The Invincible Hero - Chapter 65

With the ability to process and create tools and special alloys, BS42 and his dedicated crew were able to create the items that were needed to upgrade the Technology Center from an industrial era level of technology to something that could begin to produce the advanced technology developed under the Zimwarn Empire. Obviously, BS42 didn’t share all their secrets, but the ability to fast-track the development of Fiend Finders was a huge help in the intensified hunting of Fiends.

The Fiends were frantic. They couldn’t go anywhere in the human world without worrying about being discovered. They were forced to flee into forests and places of extreme danger to avoid the cultivators who were always on their heels. Their last layer of allies, cultivators who were persuaded to work with the Fiends yet had never cultivated Fiend techniques quickly began to betray the Fiends. The writing was on the wall, working with or for the Fiends was the quickest way of getting yourself killed.

The Fiends didn’t know what to do until it was decided that they should capture a few of these Fiend Finders and see if they could understand their mysteries. If they could understand the Fiend Finders, maybe they could find a way to fool them.

Over the period of two years, the Fiends began to capture cultivators with Fiend Finders and tried every way they could to understand the strange devices. Given the universal aim of all Fiends, it might seem odd that the Fiends of this world found technology so difficult to grasp. Especially, when the Great Fiend produced his own advanced technologies to aid in conquering the Dragon Empire.

Not all Fiends were equal. The Fiends of this world were mostly converts. Very few Fiends of this world were actually born of Fiends Stones. The Fiends of this world only began to learn of the use of Fiend Stones when they suddenly found themselves at the mercy of the cultivators’ new technology.

BS42 was like a divine general as he handed out orders in the Technology Center. He was able to bring in some of his staff from the Samsara Pod and this increased the efficiency of things. Lorne had a vague idea about what was going on but for the most part, he was completely focused on cultivating.

The Elders Council treated BS42 as if he were one of them, they recognized the incredible boost in their cultivation that technology brought. There were plans to upgrade cities, towns, and even villages with electricity, plumbing, and BS42 even introduced the car to the upper classes and the rich.

Special taxes were levied throughout every kingdom, but no one minded they were completely caught up in the excitement of ‘technology!’ With the influx of materials from every part of the world, BS42 was gradually able to update his understanding of the resources of this world. They gathered every book on every subject. What BS42 learned, like Lorne, was Master River had prepared them for their ascension to this world. The theories and practices that Master River taught them even worked in the ascended universe. The only difference was the materials, but Master River’s teachings allowed them to adapt to new types of resources very quickly.

Twelve years after the Fiends began to kidnap cultivators, the change in this world was startling. It was unrecognizable from the world that used to exist. BS42 had introduced modern warfare equipment such as airplanes, tanks, and ships that could contend against immortals but be piloted by mortals.

At first, the immortals felt threatened by these advances, but eventually, they came to realize that this was a challenge to them to increase the depth of the martial cultivations. It also represented better protection from Fiend Forces. BS42 commissioned one of his military Warbox peers to create an officer academy to train in modern war methods and strategies. General Boyle Grube served Prince Heken in the Zimwarn Empire and was brought into the rebellion. He was a loyal man and it was only because it was Prince Heken that he agreed to join his rebellion. The rebellion failed and he was sentenced to become a Warbox for Prince Longoak. He was one of those who chose to stay with BS42 when Master River freed all of the souls from their slave seals.

Of course, General Grube had men of his own that he trusted who were assigned to help act as instructors. Instead of wars fought over land. Kingdoms began to run war games against one another as they prepared for a war with the Fiends. The Fiends were recognized for the calamity that they were and no one wanted a single Fiend to survive the war. The Fiends were evil, all of them, and when you are faced with absolute evil it must be met absolutely. Even if this means genocide! This was the feeling of the powerful cultivators of this world.

There was still some confusion over certain technologies and many became confused about the term Warbox. They believed this term referred to individuals of great ability. The reason for this was because every Warbox they met were individuals of great ability. As far as their robotic forms, they just thought it was a kind of armor that was worn at all times. It was as if they were saying, “I’m always ready for battle,” and this inspired many to act in like manner.

The term Warbox became a term of honor. The term was so popular that BS42 was forced to create a special college within the Officer Academy called the Warbox College. It was a special school for the elites of the cultivation world. They were the pinnacle talents who would lead the cultivators into a successful future.

Lorne cautioned BS42 about making technology and advanced civilization only about war and fighting. He insisted that with the advances of technology came advances in ethics and morality which were presented through universal laws binding on all people regardless of their cultivation. Lorne pointed to the chaos of the Fiends and persuaded it was because of a lack of just laws universally applied, that Fiends behaved as they did. Lorne suggested several general guidelines that were enforced in kingdoms and in sects. These laws were introduced by the Elders Council who also came to understand that the increase of deadly power technology created needed to be controlled. The best way to do this was through propaganda demonstrating that laws lead to freedom and good and these were the ways of the cultivators. While the lack of laws was the Fiendish path. The most reluctant to adopt the new laws were the sects who lived by a philosophy of the strong make the rules.

Eventually, BS42 was able to convince even the sects that the implementation of just laws gave more strength to their sects. This was easily proved by demonstrating how just laws removed many of the future threats to sects that were birthed through the unjust acts perpetrated by cultivators in the past. This passing, implementing and enforcing of a just legal system was a step towards the civilizing of this world. Lorne commented to BS42 he felt more accomplished by creating a just legal system in this world than all the things he ever did as a superhero.

Twenty years after the Fiends started kidnapping cultivators to understand their technology, a special war council was held. General Grube was recognized as the Warbox General of the United Cultivators League (UCL). The top generals in the world were gathered at the headquarters of the UCL Army base. In the War Room, Warbox General Grube and the other generals stood around a holographic map of the world. The entire globe was sprinkled with light dots. Each light dot represented a Fiend lair, hideout, or military base.

Twenty years ago, when cultivators began disappearing, BS42 set in motion a plan to locate all of the Fiend bases throughout the world. He didn’t tell anyone of this plan. Only when Warbox General Grube was confirmed in place did they begin to reveal BS42’s secret plan. However, this information marked Top Most Secret. Only generals with special clearance were allowed to know the broadest strokes of the plan.

“We’ve managed to discover every hidden lair of the Fiends in the world. We have identified and recorded every fiend in every place that we were able to.” Warbox General Grube said.

“Sir, how did we gain this information?” asked General Leeway.

Warbox BS42 included in every Fiend Finder that was ever created from the first to the ones coming off the assembly line special tracking technology. At first, the technology was only a simple homing beacon. However, eventually, we added cybernetic bugging organisms that could explore any location they were brought to. Thanks to the Fiends kidnapping our people this technology found its way onto their bases and provided us with the intel we have.” replied Warbox General Grube.

“Amazing,” the generals not in the know couldn’t help but remark. What foresight Warbox BS42 possessed.

“Our plan is to mobilize our forces. We will assign targets and assignments to our armed forces and launch a simultaneous strike against all known Fiend Forces. This attack may not take out all Fiends, but it will be a big enough blow that Warbox BS42 believes, we’ll have delayed the grander plans of the Fiends. You will have one week to prepare your troops for the attack.” Warbox General Grube concluded.

“Sir, how can we pull off a simultaneous attack when we are all located in different parts of the world?” a young general asked.

“Excellent question, Warbox BS42 has launched a number of satellites into the orbit of our planet. The satellites are a new communication technology, undetectable to our enemies, which will allow us to communicate in real time with each other.” The General informed everyone. This was the first time anyone heard of this technology they were shocked that such a thing could exist. They were still using trained birds, runners, and short distance psychic communication to relay messages at long distances.

“Prepare your troops!” dismissed by the Warbox General, everyone headed back to forces to make ready for the operation.

One week later, the most well organized and efficient plan was executed by the world forces. The Fiends were caught completely unaware and had no idea how they were discovered. These forces were completely wiped out.

These weren’t all of the Fiends, those Fiends who survived the attack hid away to grow powerful so that one day they could have their revenge. For the cultivators, this attack represented the greatest success of the cultivator civilization over the Fiends. There were celebrations all over the world for the next month.

Oblivious to all of this, Lorne continued to train.