Two Empires

The carriage rolled over the smooth central avenue of the city, its gently swaying cabin making one drowsy. Daniel sat on the cushioned seat at the rear, leaning against the pillow and backrest reserved exclusively for him, his eyes slightly closed as though he had already fallen asleep.

Yet his mind was at its sharpest. Through signals generated by the Artificial Neural Cord and the special Rune Array engraved beneath the carriage, the Sleeper priest's consciousness had left his body and was now wandering through the perfect world shaped by the Mind Network.

Dream City, golden boulevards, crowds flowing past.

Beautiful nameless trees lined both sides of the road. Their faintly glowing fallen leaves drifted upon the wind in the most pleasing speed and pattern. A crisp breeze passed through the orderly palace halls and pavilions, while flags and decorative banners danced between the buildings.

Daniel, appearing as a refined middle-aged mage, strolled down the boulevard and arrived at a node plaza.

Sleeper Cultists gathered across the plaza in small groups, and their quiet conversations drifted into Daniel's ears:

"Looks like The End of All Things' plan has failed completely..."

"Crude and ugly. Those monsters they made gave people a bad feeling from the start."

"But it's still hard to imagine. They actually failed so quickly... Are Cecilians really that difficult to deal with?"

"The Outworld Wanderer is over there, after all."

"How long has it been since there was any news from the Children of the Storm? Ever since the stars returned to their places, it seems they've had even less contact with the mainland."

"Who knows what those waterlogged-brained idiots are doing..."

Daniel listened to the conversations of those mid-ranking cultists with the detachment of an observer, without the slightest ripple in his heart.

To a certain extent,