Shade observed with satisfaction the set of runes he had finished preparing. After arduous weeks of studying runes and all the information on sorcery he had gathered, he had achieved one of his objectives: an enchantment capable of reducing one's presence to nightmare creatures.
Of course, he would need to first test if they really worked upon disembarking. If he was correct, then he could replicate the enchantment on a large scale for the Rhino.
Storing the enchantment sheet in his dark vault, he took out his communicator and reviewed the instruction manual that everyone in the first army possessed.
From what he read in the manual, there was a specific set of rules. For example: if you begin to experience recurring nightmares or persistent auditory hallucinations, report to the nearest naval officer immediately. Or, if the alert level rises to Black Condition, cease all activity and movement; do not produce any sound, disturbance, or vibration, do not summon Memories, and above all, do not circulate your essence, etc.
There were several alert levels, different colors, and Black Condition was one of the highest, only surpassed by Red Condition. If it was the latter, the entire fleet would enter an all-out battle. There were also numerous other rules to follow.
Shade decided to head to the Rhino. He wanted to see the fruit of his astronomical investments in the armored vehicle.
Walking towards the cargo hold.
'Hey Uriel, are you there?' Shade called mentally. After waiting a few seconds, he heard a half-asleep voice.
"Yeah, what's up?" Uriel responded.
'Have you been asleep for five full days?'
"No. Sometimes I wake up for a bit, observe, and then go back to sleep. Anyway, what's going on?"
'When will they attack the convoy on this trip?' asked Shade.
"I don't know, but it should be in a few days, I think? Anyway, don't worry... forget it, better worry. There might be a Black or Red alert."
'That sounds interesting.'
"Creepy guy. Anyway, I'm sleepy, so don't call me unless it's something important." After saying those words, Uriel cut the mental connection.
Shade sighed.
He still had a month before it was his turn to rest deeply. He really needed it.
Descending to the vehicle bay of the battleship, it occupied a separate bay in the lower area, not larger than the normal cargo hold.
The bay was full of all kinds of war machines that would make scientists go crazy and presidents salivate to get one of them, especially the Chinese ones.
Sighing, Shade remembered his original world—or rather, Uriel's world, but since they were the same, there was no difference.
The Earth he came from was calmer, perhaps boring. There was no magic, no monsters, nor a cruel but fair system.
It was peaceful, always changing in every aspect, from the cultural to the warlike.
It was this last aspect that was shaking the Earth when he had left.
"I guess the Earth just needs a ruler," he murmured as he sighed.
Shade advanced in silence, passing through war machines until he reached the one assigned to his cohort. Upon arriving, he observed the vehicle.
The armored vehicle was angular and robust, with thick armored metal plates made of a composite alloy covering its solid structure. Its design was elegant, robust, and strangely aggressive. Its height was also considerable, at least 2.5 meters tall, with six imposing wheels made of an alloy that made them incredibly durable for any type of terrain, each the size of an average person.
He had invested quite a few contribution points in them to maximize mobility.
As for another peculiar feature, it was the powerful thrusters that allowed it to maintain brief bursts of levitation. In short, it could make short jumps, cushion the impact of a high-altitude landing, and even move on water like an amphibious hovercraft.
Finally, there was a huge wedge that could deploy, turning it into a heavy-duty siege ram of high power, capable of piercing the hide of Awakened beasts and obstacles like rocks with ease.
"It was really worth investing so much money in this metal thing," he murmured.
Lowering his gaze, he observed Miranda, who was with a communicator, looking at the results of a series of tests that he really didn't understand what they were for.
"What do you think?" Shade asked his subordinate.
"Everything seems to be in order, Captain. Without a doubt, it's a beast," she said with an excited smile.
"It's a proud machine, the Rhino. It's incredibly fast despite carrying heavy armor, very maneuverable, and has extremely resistant internal components. With the costly upgrades we acquired, it has become something very difficult to stop."
Shade blinked, then looked at Lucien and Asher.
"Did either of you understand anything she said?"
"In general terms, it will run without problems," said Asher.
"Oh, that's good," said Shade.
"Would you like to take a look inside, Captain?" Miranda offered.
"Of course. I spent almost all my money on this thing, so I can look at it," he said, tapping the vehicle a bit, feeling the hard alloy.
Climbing a few steps, he entered an open hatch into the interior of the enormous vehicle.
The entire interior was, without a doubt, rustic and Spartan. Every space was utilized so that nothing was wasted, and it was designed for maximum durability. Undoubtedly, it was a military machine, but strangely also a machine capable of surviving an apocalypse. There was even a small refrigerator to store drinks.
The front part of the Rhino was dedicated to the slightly elevated pilot's cabin, where Miranda was studying and analyzing the control panels. There were also a couple of seats. The windshield was long and narrow, offering a 180-degree view, able to see everything in front and to the sides.
Of course, there were also small camera monitors showing blind spots.
The central part was dedicated to a modest living space for the crew to relax, along with a compact kitchen and a divided hygiene compartment. Six sleeping berths were situated on opposite walls. Each of the bunks functioned as a sleeping capsule so that his team could go to the Dream Realm and return.
Due to the campaign, they would have to split up. When not fighting, they would have to sleep two at a time, so that there were always four ready for combat while the others rested.
Finally, the rear part of the vehicle housed the command and communications room. There was a large holographic table, a powerful console connected to the Rhino's antenna array, and a set of monitors receiving information from the pilot's cabin.
Most importantly, behind all that was an alcove where his bed was located, with a partition for greater privacy and exclusive storage space. Although he doubted he would use it much.
Shade explored for a while until he reached his private corner, sitting on the bed, feeling that the mattress was quite comfortable. Not as comfortable as the bed in his home, but it was comfortable.
During the following days, fortunately, nothing happened other than the continuous journey towards Antarctica.
During the travel days, he continued to understand his team to improve their teamwork, using the training area to hold simulated battles, enhancing their skills at long, medium, or short range.
Since they no longer had access to virtual duels, they had to settle for simple training to keep their senses sharp.
The days passed slowly until a week went by.
Shade finally had time to sleep, which he did gladly.
Oh, that was the plan, when he was awakened by something persistent—it was the singing of young women.
'Damn it. It's already begun,' Shade thought.
He could feel a mental attack, but the Crown of Repose, still resting on his head, shattered the insidious attack of the creatures, leaving him with a clear mind thanks to the anchors he had prepared beforehand.
His first anchor was towards himself: his name, his True Name, and his identity. His second anchor was towards his friends. His third anchor was towards his purpose. And his fourth anchor was towards his mission.
With these four anchors to cling to, the crown's effect activated, blocking any attempt at a mental attack.
A moment later, everything went dark, and an alert arrived on his communicator—it was a Black Code.
Shade remained calm, not moving. After a minute, red lights turned on. Shade stood up with an annoyed expression.
"And I wanted to sleep," he murmured grumpily. Writing to his team, he ordered them to gather near the Rhino in the lower bay. He had a feeling something bad would happen.
Moving through the darkness, he arrived at the bow of the ship, observing the naval war against the black water that had darkened a large part of where they were.
'It's darkness,' Shade thought, looking at the dark water. He could feel hundreds of nightmare creatures swimming rapidly and two large presences, perhaps a Terror and a Tyrant, though he wasn't sure.
Looking at the flagship, he observed the Saint of the Night jump into the water, transforming into an enormous orca heading into the black water, and moments later it was agitated, followed by members of the House of Night.
Shade, after watching a bit longer, traversed the darkness until he reached the lower bay where his subordinates were gathered along with other Awakened.
...
The interior of the bay remained silent and calm, but also tense. Every now and then, the ship would tilt due to the powerful bursts of gunfire, as well as the enormous cannons aimed at the dark water.
The House of Night was confronting whatever was beneath the water while the one hundred thousand soldiers of the first army had no choice but to wait and beg any deity for salvation.
Shade walked towards where his cohort was with a calm expression on his face. Seeing him so calm, they relaxed a little.