Sanctuary: Safe Haven

In the world of Sepra, monster power rankings were an established standard, easy to understand for all who lived in its dangerous, chaotic landscape. It was a clear hierarchy, designed to help categorize the threats that wandered the land:

[Monster Power Rankings]

Low Rating

Medium Rating

Intermediate Rating

High Rating

[Calamity Stage]

Low Calamity

Mid Calamity

Great Calamity

True Calamity

Beyond these stages were the ranks that few would ever witness and live to speak about:

DISASTER RANK

CATASTROPHE RANK

APOCALYPSE RANK

Understanding these ranks was simple enough. But in the span of a single day, Canna had accomplished the unthinkable—three Catastrophe-rank monsters now bent their heads to him, willingly offering their power and service. It was beyond comprehension for most of the warriors and shock troops within the sanctuary. They were in awe, unable to fathom how their clanmaster could compel creatures capable of leveling entire kingdoms to submit so easily.

The lesser-ranked warriors struggled to understand, but the Disaster-ranked guardians knew better. To them, it was clear why. One name loomed large in their minds—Abaddon.

For most, Abaddon was an enigma, an embodiment of death itself. His presence was enough to send chills down even the most battle-hardened veterans. The guardians of the sanctuary—veterans of countless battles—could feel it too. There was something unnerving about Canna's newest demon subordinate. They knew they would stand little chance against him if it ever came to that. And even if they succeeded, it would be a hollow victory, because Abaddon would take many of them with him.

It wasn't just his overwhelming power, though. There was something else that made them uneasy.

Everyone knew that demons didn't die in Sepra. If killed, they would simply return to Hell, weaker, perhaps, but never truly gone. They would climb their way back up the ranks, killing and growing stronger once again. It was an endless cycle of death and rebirth. That knowledge weighed heavily on the guardians, who, despite their strength, couldn't afford to throw their lives away against an enemy who would inevitably return.

Fortunately, Abaddon remained close to Canna at all times. As long as he followed his master and didn't venture into the sanctuary too often, the guardians kept their distance and focused on their own duties. Ameena, another of Canna's demon subordinates, was more focused on the clan base, rarely entering the sanctuary herself.

However, for the sanctuary's inhabitants, one question lingered in their minds: How could Canna tolerate having such a powerful and dangerous being like Abaddon constantly by his side?

It was Brasis, the lead researcher for the sanctuary's demon summoning experiments, who offered a simple explanation: "It's nothing but to be expected."

When his fellow researchers asked what he meant, Brasis elaborated, "Demons live under two fundamental principles—power and contracts. They only exist in our world because of a contract. Without one, they'd be dragged back to Hell, no exceptions."

The researchers who had participated in the summoning experiments exchanged worried glances. They had been the ones to unlock the secrets of demon summoning, but none of them had expected to unleash demons of such overwhelming strength. Now that catastrophe-class monsters were being added to the mix, some of them feared they might have inadvertently made things far more dangerous for Sepra.

____________________

Meanwhile, across the sanctuary, Kael sat in his study, reviewing a detailed report that had been handed to him by Ismael, one of his trusted aides. Kael whistled under his breath as he scanned the document.

"Dang," Kael muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "With all these forces under Canna's command, I'm almost afraid to see what he'll do next."

Ismael, standing at attention nearby, nodded. "It's hard to imagine anyone else wielding this kind of power responsibly. If Canna-sama wasn't the way he is, he could crush entire kingdoms in a single day."

Kael glanced up from the report with a chuckle. "That's true. If he leaned toward destruction instead of salvation, things would get ugly real fast." He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "But that's the thing about Canna. He doesn't want that kind of chaos. You haven't spent much time around him, Ismael, but trust me—Canna's not one to seek out havoc for the sake of it. He'd rather unsummon all those demons and spend his time napping in a tree if he could."

Kael smiled to himself, imagining the harbinger lounging under the sun. "But he knows how to use what's given to him. And with the kind of power he's gathering, revitalizing the sanctuary is going to happen faster than any of us thought."

Ismael gave a slight bow of acknowledgment. "As long as Canna-sama remains committed to that goal, the sanctuary will continue to thrive."

Kael's eyes scanned the document again. It contained a detailed breakdown of Canna's army, including the recent influx of mana cores from the monster hordes. Many warriors were ascending rapidly through the ranks, reaching Great Transcendents or even higher. The dwarves, too, had unveiled new, more powerful weapons for the sanctuary's warriors. The recruitment of shock troops was in full swing, with a fresh batch of soldiers expected to be trained by the end of the week.

The bigger the sanctuary grew, the more responsibility its warriors carried. They had become a beacon of hope in Sepra, but they all understood that with a greater light came a greater shadow. The sanctuary's presence was now a force that demanded attention, and Canna's growing army was a testament to that.

____________________

As the day drew to a close, Canna made his final rounds within the sanctuary.

Once satisfied that all was in order, Canna stepped outside the sanctuary. He felt the familiar presence of Mortem, his firstborn, lurking in his shadow. Now, however, he sensed another powerful figure hiding within the darkness—Abaddon.

With his forces growing and his people safe, it was time to move on to the next phase of his plan. The oceans awaited, and with them, new opportunities to expand the sanctuary's influence. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire

"Let's head out," Canna said with a determined smile, as he summoned a portal and prepared to journey into the unknown waters of Sepra.