The noise from the horn wasn't some devastating burst of sound. It was a deep, almost haunting call with a brassy edge to it. The frequency of the note was pitch perfect to rattle the bones in my ears making it seem like it was rattling the entire world. The odd thing was the noise carried at a speed faster than sound and far more resilient than normal sound. I saw snow dislodge and cause a minor avalanche in the distance the same instant I blew the horn. The echo of the noise rebounded back on me before the initial note had even ceased. This further amplified the effects of the vibration and I felt something close to dizziness.

I knew the sound was heard around the world. As the note faded time stopped. I wasn't rooted to the ground. I could still move but it was like wading through snow. The static weight of the world pressed me back into my starting point. Toad had predicted this would happen. His use of goblin mode had found an old memory of the last time Nadia had used the horn.

War has been Declared

Please wait…

Please wait…

Select Target…

Toad was right. The first thing I needed to do was select an enemy. The main point of this is that the entire world would know I had marked them as my enemy. Everyone would know my forces and anyone marked as my enemy. It's not like they would have a list of names but they would all know immediately should a person with either mark be perceivable to them.

"I select all the forces defending the tower," I declared. There was more than a little concern that the system would be a bastard about things. My hope was that it would be more dramatic for this fight to play out as a battle between goblins and demons, with anyone else joining being a willing participant.

Please wait…

Please wait…

Your army has been marked Left Hand of the Titan's forces.

Enemies marked.

Note: in your Warlord tab all marked combatants will be listed as Demon of Frost's Forces.

I felt the mark. It was mostly insubstantial. From a sensation standpoint it was similar to the feeling of being in the shade on a bright day. I couldn't see any visible cue of the mark on my person. The Enemies were marked as well. That did have a visible element to it. Three formally invisible demons were wreathed in a dark aura. Glancing at the rings with their big guns I could see. Couldn't see any through the walls though

For the most part these marks didn't do all that much. The punching through illusions and stealth seemed to be a side effect. People could hide themselves but not the mark. Technically the main effect of the marks was to keep damage modifiers neutral for anyone with that same or opposing mark. There was a third option: the neutral mark. Anyone with that would receive reduced damage from either side of the war. The damage reduction was a whopping 99%. The other side of the coin was Neutral parties would have their damage reduced by the same amount to anyone fighting the war.

Consulting Common Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

This was going to take a while. Roughly 80% of the world was Common Scale. Most would select to remain neutral. Honestly, what was some dude in New Zealand going to do for us over here anyways. Apparently, Nadia had used this Horn to call out hits on people back in the bad old days. Toad didn't have the details, but it started with a Lich and ended with the God of Hope when the Cradle of the All-Death was formed.

1,237 players have joined your forces.

74 players have joined opposing forces.

All other Common Scale Players remain neutral

Huh, that was a lot more than I had expected. Glancing around I saw a handful more auras of enemies up on the rings. It was unfortunate that people other than demons were fighting us. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be fighting the demons either, but it was easier to pretend what was about to happen was entirely righteous when they were the only enemy.

In the end this was war. It would be bloody and awful. It would also be morally complex. Maybe those seventy-four and and all that would follow were evil men, but it was just as likely some were through fear of reprisal or torment were forced to join the demons.

Consulting Uncommon Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

Was I the only one stuck in time? I met the gaze of one of the newly revealed demons. He couldn't move, not even his eyes. I could still sense the fear rise as I focused on him. No wonder Angelica had said this scared people. Not only did the Carnyx of Gabriel start a violent conflict, but every person alive waited frozen in anticipation for what was about to come.

109 players have joined your forces.

35 players have joined opposing forces.

All other Uncommon Scale Players remain neutral.

The change in numbers wasn't surprising but was concerning. I worried about the people aligning with me. I didn't know but strongly suspected most who joined my army were people trapped in the tower. I couldn't blame anyone for wanting to strike out at their tormentors, but remaining neutral offered a shield.

I also didn't like that the enemies numbers weren't dropping as fast as the populations percentages would indicate. Between Common and Uncommon Scale players we had sorted 96% of the world's population.

Consulting Rare Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

You would think this would be where things started going faster, but the system seemed to be moving slower as it offered the choice to the higher Scales. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that by the systems reckoning higher Scale meant greater consideration in all things.

20 players have joined your forces.

32 players have joined opposing forces.

All other Rare Scale Players remain neutral

Yep that pattern was concerning. It made a certain sort of sense. The demons likely recruited higher Scale players to enforce their inimical status quo inside the tower. I understood the calculus. I didn't like it, but I understood it.

Consulting Epic Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

This was interminable. Waiting in a frozen moment sounds poetic in theory. In practice it is a right pain in the dick. Part of me wondered what was taking so long, but then I realized the answer. Epic Scale players sat in a unique position. On the one hand they were more powerful than roughly 99% of the population. Despite that fact, the admittedly small number of people stronger than them were absurdly more powerful. A demigod could slaughter dozens of them.

This was effectively the bend of the horseshoe at least as far as the system was concerned. So while the number of people left to make decisions was small. Each one had to consider a lot more angles.

13 players have joined your forces.

24 players have joined opposing forces.

All other Epic Scale Players remain neutral.

That was more folks than I figured.

Perhaps now things would speed up.

Consulting Heroic Scale players

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Please wait…

14 players have joined your forces

All other Heroic Scale Players remain neutral.

I had hoped for faster, but got better results as well. As far as things could be judged with time frozen, that happened much faster than any step that came before it. I considered the Heroic Scale players I knew: Sunit, Rachel, Philip, and Angelica. None of them were slow to act in the moment. It tried to check my warlord tab. My hope had been to see who they were but I was met with this prompt

Warlord Tab unavailable until Carnyx of Gabriel is resolved.

Of course the system existed to vex me. This was proven true when another prompt flashed in my eyes.

Commune Check… Successful

You are now communicating with Follower Rachel Blum

Rachel: Hey Doug. My soldiers and I stayed neutral. The Priestess of Grond is still in here with us. The best play is to stay neutral, whether she picks a side or not. We are making the push for the final boss room and haven't found her. I am guessing she is still inside.

That made a lot of sense. At least for Rachel's decision. That Commune worked while the warlord tab didn't was stupid bullshit. Thoroughly vexed, I tried something.

Commune Check… Successful

You are now communicating with Followers Seth Cohen, Chino Minoru, Pappy Octavio Havok, Spine Spindle-Bite and Toad Badkiss

Doug: Did this work?

Minoru: Yes Sir.

Toad: It would seem so. What was your goal?

Doug: To see if we can do any last minute coordination.

Spine: We got to the Dark hours ago. The entrance is a big cavern, but the main tunnel down was damaged. We can't get further down without splitting up and going down side tunnels.

Pappy Havok: I don't like it. I sent scouts out to find a better route into the Dark and to watch the wastes.

Toad: Good decisions.

Seth: Things have calmed down. Goddess Lola warned us you were about to go to war with the Demon of Frost. I joined your side.

Minoru: As did I.

Doug: Why?

Minoru: Followers come when their god calls.

Doug: I don't have the ability to do that yet.

Seth: Oh… I believe in you anyways.

Doug: Thanks.

Toad: Putting this back on the rails, no. No need to change the plan.

…

Our chat was closed when the system tossed out the next prompt for the Carnyx of Gabriel.

Consulting Demigod Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

I guess the Titanic Scale Relic took primacy over the Divine Scale Commune Skill.

The Eyes of all the Gods are upon you.

Tread carefully.

That was different from the normal prompt. Then again blowing the horn likely pulled more than the average amount of aggro. Odd that it triggered at Demigod Scale. Is it because Divine Scale players all have an essence that was locked at Demigod Scale?

The Hosts of Heaven have taken heed of you.

Face judgement.

That was less than comforting. My interactions with Celeste had colored my understanding of what the angels were like. While she did occasionally hedge that not everyone in her group was like her. That prompt implied that heaven was far more wrath and fire than grace and love.

Jo always said: God protect us from your zealots. Now wasn't the time for a detailed dive into theology. I just hoped this was the system coloring things in the worst light possible. It was more dramatic that way.

The Hells gaze up at thee.

Know despair.

That on the other hand sounded right on the money… which could mean that…

No. Just no. I wasn't going to twist myself into circles while contemplating if the faction that powers technology on the suffering others is evil. This here and now was simple. They had slaves. That was wrong. We were going to stop it.

Kate, The Knife of Nadia, Jones has joined your forces.

Holy Fuck…

Kate…

Was she here?

Please wait…

Please wait…

I gazed around trying to see her. In that moment my heart couldn't hammer, nor could adrenaline surge. That didn't matter. This was proof of life for my daughter. Yeah sure, others had said she was alive, but that was just words. And while I certainly hoped she was okay in a world swarming with monsters and ill intent, it always felt so fleeting.

All other Demigod Scale Players remain neutral.

Huh. Had she scared the other demigods off?

Kate was around when the System first hit and from what I could gather was adventuring with Nadia from the beginning. Brunhilda seemed to be an anomaly being a demigod player above level fifty. It would stand to reason she would be a higher level still.

I calmed down. The Titan was her father. I don't know what I was to her.

Regardless, she was either here or not. No matter what I still had a job to do.

Consulting Divine Scale players

Please wait…

Please wait…

It looked like Divine Scale was still separate from Demigod. I wondered if that gave them two bites at the apple. Stay neutral at one Scale only to pick a side at another

Debbie, Goddess of Death, remains Neutral as in all things.

Lola, Goddess of War, remains Neutral. However The Goddess Blesses this battlefield. Her followers have Scale in her domain.

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

That was two big names making a choice right out the gate. Debbie not taking a side made sense. Considering her perspective people dying was going to happen and her concern was to ensure their souls made it to the proper side of the veil. Lola staying neutral was unfortunate. I shouldn't be surprised though. This setup lent itself to betrayal. The best path individually was to remain neutral, unless overwhelming force was already aligned.

Malphea, Devil of Subjugation, has joined the enemy forces.

Frausta, Devil of Deception, remains neutral.

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Angor Crux, Devil of Despair has joined the enemy forces.

Please wait…

Ah shit. Wasn't Angor Crux supposed to be dead. Angelica was adamant about that. Then again. Celeste got killed and she was still out and about. That was still bad news for us. Why had Frausta remained neutral? The problem with bumbling ass-first into politics is you get surprised.

All of the heavenly hosts remain neutral

Please wait…

Please wait…

Fuck me. No shining cavalry from on high this day.

Commune Check… Successful

You are now communicating with Follower: Toad Badkiss

Doug: We have two Devil in play

Toad: I saw. This does not change our plan. You must close the gate with all haste. The Devil's reach is long, but limited on this side of the veil.

…

We were cut off again when the system declared.

The God of Hope has joined your forces.

Please wait…

I only knew three things about the God of Hope. First, he was loved. Seriously no one that talked about him had ever said anything bad about him. Second was he had fought Angor Crux. Angelica had insisted he killed the Devil of Despair. The last was that Nadia had killed him. It would seem both of those points had been wrong.

You know what, no. The only thing I knew about the God of Hope was they had specific timing. Everything else was up for debate

Regardless a lot of not dying was happening. Let's hope the pattern continues for my people.

The Eyes of the Titan are upon you.

That was out of order.

All other Divine Scale players remain Neutral.

Now that was easier to read. The Titan had scared everyone else away. He could have hurried his cosmic ass up and stopped the Devils… or was that point?

It was probably time to start the fight proper.

Consulting Adam, The Wise Man of the Mountain

Please wait…

Adam has joined the enemy forces.

Well dammit. Nadia had said Adam wasn't aligned with the other Titan Spawn. Wise Man of the Mountain. Had he joined with the Technacoast? That would explain how it could stand in opposition to Zach's Fantasy Coast, and its Kingdom full of gods.

Consulting Cole, Dragon Sworn

Please wait…

Cole remains neutral.

That wasn't a surprise last I heard he was trying to get his daughters out of a sunken city. I think… I really should have asked more questions.

Consulting Aella, The Soul Drinker

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Please wait…

Aella remains neutral

That stank of some sort of back room dealing. I would worry about that later.

Consulting Zach, Storm King

Zach has joined your forces.

Wait… whut? No system. That is not enough information.

Elaborate! Tell me more!

Whut, -the misspelling is needed in this case- just happened?!

Why the hell was Zach joining my forces? Would him joining make the army his army? He was higher level.

Commune Check… Successful

You are now communicating with Followers Seth Cohen, Chino Minoru, Pappy Octavio Havok, Spine Spindle-Bite and Toad Badkiss

Doug: Does this change our plans?

Toad: An enemy and an alley titan spawn joining the fray? Of Course!

Doug: How?

Toad: I don't know!

…

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