't believe it would help any," Justinian replied as he turned his attention to Maximilian. "I got to know, is there a reason you look like you stepped out of a romance novel? I can't tell if it is a skill or some treasure you found."

  "Neither. It appears that I was born with a unique physique or a unique body. In truth, I don't understand it very well myself. I can tell you that your affinities affect your appearance as well. Though they don't make you attractive, but better. As it was explained to me, you are more aligned with heaven. Though I can't tell you what that means." Maximilian had thought about what he was going to do with his information, and he felt it was best to share it. No, to be more accurate, he just didn't care enough to hide it. His physique was a part of who he was. He would also use Earth as a test. He doubted Earth could be compared to the multiverse, but it would have to be enough.

  "I see. Some of us are born with everything." He said solemnly. A facade that lasted less than a moment before he chuckled. "Whatever. We all got our secrets."

  "Indeed. I assume you all are aware of the upcoming trial? I assume we will all take part?" Yao asked.

  "Of course. You two wouldn't happen to have any more information on it, would you?" Maximilian asked.

  "No. My assistant either doesn't know or is unable to tell me. I am not sure I can actually trust that thing. Yet it hasn't betrayed me and has been useful," Justinian replied.

  "Same, though I believe it is more accurate to say that they can't harm us. They seem to be heavily bound to the governance system. I believe they are more like computer programs than anything else," Yao added.

  "I second that, though nothing is perfect or guaranteed." Maximilian smiled at both men. "I believe our time together is coming to an end. Shall we agree to see one another again during the trial?"

  "Agreed."

  "Naturally."

  Maximilian nodded as both men made their exits. He flexed his fingers for a moment as he wrapped himself in all three of his daos. Now that he had met them, he had to admit he wasn't sure he could kill them both. He could beat them for sure, but they should be able to escape. Even that assumed they didn't have any strange skills or items. He couldn't help but find the whole situation interesting. Logically, it was dumb not to deal with them; at least he had thought so, but now he didn't. After all, every sword needed a whetstone. The monsters would be good for a while, but other humans? They had to represent the best training partners. Well, other people who could think anyway. He was sure that the other species would be just as good. It was all so exciting. He released his daos a moment later and made his way back inside. He doubted the UWG had anything more interesting than that short conversation, but he would give them a chance. In no time, he was inside his booth along with his mother and the rest of the Nubian delegation. He had them give an update on what they had accomplished, but there wasn't much. Not to say that they weren't busy, but it was a lot of agreements. Several factions were having problems with powerful beasts and asked for help. They offered words of support but no firm agreements. As his mother hadn't wanted to do that without asking him first.

  A sentiment he could appreciate, though it wasn't needed. He would help wherever he could because it was the right thing to do. Not that he really needed a grand reason. Monsters were dangerous, sure, but they were all advancement. A fact that he still found weird. As it meant that war and conflict were normal. All sides would use the others as fuel for their paths. As much as he found it distasteful and hard to accept, morality didn't really apply. At least not as more than a pretext for doing something you already wanted to do. He assumed that order was still maintained, though. The library confirmed as much since there were factions. He brought his thoughts back to the moment at hand as they finished their report. Assuming things worked out as his mother expected, the trip would be even more beneficial. They should have recruited the last of the people he needed for his quest. With all that taken care of, he turned his attention back to the stage as Elsie returned. Her posture was more relaxed than before.

  "Welcome back. I hope you found the time to rest, relax, and form the start of fruitful relationships. It is time that we move on to the second part of the congress. As many of you have no doubt heard or already have tokens, it should come as no surprise that there will be a unique opportunity coming to Earth soon. A trial with tokens that were earned during the tutorial and as a reward for various quests. For those of you who have only heard rumors, allow me to update you." From there, Elsie reviewed everything they knew about the upcoming trial, which was more or less what they all knew already. The trial would appear soon, though no one could say when exactly. You entered it with the token, and the rules would be shared once you were there. Simple information that wasn't for him and the other elites. No, the government had continued with its appeal to the common person. People who either weren't leaders or just weren't in the know. He had to admit the strategy wasn't bad despite what Justinian thought. The power of many hands was not something one could underestimate. Maximilian didn't get a bad feeling until after the government began their recruiting pitch. At first, he thought nothing of it, but he assumed they weren't fools. They were antagonizing the other forces here.

  "What do you think the chances are that the UWG has a quest related to either population size or people willing to follow them? I opened my Via Regalis by fighting solo, but I doubt that's the only way to do so."

  "I think you might be correct. It would explain why they are bothering to talk of unification. It would also further impede you and the other elites. They may also bank on your unwillingness to use outright force against them." His mother added.

  He stared at Elsie as she continued, and he had to agree with her assessment. He shifted his focus to the other booths, but from what he could see, no one was interested in making a move. Not that he disagreed with it. If he assumed that their goal was to be recognized by the Network, he didn't care. Even if they got access to the Via Regalis, he doubted they could begin the quest line, let alone complete it. He hadn't even been offered it yet. If anything, all they were doing was catching up to him and the others. The more he thought about it, the more he leaned toward leaving them alone. It would even make Earth as a whole stronger. The only real threat was if the other species decided to fully join. Thus giving their faction a powerful warrior or two. He doubted it. Without that, he could plan out a potential route for the government. One where they focused on quantity, hoping that those who already occupied the top spots would start to fall. Which did make sense. Outside of the trio, the rest of the top 100 had been in flux. Names appeared and disappeared by the hour sometimes. They could also play up the whole democracy angle far better than he could. With all that said, he wasn't willing to count the government out yet. He just wasn't sure if they would be an ally or an enemy; then again, perhaps they would be both.

  The whole situation made him feel like he was the leader in a real-time strategy game. Only there weren't as many annoying menus. Or he supposed he had someone else for that part. It was still a unique experience. He tuned into the discussion as Elsie gave out a few of the government's extra tokens. He was somewhat sure that they were lying about that. Or rather, that the tokens were being given out to people who had already made agreements with the government. "Do we have any gifts?" He asked.

  "We hadn't planned on anything, though you could give out spare weapons. Or monster parts." His mother replied.

  Maximilian shook his head. It wouldn't work. He would need something worth it, and even he didn't want to see the state of whatever monster parts still existed in his bag. He made a mental note to once again empty it all out when they got back. Once the government finished with its display, the congress began to fade. It was clear that the impetus for the meeting had ended, but the politicking part hadn't. Elsie dismissed everyone, but he decided not to leave yet. He had already spoken with the people he had wanted to, which left him with few ideas on what to do next. Part of him wanted to just go back to Nubia. His feelings worsened when he realized his mother didn't need him for anything. His display earlier was better than anything his words could do, and he just sitting around talking might do more harm than good. It would be like a celebrity just hanging. It might feel good to be there, but it would make logistics a nightmare. Just as he resolved himself to go out and do some hunting, the ground trembled. The feeling was muted, and he hardly sensed it, yet it remained. He glanced in the direction it came from, though he couldn't see through the walls. Another impact came, and two more followed in quick succession before the screaming started.