Chapter 291: Making an Impression
Over the following weeks, every eye in the galaxy was turned at Hell. The guerilla warfare was becoming increasingly intense. As Jack leveled up, the Animal Kingdom tried not to underestimate him.
I finally found a target! the Sage said a week after they attacked the nine-person party and nearly escaped the Wardens wrath.
Everyone else jumped up at once. Lets go!
Twelve late D-Grades and six deacons were flying over the sea, chatting idly as the ones with the sharpest Dao perception scanned the waters below. This time, there was no dramatic entry on Jacks side. They instantly teleported in and unleashed their most destructive attacks.
The Animal Kingdom cultivators barely had time to react. A Meteor Punch tore through them, killing a handful, while a burning sun blossomed in their midst, making them scream. Dordok arrived just then, smashing down his steel greatclub to complete the ambush.
Half the enemy immortals were killed instantly. The remainder fought hard, but Jacks strength was now so great that they barely stood a chance. A hastily activated projection stone transmitted the scene of Jack, Shol, and Dordok annihilating an entire squadron of the Animal Kingdoms finest. The entire planet gawked once again.
At the same time, word spread out immediately, and billions of people across the galaxy flocked to their local projection centers to watch the Animal Kingdom suffer.
Two minutes after the start of the battle, the Sage appeared and shouted, We have to go!
The other three rushed to his side and teleported away right as a C-Grade eagler flew in from above, showering the area in sharp winds that decimated both the water below and the one surviving Animal Kingdom cultivator. Jack and his companions narrowly escaped.
Damn it! the eagler exclaimed, breaking the still-active projection stone as well. Damn it all!
The four warriors appeared in the underwater cave that had become their lair. What level are you now, Jack? Shol asked.
215! Jack exclaimed joyfully. He couldnt stop grinning. Im going so fast now! Were farming those guys like its nothing!
Do you think hes stronger than you now, Shol? Dordok asked playfully, to which Shol snorted.
Dont be an idiot. I was the second deacon of the Exploding Sunone of the strongest D-Grades in the galaxy. I could not lose to someone thirty levels below me.
Jack simply laughed good-naturedly.
Meanwhile, back at the planets capital, the Warden was going crazy. They did it again! he roared, flaring his nostrils. Theyre toying with us! We need to capture them!
What should we do, uncle? Maximus asked. He was personally invested in capturing Jack Rust after failing once.
What can we do? the Warden replied helplessly. Increase the patrol size even more. Reinforce every team with high-ranking deacons. Have every Enforcer on the planet join the searchwe must find them before the entire galaxy is laughing at us.
Maximuss eyes widened in shock. Youre putting C-Grades on search duty?
We dont have a damn choice, the Warden snapped back. The Grand Elder has given me full reign over these Enforcers. If I say they go on searching duty, they go on searching duty. Make it happen!
Yes, uncle, Maximus replied, teleporting away.
Soon after, the Sage opened his eyes in the cave. Bad news, he said. The C-Grade Enforcers have joined the search.
What does that mean for us? Jack asked.
The chance of them finding us has increased Although, with such large searching parties, the ground they can cover is limited. Were still safe. The problem is that divining everyones location just got harderC-Grades are resistant to my D-Grade Dao.
Just do your best, Jack replied encouragingly. We believe in you.
Two more weeks passed. The news of Hells situation kept spreading. By now, even the surrounding constellations were full of talk about the Battle Brothersthe three brave cultivators who laid siege on an entire planet by themselves. The Sage had not participated in the battles, so most people didnt take him into account.
All across the galaxy, people wouldnt stop talking about this. It was a monumental event! When was the last time a B-Grade faction was publicly humiliated and rendered helpless? Never! It had never happened before! Even if someone had the ability to do it, what kind of madman would actually try?
The Merchant Union created cheap copies of every battle projection and sold them everywhere. They even made montages showcasing the best points of each battle and how the entire situation evolved. These documentaries sold like hot cakes, and pretty soon, the Animal Kingdoms reputation was so thoroughly dragged through the mud that they were forced to prohibit all talk of the Battle Brothersas Jack, Shol, and Dordok were now calledin their constellation.
But gossip could not be stopped. All this prohibition achieved was to make the news even more intriguing.
Back on Earth, ArTazul and ArKarvahul were having the happiest days of their lives. They had chosen to bet on Jack Rust during the Integration, and now their investment would be repaid a millionfold. They borrowed from everyone they knew to buy their own projection stones and record various scenes on Earth, from the environment of Jack Rusts Integration to his closest people. They interviewed Edgar, Vivi, the professor, even Harambe and Sparman.
The professor also took this opportunity to raise awareness about the Animal Kingdoms oppression. She talked about how, once the grace period was over, the Planetary Overseer would slaughter all of them in retaliation. They had one month to live, but they were still fighting.
These interviews were integrated in the Merchant Unions documentaries, making the two djinn merchants filthy rich and further ruining the Animal Kingdoms public image. Many oppressed species and planets realized they were not alone. A rebellious undercurrent appeared in the Animal Kingdom constellation, fanned and fueled by Jack Rusts resistanceas well as the Kingdoms display of weakness.
Furthermore, as the Warden had withdrawn many EnforcersC-Grade cultivators below the rank of Elderto Hell, many other fronts of the Animal Kingdom were left short-staffed. The other factions pounced on this opportunity. The Kingdom started losing resources everywhere, their control over their territories weakened, the respect they commanded lessened, and they slowly became the butt of the joke across the galaxy.
At the same time, Jack Rust and the Battle Brothers became household names. Nothing inspired the people more than a righteous, winning underdog. They were amongst the galaxys greatest celebrities.
Of course, the Battle Brothers themselves were also aware of that. The Sage could communicate with the outside world, and he narrated the effect their actions had on the galaxy.
Incredible, Shol muttered breathlessly. To think my old bones still had so much to give Oh, this sets me on fire!
Calm yourself, Shol. Jack laughed. We still need to escape this place, somehow. A little bit of infamy will mean nothing if were tortured and killed.
This is even better than when I was a pirate in the Starry Wilds, Shol said, grinning. System bless you, Jack. Youve given me a new life. If the rest of our crew is still out there, they must be extremely proud of us.
Im sure they are, captain, Jack replied. Well meet them again eventually.
Shol frowned. The only downside, he said, is that things are moving slowly now. Your agreed duel with Li Qian is only three days away. There is no way we will make it in time.
Jack sighed. Listen, Shol. I get where youre coming from, but that duel was already long forfeited. I am a wanted criminal of the Hand of God, and I have created so much trouble that my name is known across the galaxy. There is no way I could return to the Exploding Sun to fight.
I know Shol replied with a sigh of his own. Its just a shame. Li Qian still needs a good butt-kicking, and Master He trailed off, but his meaning was obvious. If Jack forfeited the duel, Master Sophina would probably lose the position of Grand Elder.
Look at the bright side, Jack said. We have given Master a lot to work with. By sending us here, she rendered a huge service to the Exploding Sun. There are all sorts of implications. Monsoon will try to frame this as a terrible risk to the faction, while she will call it a brilliant move. That battle of impressions will affect the Grand Elder position much more than my duel ever could. At the end of the day, missing it means very little.
I guess so, Shol replied, hardening his gaze. I may have technically left the faction, but I remain a proud member of the Exploding Sun. Lets show these Animal Kingdom pricks what were made of.
Thats the spirit!
The date of Jacks duel with Li Qian came and passed. By now, any assaults they made on the Animal Kingdom forces had to be very carefully prepared. The search parties were large, and there were too many C-Grades wandering the planet. One mistake could ruin everything.
At the same time, they could not delay. Time was pressing. The duel with Li Qian could be missed, but the end of Earths grace period could not.
Over the following two weeks, the Battle Brothersthey liked the name, so they adopted it for themselvestook some risks.
One raid happened just a week after the previous one. They assaulted a search party which included the fifth-ranked deacon of the Animal Kingdom, a female sharken covered in scars. Shol held her at bay while Jack, with the assistance of Dordok, went to town on the rest of them. After killing seven immortals, Shol and the Sage grouped up with them, unleashed a barrage of attacks to make some space, and teleported away, narrowly dodging the white-robed C-Grade man who came to capture them.
The man did not say anything, nor did he grow angry. His eyes were calm and pure, as was his Dao.
After that, the Animal Kingdom grew so desperate that they commanded all search parties to stop carrying projection stones. There was no other way. Every new battle recording threw splashes of mud on their public image.
Unfortunately for them, Jack and the others had already collected a decent number of projection stones from their previous assaults. They could just record the battles themselves, then send the recordings to the Sages connections and spread them across the galaxy all the same.
Another week after the previous battle, the Battle Brothers attacked one more group. This time, the enemies were more prepared, so the battle did not go as smoothly. Dordok suffered an almost grievous injury, while Shol had an arm broken. Jack fought three deacons and nine late D-Grades at the same time, killing half of themthough the fact that he could teleport while they could not certainly helped.
They escaped in the nick of time, barely dodging the Wardens furious assault. Once again, the terrain under them was leveled, and the surviving D-Grades were sent flying away by the shockwave.
Damn it! the Warden roared again after making sure there were no projection stones around. In his six millennia of life, he had never felt so powerless before. Hed always been a proud, invincible prodigy. Nobody had ever toyed with him like Jack Rust did!
Brat! he screamed to the heavens. I will pull out every single tendon and bone in your body!
Jack did not hear thatbut if he had, he wouldnt have cared the slightest bit. The Sages teleportation brought them back to the underwater cave, where Shol and Dordok sat down to tend to their injuries. Jack could afford to take it easier, since his regeneration was extremely effective.
Most importantly, the successive battles had helped him reach Level 230. He was overflowing with power.
I think that was our best battle yet, the Sage said. I bet the recording will become a best-seller.
Are there best-sellers in the galaxy? Jack asked.
There are best sellers everywhere.
Good. The more we can harm the Animal Kingdom, the better, Jack replied, but not with his usual jovialty. His present mood was not the best. With all that was happening, the Animal Kingdom was gearing up more and more, and the chances of them successfully escaping in time were so small they might as well not exist.
And they had to hurry. Hurry a lot. Because, between all the weeks and months of this guerilla warfare, a lot of time had passed. Before he knew it, the one year deadline was almost up.
The grace period of Earth would end in exactly two weeks.
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