Five hours remained until the battle started.

Shen sat cross-legged before the blocked portal, deep in meditation, seeking balance amid a sea of turbulent thoughts.

The fight wouldn't be easy. Shen couldn't fight against ten aura users, not alone, and he knew that. How about doing it with the help of his hundreds of thousands of troops? Was it possible then?

He wasn't sure.

Not even his mastered War offered him a clear solution. Earth simply didn't have the power to deal with everything he had seen inside, even if it might look like it at first glance—even if they disregarded the D-ranks.

The issue began with numbers and troop quality.

The human army was about the same size as the gnoll army he had left behind. However, the gnoll army only had E-ranks, while Earth's defenders were a mix of E-ranks, F-ranks, and commoners.

Then came the training and experience.

The gnoll army moved as one. They had matching equipment and experience fighting together. They hadn't routed or lost composure even as Shen came onto them like a meat grinder. Earth's army, however, was composed of barely trained conscripts that might flee at first sight of blood.

The setting was also a big issue.

Modern humans were used to modern war with fewer numbers and frail soldiers. The gnolls knew how to fight Guardians—from Shen's estimates, they specialized in it.

And finally came the most significant problem, the war machines.

The white cubes could fall from the skies like a divine hammer. Were his Guardians strong enough to build a shield?

The flying tanks could pack a punch. Could his Guardians dodge the laser-fast projectiles or survive the magic explosions?

The monoliths could take Concepts away from his Guardians. How much damage could Concept-less spells deal to the gnolls?

The purple orbs could significantly affect gravity to make one float midair without an easy way of moving. What if Earth's Guardians couldn't deal with that?

When he factored in the D-ranks, the prospects became even direr.

Without access to Concepts, Earth couldn't use the mana infusion tactic to neutralize the enemy aura users. If the D-rank gnolls could ignore the monolith's effect while Earth lost access to their Concepts...

That would be their loss, simple as that.

Of course, there were things Earth's army could do to mitigate those factors.

Shen had been alone in his fight inside the portal, but now he would have the support of heavy fire—and Earth had a lot more war machines than the gnolls. They would try to destroy the white cubes, monoliths, flying tanks, violet orbs, and whatever else came their way. As much as the gnolls could crush Earth's army with enough firepower, so could Earth attempt the same to the enemy troops.

In a way, this was a war of magic against commoner intellect. Earth was adapting to the system and mana, yet its firepower still lay in gunpowder and technology.

Would the gnolls' magic crush Earth's technological marvels, or would Earth's chemical reactions explode their enemies to oblivion?

There were too many variables and what-ifs. Shen's Path didn't let him predict everything. He could only do his best and hope.

The good news was that everyone else was doing their best too.

More and more people announced their support as the battle drew closer. Some decided that even if this whole Rift War business was a hoax, it was wiser to play it safe and help. Others wanted the glory for themselves. Whatever the case, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of extra people and military equipment were surrounding the camp, ready to help—or continue the fight if Shen's troops fell.

Marzia had announced she would buy war devices with her collected taxes. Some claimed she would use them later to establish a dictatorship, and they were probably right. She refused to lend the weaponry to the camp, would only buy them when she felt like it, and only those she trusted would be allowed to touch the things. If Earth won, she would have big guns and loyal people trained to use them.

Shen resented her for being stingy with her help, especially for not sharing her plans and tactics with the generals for better coordination, but what could he do? Threatening her might make her decide she would rather let Earth fall than help her own way. They couldn't risk it because even if they killed her, electing a new Maiden would take too long. She knew all that and was using it to her advantage.

Yet, the question remained: how effective would her war machines really be? What could Earth even purchase to protect itself? Rifts were supposed to assist with Guardian training. They would lose their purpose if planets could just throw AP or SC at the problem to make it disappear.

Blocking rifts, for instance, was against Alliance law. Doing so generated an instant Bounty, and if the blockade wasn't cleared in a few hours, alien Bounty Hunters were called by the system—regardless of local law about it. The Alliance didn't want anyone going against its way of doing things.

In the end, no one could tell who would win. Shen hadn't even fought the D-ranks to know for sure how powerful they were. They could only hope their preparations would be enough.

So he meditated, preparing himself, trying to find his balance. It wasn't easy when there was only uncertainty ahead of his Path.

He insisted on it.

Sooner or later, he would succeed—by stubbornness if not by skill.

The tiny room's walls and single door were made of solid, thick metal. The place had no windows or other openings. The only furniture was a small round table and four chairs, also made of metal at Marzia's request.

That would be her hideout while the battle raged and Shen found himself with more important concerns than protecting her.

Marzia, Karl, Hina, and Lorenzo sat around the table. They were here now as she was away from Shen for the first time since she arrived at the camp. However, when the battle started, Marzia would stay there alone while her friends helped save the planet.

She felt like a coward, but at least she would be a living coward—and to her shame, that was one of her father's teachings.

"Don't worry so much, Big Mama," Hina said with a rare caring voice. "It'll give you wrinkles."

Some believe the Japanese Pioneer was playing a character with her nonsense about beauty and status, but that was the girl's primary motto in life through and through. Marzia had never met someone who pursued beauty so single-mindedly. Hina was obsessed enough with it to miss an enormous chance when Shen asked if she wanted to join his clan.

But Hina cared for Marzia in her own way, even if the girl had difficulty putting it into words. It was all in the way she spoke and her small gestures.

Marzia quickly controlled her facial expression and posture. "Thanks," she said.

"Now, that's the beautiful woman I like to see," Hina said with a blooming, innocent smile. Marzia sighed but knew better than to tell the girl not to call her that.

Karl coughed while saying, "Shallow." Hina pretended not to notice.

Marzia knew better than to call Hina shallow, but she didn't let those thoughts distract her from her last-minute arrangements. She reviewed the information Karl and Lorenzo had collected, compared it against what she had found herself, and determined what was relevant so close to the fight. Most things weren't, so she scrolled through her smartphone at ease.

In the end, there was nothing significant to deal with. A rare state of peace permeated the camp as all parties prepared for what truly mattered. The big plays would come after the war was over, or so every party wanted the other to believe.

Eventually, only two hours remained until the portal opened.

It was time to put her most daring plan in motion.

Marzia stood up and pulled a fist-sized metallic disk from her inventory. That she had one was her most remarkable secret. She only had to will it, and the system materialized the object in her hand.

The disk was black with white drawings. The vertical silhouette of a key occupied the center, with a diamond shape on one side and a star on the other. A crown of laurels surrounded everything.

"Create Artifact: Skeleton Key," she said.

Racial Artifact — Skeleton Key

You're about to create a Racial Artifact.

Cost: 100 Management Points

Do you want to proceed?

"Yes," she replied.

White light surrounded the badge for a few seconds. When it disappeared, the disk was surrounded by a tiny white aura.

| Purchased: Racial Artifact (C+) | -100 MP

| Remaining MP: 779

| Human Artifact Count: 1/5

| Locked Artifacts: 1/1

"What's this?" Karl finally said.

Marzia ignored him and took another disk from her inventory with a cloak drawn on it instead of a key.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Karl insisted, standing up and stepping back carefully. He left his shield lying against his chair though.

"Create Artifact: Cloak of Invisibility," Marzia commanded.

Racial Artifact — Cloak of Invisibility

You're about to create a Racial Artifact.

Cost: 100 Management Points

Do you want to proceed?

"Yes," she agreed, and the same thing happened to that disk.

| Purchased: Artifact (C+) | -100 MP

| Remaining MP: 679

| Human Artifact Count: 2/5

| Locked Artifacts: 2/2

She put the two items on the table and turned to Karl. "Sit down and rest," she said. "If everything goes as planned, you'll be doing a lot of running soon enough."

]The Void had no part in Reality.

It made no sense that it could invade Reality with Void Spawn, for it should be Void of any matter or conscious thought. Yet, it was also Void of rules and pesky Reality-born things as logic.

Indeed, there were tales of heavily protected worlds suddenly just ceasing to be because the Void had unexpectedly ignored all rules that kept those worlds protected. Reality was lucky such circumstances seemed random and extremely rare—rarer still than universes being born.

Yet, one day, the Void would suddenly and inexplicably consume everything without regard for any rule.

The chance was there, even if it looked small—it could also grow to 100% at any moment; such was the way of the Void. It was only a matter of time until everything ceased to be.

Or so the Void Prophets foretold.

The Alliance insisted that that was as likely to happen as the Void spontaneously consuming itself and disappearing. It made no sense, of course; how could the lack of anything become further nothing? Yet, who could tell with the Void?

Either way, the Void existed—a paradox in itself—and its warriors invaded Reality.

So did its energy.

In the deepest, most secure depths of Fort Steelrock, in a cavernous room made of pure mithril, there one could find Void energy.

It had no visible form, yet it could be perceived with one's vision. To look in its direction was to find an annoying dot-like something blocking one's sight, an inexplicable blindspot on the corner of the eye that wasn't there when one looked.

It didn't destroy or damage anything, yet it made anyone nearby fearful. All Reality-born beings could feel Void energy with their souls. It came in the form of directional fear; they felt that somewhere nearby, in a specific direction, there was something that would consume them whole if given a chance.

No tool could measure it because it was nothing more than the absence of things made manifest. One could siphon the energy from the Void and accumulate it for an instant or billions of years, and the fear they would feel from it would be the same.

The Supreme Leader was kneeling, naked, before the Void Accumulation. His bulging muscles pulsated with black veins. His eyes were completely dark.

He was trying to get blessed.

A female gnoll in golden and white armor suddenly appeared in the room, miles away from the center where the Accumulation was.

"The portal is about to get unblocked," she reported. "The others insist we keep to our original plan and only protect ourselves."

The Supreme Leader didn't reply at first. His second-in-command had to repeat herself dozens of times for his mind to return to the here and now.

"I need the boy," the Supreme Leader replied at last. "His aura was stronger than normal, and I want to find out if it has to do with him being Void-touched. That could be our ticket out of here."

"If it's not related to the Void," she replied, "many of us will die for nothing." She didn't show anything on her face or body, but the disapproving tone made it obvious what she thought of it.

The Supreme Leader stood up, stepped back, and turned from the Accumulation. The blackness in his veins and eyes faded away as he said, "Indeed. I command so anyway." He elongated his neck and body, and the sound of snapping bones filled the place. "It looks like it's been too long since I reminded everyone why I am to be obeyed." He smiled, his sharp teeth visible, his long fangs promising pain. He stepped ahead, and suddenly, his face was inches from hers. "Even you seem to be forgetting it, Failtusk."

Her body trembled and bent back at once, putting her hands on the ground and showing her belly and neck to him in absolute submission. Her armor was still on the way, yet it would prove little defense against him.

"Apologies, Supreme Leader," she said—after failing three times to produce any sound.

He looked down on her long enough for her to rethink her entire life. Finally, he waved his hand. "You said yourself, the portal opening draws closer. We have no time to waste with posturing. You are forgiven. Lead me to those who dare to speak against me."

Failtusk thanked him profusely all the way to the first officer who had confided his worries to her in secret. She hated herself for it, but her fear of the Supreme Leader was greater.

All she could do to try to decrease her guilt was force herself not to look away as the officer begged for death with the full force of his lungs.

Five hundred yards from the portal, two lines of tanks were followed by another two of humvees with heavy machine guns. Countless attack helicopters hovered above them, and jet fighters filled the skies. Far, far back, the artillery was prepared.

They were all one command away from raining death on whatever came through the portal.

The footsoldiers waited behind the humvees, separated in lines and groups, all prepared for deployment. Multiple sniper nests had been created throughout the Staging Area.

They circled the entire portal in case the enemy tried to get behind the portal and use it as cover.

Everything was prepared.

Shen stood alone one hundred yards away from the tanks. He was looking at the portal, but when the ten-minute mark arrived, he turned his back to it and activated his Lion's Roar.

"The time has come," he said.

There was no need to wait for the troops to get silent. The air was heavy with tension, and only the people giving orders were saying anything.

"Remember your training and stand firm. If you flee, Earth falls. There's nowhere safe to run.

"Obey your superiors even when you think doing something else is better; you can't see the bigger picture from the ground. Don't get in the way of the Intervention Colonels. Do your part.

"Stay strong. Give it your all. The fate of the human race rests on your shoulders."

He deactivated the Lion's Roar and told the system, "Buy G-tier black ancient cultivator robe."

There was no reason to buy anything better than that. Shen had limited AP, and everything he could purchase would have worse resistance than his body. He also didn't know if buying better-tiered clothing with the self-repair enchantment would be cheaper in the long run—not when he was about to head into battle with it. His last E+ equipment hadn't fared well.

| Purchased: Equipment (G) | -90 AP

| Remaining AP: 2,764,832

The robe materialized on his hands. He took his grey robe off and put the black one on. He would rather use white, but the blood would taint it, and it might affect his troops' morale either positively or negatively. He wouldn't risk it.

He took a simple silver ring from the discarded robes and put it on. He had bought it for 4,090 Standard Coins. It had the Mana Sense enchantment, yet he didn't

"Buy the sharpest and most resistant D- spear I can," he said next.

Shen had considered buying a spear using Standard Coins, like the ring, but decided against it. The Pioneer Tutorial hadn't revealed it, but Guardians could only buy things on the same tier as their rank. Considering the incoming battle, it was better to sacrifice AP for a D- spear.

| Purchased: Weapon (D-) | -1,800,000 AP

| Remaining AP: 964,832

A black spear with white stripes materialized in front of him. The spearhead looked as if it was made of fragile crystal, but he would trust the system wasn't messing with him. It wasn't like he had any alternative.

"Inspect," he said.

Undeterred Judgment (D-)

Enchantments: Self-Repair(D-), Sharpness (D-), Durability (D-), Resistance (D-)

A spear used by the High Judges of Sarvilia to deliver justice.

Shen grabbed the weapon, and the world felt right again. He was his Path and thus the spear, yet he couldn't deny that holding an external weapon made him much deadlier.

Shen looked at the portal. Minutes later, big white numbers appeared in front of the black blockade.

A countdown of sixty seconds.

Shen steeled himself, for this would be the first potentially lethal challenge he faced head-on.

The tutorial had been death-free. During his talk with Valentina, he had been too ignorant to understand her power, so it didn't count. The time inside the rift also didn't count because he hadn't been himself during most of it, and after he regained control, he had been too powerful.

This time, he would be marching towards potential death with his own two feet and understanding what that meant.

This Rift War would answer the questions he had been asking himself for the past eight days:

Was the Path of Feng Shen good enough when he faced enemies of his own level? Or was it a ruse that had only worked until now because his enemies had been too weak to kill him?

He clenched his spear firmly and felt the excitement rising within himself.

The countdown reached zero.

It was time to find out where his Path could take him.