Emory frowned, "I'm sorry for your people. Why did they do it?"
"That's always the question, 'why', but all these years later, we still don't have a perfect answer," Athos sighed, "Several goals have become clear over the years though. First and most importantly, their magik requires life energy, so they can either use their own life or steal another's. We call it the Void sphere, and the Arcane sphere is the only suitable counter to it. Secondly, their current technology requires the power of stars, of which they prefer yellow dwarves, like Sol."
"That's why we made contact with the Mantoan! They wanted the power of the Sun," Emory interrupted.
"Precisely. Your large population and low technological power were an added bonus," Athos agreed, "However, you drove them back due to your quick progression in magik."
Emory asked, "Besides overwhelming force, do they have any other weaknesses?"
"We've come across a plant that causes a similar poison effect to all the Apleem," Athos answered, "I believe you call it Mentha. It needs to be added during the forging process, but it turns most serious wounds into fatal ones. However, the Uthid can only be hurt by third level magik or higher while fifth level is needed to hurt the Laxtros. Now, onto your training, send another bolt my way." Emory complied and shot a glistening sphere at Athos who caught the ball easily.
"How much progress have I made?" Emory questioned.
Athos crushed the orb and replied, "Eighty-nine percent. You are indeed a prodigy. Four percent in one day is spectacular."
"One day? It's only been a couple hours," Emory's eyebrow furrowed until she looked around, "Oh no! I've spent far too long here. I'm sorry Athos, but I need to head back to our base. Same time tomorrow?"
"Yes, child. But I would prepare yourself to be here for the same amount of time as today every day for the agreed upon time. You can only go so fast," Athos expressed clearly. The two bowed before he snapped his finger and disappeared while she took off running back to camp. What surprised Emory the most was how far she had depleted her mana pool just from casting Arcane Bolt over and over again. With a dead sprint, she managed to make it back to the FOB in ten minutes, though it was so late that only minimal guards were stationed around at the checkpoints. Yet just like she was expecting, Tethys sat there on the cargo platform waiting for Emory to return.
Tethys snapped, "Good to see you've finally returned. You couldn't have called?"
"I'm really sorry, Tethys," Emory apologized sincerely, "I didn't know training was going to take so long. But Athos said it would take this long for the next several days."
"Emory! This is madness! I don't care what kind of training you're getting, but you're plenty strong already. We need you here. Nephenee called while you were out," Tethys squawked.
"There's a lot to tell you that I learned," Emory explained, "But first, tell me about Nephenee's team."
Tethys's face turned even redder, "They called in the cavalry. They found Mantoan technology."
"Oh no. A base or what?" Emory panicked, "Are there enemies inbound?"
"Right now, it's just a sensor of some sort, but it was deactivated a few days ago. So, who knows how long until they show up," Tethys calmed down a bit after seeing Emory's disposition.
"They may be in bigger danger than you know," Emory grimaced before explaining what Athos told her. She didn't include the war story, just the expanded scope of the Apleem and their goals. Still, Tethys stumbled and had to sit down after learning this startling information.
After a few minutes, Tethys finally spoke, "Most of us don't even have a sphere to third level. How can we defeat an enemy much stronger than the Mantoan when the majority of us can't hurt them?"
"That's why I've been training with Athos," Emory affirmed, "So that I can go to any of the squads as soon as they encounter trouble. But even I'm not strong enough to turn the tide yet, which is why I need to spend this time to get to the next level."
"I get it now. What can I do to help?" Tethys asked apologetically.
"After learning what I did, I think we should focus on finishing the FOB first. Tomorrow, assign everyone to focus on that; we'll work on the research center afterwards," Emory confidently replied, "I'm going to use the RRS to report this back to the Supreme Commander then head off to bed. In the morning, we'll work with Mags to start the project." Tethys nodded in agreement and shakily stood back up before finally heading off to bed herself. On the other hand, Emory strode quickly towards the fortified shelter where a guard was posted outside. Without explaining what she was doing, she stepped around him, entered the room, and shut the door before the guard could even react. A few minutes later, she stood on the familiar platform and waited for the call to connect. Shepherd's hologram rubbed his eyes as he appeared in his pajamas.
He yawned, "Emory, what's so important that you couldn't wait until morning? And why were you part of the exploration team instead of the base team?"
"Sir, what am I about to say may sound like complete lunacy, but I swear it's the truth," Emory tentatively began, "I collected evidence to suggest that the Mantoan are only a part of a larger alliance. Though I don't have a clear picture of hierarchy yet, it appears that the Mantoan are the weakest of the forces in this alliance."
"That is a very serious accusation. Where did you get this information?" Shepherd stood up, a little more attentive.
"I have a source that I cannot reveal at this time," Emory continued, "But sir, that's not why I'm calling you. According to this source, concentrated Mentha oil, when added to a weapon during the forging process, acts as a poison to all the races in this alliance. Please create weapons like this before sending troops to reinforce Nephenee's team."
Shepherd frowned, "You learned all this and won't reveal your source? We're supposed to be on the same team."
"Revealing my source could have unintended consequences," Emory tried to explain, "Please, if you trust my judgement, you need to accept the helpful information and not asking anymore questions about it. What's the worst that could happen by adding it to some weapons?"
"I suppose you're right. I'll give the order right away. But you will reveal your source to me eventually," Shepherd scolded her. The screen flickered before fading away altogether. Emory stepped off the platform and took in a big yawn while she turned off the equipment. Afterwards, she left the area and headed to bed as it had been a long day. But when she tried to lay down an relax, it was pointless since she was still distracted by thoughts of the Apleem. Instead, she sat up and meditated to recover the magik she had spent during training. It took almost an hour to refill her mana pool, but it also relaxed her body enough to drift off to sleep. At first, she dreamed peacefully, yet soon enough, her dreams turned to nightmare as the spider woman appeared in her dreams once again.