Chapter 946: Reunion
Michael's control of the Untamed Jungle grew firmer by the day. The Links of Loyalty with the jungle monsters didn't change much, but every percentile was worth a fortune. The Pentagon Forts spread across the Untamed Jungle's resource deposits without taking the jungle monsters' habitats. Still, Michael ended up being forced to fight and kill some jungle monsters.
He might be able to control their every move, but forcing the jungle monsters to go against their instincts required multiple commands he had to repeat often. Even then, the Links of Loyalty with those jungle monsters would weaken until it would require a tremendous amount of Nature Heart's energy to order them around.
Therefore, Michael didn't intervene often. He allowed his subjects and the jungle monsters to fight as if he weren't linked to either of them. He left the jungle's primal roots untouched.
More than 20 Pentagon Forts had been constructed in the last two years, pushing the population of Michael's subjects in the Untamed Jungle to more than one hundred million Summons.
That number was exhilarating and didn't even include his Summons in the Sacred Desert. More city-states had also been constructed in the Sacred Desert, pushing the population over there to more than one hundred million. The amount of Soul Power Michael acquired from more than two hundred million Summons and countless jungle monsters was shocking, to say the least. It was especially important to note how much attention Michael paid to treating his Summons nicely. Everyone who worked hard and tried his utmost to become a valuable asset was given everything they could wish for. Resources to advance in the occupational path of their choice and specific privileges for every promotion they acquired through tireless effort and unbending willpower.
At this point, it was near-impossible not to advance to a 1-Star Summon if you worked hard. Some Starless Summons may be incompatible with many occupations or didn't feel like doing some jobs. However, the Untamed Jungle and Sacred Desert required so many unique and exciting jobs that, at least, one fit perfectly to everyone. The Pentagon Forts and settlements in the Sacred Desert had hundreds of institutions to train combatants of all kinds, but also training camps and classes to teach clerics, tamers, farmers, architects, alchemists, blacksmiths, enchanter, janitors, forest rangers, scouts, carpenters, and much more.
If one tried, advancing to 1-Star was possible. As long as one's compatibility and determination to progress further weren't too bad either, receiving a promotion to a 2-Star Summon wasn't impossible either. Only advancing to 3-Star and higher was a little bit more tricky. It was complicated and required far more conditions to be met. But even that was something Michael could help with. Not for everyone, but he could give his helping hand...and Insert...to ensure his Summons would meet some requirements. One way or another, 1-Star and 2-Star Summons loyal to Michael provided tens of times more Soul Power than Starless Summons. Therefore, with enough investments and genuine effort to help as many as possible, Michael managed to procure enough Soul Power to push his Soultraits to a much higher level. All Soultraits in his Soul Sphere were at least three times stronger than they used to be two years ago. Strengthening his Soultrait Symbols might not have been necessary in the last two years, just like it was unnecessary to work tirelessly to push his Tier to the Late rank of Tier-6 with a horrifying number of Energy Stones that crumbled to dust, their energy filling Michael's Energy Vortex.
Still, Michael prepared for the future, especially with the Altors Union and the Supreme Human Alliance engaging in ferocious battles.
Over the course of two years, the stalemate between the Altors Union and the Supreme Human Alliance transformed into a massive, chaotic battlefield. The borders spread along several stellar systems, and various other locations that weren't even borders between the two forces turned into grand zones of death, terror, and destruction.
The Altors Union had called the Nest to join their fight and help them kill the enemy forces. Most Curse Users were reluctant to join the fight. They knew the Supreme Human Alliance would pay the most attention to them. After all, Curse Users were one of the Supreme Human Alliance's biggest issues. The Altors Union was aware of that and tried to abuse this fact. They offered the Nest generous compensation to join the large-scale war, stating that every enemy slain would grant them X resources.
Killing a single Tier-4 Hyuman would reward the Curse User with enough resources for a Tier-4 Curse User to refine his War Rune at full capacity for a week or two, depending on their absorption efficiency. It wasn't that valuable for someone like Michael but worth a fortune for other Curse Users. As long as they killed a few dozen enemies, they could refine their War Rune for a year or longer without worrying about their resources. The Curse Users might have to put their lives on the line, but it wasn't like the Supreme Human Alliance was their friend. Curse Users hated them almost as much as the Altors Union hated their old nemesis.
In the meantime, Michael didn't join for the "generous" compensation of the Altors Union. He chose to join some battles to find Alice and Lincoln while killing as many bad people as possible. Killing them provided more than enough SoulStar Fragments and Soultrait Symbols to strengthen himself - his soul, to be precise - and the Untamed Awakened.
Michael could also claim the death portion of the deceased using Death Call, pushing him even closer to Tier-7.
He was stronger than ever and could feel that as he slayed Divine Lifeforms on the battlefield, but Michael didn't feel well. He had been looking for Alice and Lincoln as often as possible, but there was no news. Nobody had heard about them, and the only reason Michael believed they were still alive was the live-updated recordings of the Heart's Choice trial.
The problem with the trial was that it used the entire authority stored within the Temple of the Forgotten. If not for that, Michael would have searched for Alice and Lincoln using the Temple of the Forgotten. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. It would have been too easy that way...apparently.
Michael might grow stronger by the day, but his worry grew simultaneously. What if he was too late and someone had killed Alice and Lincoln... What if he couldn't save them anymore? If he found them, but the Blood Injection spread too far, affecting them too much... Michael didn't even want to think about the possibility, but he knew his chances of freeing them of blood incursion decreased daily.
He considered charging into the Supreme Human Alliance's territory once he ascended to a Divine Lifeform, but Jormungandr and Fenrir told him that they couldn't help him defeat the leaders of the SHA just yet. Not without permanently crippling his body. Or...by obliterating his Essence, killing him in the process.
The God Curses had the power, but Michael didn't have the means to use it.
Fortunately, Michael's prayers were listened to. He might not have found Alice and Lincoln, but someone else did.
The Nest Leader located the duo and brought them back home.