16. World Congress: "Confrontations"

Debate over the temporary System Store drags for hours as City Lords argue resources based on their cities’ locations and shortages. Only herbs gain quick consensus; everything else fractures along local needs, leaving little time before the vote.

Jake is approached by Eron, a D-grade patriarch from Cardius with a perception-centric bloodline. Eron invites Jake to visit and pointedly remarks, “Both of you,” implying he sees something accompanying Jake. Jake feels Eron is not a danger yet senses fighting him would be futile, an unsettling intuition that sets Eron apart from other D-grades.

Away from the floor, Casper communicates telepathically with Lyra, his now D-grade ghost partner bound to a locket. They review her growing strength, synergies with his traps, and vulnerabilities to soul attacks, while noting she cannot be summoned inside the Congress. Casper’s side wants specialized wood; he personally seeks crystals. They anticipate hardening faction lines, especially between undead and the Holy Church, and avoid prolonged contact with the mentally taxing Augur.

The anticipated “Progenitor vs. Sword Saint” moment resolves without violence. After a strength-testing handshake, the Sword Saint proposes a formal non-aggression pact aiming toward alliance with Haven. Jake agrees to have their people formalize terms, defusing tensions while signaling future cooperation despite mutual desire to duel outside the Congress rules.

In private, Jake removes his wooden mask, noting it absorbed strange energy during his race evolution and now seems to draw power on its own. Attempting to contact the Malefic Viper, he realizes all divine links are severed within the Congress space, confirming the System’s dominance here. Speaking to the mask, Jake senses the resident “King” remains, changed but silent, sharpening his desire for a rematch.