Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 147. The Ocean Crisis

As they climbed the tower steps, Rick tried to calm down his own fetish. By the time they got to the council chamber, he had gotten his hormones back under control.

Mostly.

The council chamber looked just like it did the last time Rick was there. A big round room with a huge table in the middle, magical lighting that changed to give the best light, and windows that gave a full view of Valdris.

Everyone sat down at the table. Fredrich was at the head of the table, and Roderick was to his right.

Zephyra sat across from them, somehow managing to look both interested and bored while the baby slept on her chest. Heinz, her husband, sat next to her, looking nervous and clearly not at ease with all the powerful people in the room.

Rick sat in the middle of Carmilla and Zara, with Natasha and Liora on either side of him. Sylvia had changed into a human form and was lounging in her chair like she owned the place.

"Before we start," Fredrich said, "I should let you know that Grand Sorceress Zephyra is known for being very direct."

"She doesn’t think it’s a good idea to sugarcoat things or waste time on diplomacy."

Rick said, "I like honesty," trying to sound more sure of himself than he really was.

Zephyra’s eyes moved to him. "Good. Then I’ll be truthful."

"I thought Fredrich was lying or exaggerating when he told me about a person who had formed Spirit Bonds with several Major Powers and become Demon King in just a few months."

"The chances of something like that happening are very...very low.

Rick asked, "And what about now?"

"Now I have to accept that strange things do happen from time to time." Her face didn’t change. "I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing for the world as a whole."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"You’re welcome." Zephyra said it so flatly that Rick couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

Fredrich coughed again. "Maybe we should get to the real point of this meeting?"

"Rick, could you please tell us what happened with Zork and the network of corruption?"

Rick took a deep breath and started to explain with the intention of making Zephyra respect him. He talked about the corruption bolt that hit Zork, the change, the fight, and finally the mental space where Zork talked about the network. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He talked about the purification breath and how it had shaken up the whole corruption system.

Zephyra listened without saying a word, and her eyes never left Rick’s face. She was quiet for a long time after he was done.

"Interesting," she finally said.

"Some people have been talking about the corruption network theory for years, but we’ve never been able to prove it."

"If your claims are accurate, then a central intelligence connects every corrupt entity, every corrupt region, and every epidemic."

"The Archon," Zara said with a frown. "The thing that spoke through Zork’s broken body."

"Yes, I knew about that from Fredrich’s intel." Zephyra moved her glasses around. "An ancient being with the ability to coordinate corruption across whole continents."

"What is the Archon’s ultimate goal?"

Fredrich took out a map and laid it out on the table. It showed the whole known world, with different markers showing where corruption was happening, where the major powers were, and where strategic areas were.

Fredrich said, "Based on what we’ve seen over the past few months, the corruption has been going after certain places."

"This was not random, but it was executed with a clear plan."

He pointed to a few things on the map. "The Elven forests, where the World Tree grows, help keep magic in balance."

"The Northern Peaks, where ancient dragon magic makes reality stronger."

"The demon realm protects the eastern borders from the Unknown Lands."

"All strategic targets," Natasha said, her analytical mind already working. "Places that, if they were corrupted, would cause failures to spread throughout the whole magical ecosystem."

"That’s right." Fredrich moved his finger over the map. "But there is one place that the Archon seems to be paying more attention to than any other."

His finger stopped at a huge area of blue that covered most of the western part of the map.

"The oceans," Zephyra said, her voice getting sharper. "More specifically, the lands ruled by Empress Meridia, the Ocean Empress."

Rick leaned in to get a better look at the map. "What is it about the oceans that makes them so important?"

"Everything," Zephyra said without any hesitation. "Seventy percent of the surface of this world is covered by oceans."

"They control the weather, make most of the world’s oxygen with magical algae, and have ley lines that connect all the continents."

"The whole world will die in a few weeks if the oceans become corrupt."

The weight of that statement settled over the room like a physical presence.

"Empress Meridia has been keeping the ocean wards safe for hundreds of years," Fredrich said.

"Strong magical barriers that stop corruption from spreading through water, but our most recent information says that those wards aren’t working."

"How bad is it?" Rick asked, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

Zephyra took a crystal ball out of her bag and set it on the table. With a wave of its hand, it showed a three-dimensional picture of the ocean’s depths. Rick could see dark purple tendrils spreading through the water like poison in a blood vessel.

Zephyra said, "This is from two weeks ago."

"About fifteen percent of the ocean’s territory is now corrupt. We think that total oceanic corruption will happen in three months at the current rate."

"Three months," Carmilla said again. "That’s not much time at all."

"It gets worse," Zephyra said, her voice still cold and detached. "Empress Meridia has cut herself and her kingdom off from the rest of the world."

"She hasn’t talked to anyone in a month. We don’t know if she’s actively fighting the corruption, getting ready to leave, or if she’s already been compromised."

"We knew that already," Sylvia said while nodding at Rick.

"So it’s clear what our next mission is," Zara said. "We need to get to the Ocean Empress, join forces with her, and help her fight the corruption in the oceans."

Roderick spoke up for the first time and said, "Easier said than done."

"Some of the strongest wards in the world protect the Ocean Empress’s domain. You can’t just sail up and knock on her door."

"She isn’t known for being nice to surface dwellers, but you have to let her in."

Rick said, "Then we’ll have to convince her," trying to sound more sure of himself than he really was.

"We’ve brought together dragons, demons, the divine temple, and now we have the Mage Council’s help."

"This is something we can do."

Zephyra’s face finally changed, showing the slightest hint that she might have liked what she saw. "Hopeful."

"Not a very smart way of thinking, but it’s hopeful thinking...and I guess that’s better than the other option."

"Thanks for saying that."

"You don’t need to be thankful." She stood up and moved the baby around in her sling.

"This meeting is concluded. I have feeding time in ten minutes, and I don’t perform that particular activity in public."

"Fredrich, send me detailed reports on any developments."

"And Rick..." Zephyra looked at Rick, who responded right away while standing up.

"Try not to die before you reach the Ocean Empress. It would be inconvenient."