"And today’s session is officially underway."
In the middle of a large grand hall sitting at the very center of the Bastion, a man holding a stone tablet stood looking down at hundreds of Bastion members.
The Grand Council of Humanity was held at scheduled intervals throughout the year, where humanity’s greatest warriors came together to discuss issues that would affect the future of the world and the human territories. This was not a gathering for ordinary people.
Every person seated within this hall had either reached a level of strength that allowed them to influence entire regions, or possessed knowledge and authority important enough to shape humanity’s future. Some were old, some were young, some were warriors who had survived countless battles.
Others were summoners, scholars, commanders and representatives of the greatest organizations within the four kingdoms. Yet for all their differences, they shared one thing — they were the Bastion of Humanity.
"I would first like to start by welcoming the new additions to the Bastion." The lead speaker, a man Ethen knew very well in the person of Barthalemew, said while pointing toward the group below.
Not surprisingly, the Trueblood faction had the highest number of new members, around seven; the second was the Dawn faction with five, the Vanguard had four, and the Ascendant had four as well. Everyone else had failed woefully.
For those who had spent their entire lives dreaming of reaching this place, the numbers were brutal. Hundreds had come; only a handful had remained. And even among those who passed the selection, there were still differences in how they had earned their positions —
some had overwhelming strength, others possessed extraordinary summons, some had survived the Under Mountain through sheer skill, a few had relied on their factions. Regardless of how they had gotten here, however, they were now members of the Bastion.
"And a former member..." Barthalemew turned his attention toward Ni’an. The Demi human stood quietly among the newcomers, his expression carrying none of the excitement surrounding him. Barthalemew stared at him for a moment before nodding — his hatred for Demi humans could only go so far.
He had watched Ni’an lay siege to a demonic angel and burn it to the ground with his flames, all while putting his own life at risk, and try as he did, Barthalemew couldn’t bring himself to disrespect him as he once would have. Ni’an had earned his place, and everyone here knew it.
"Congratulations, heroes of humanity." As Barthalemew’s words resounded, the grand hall erupted into cheers.
The sound rolled through the enormous chamber, echoing between the pillars and spreading toward the upper levels. The new members looked around with different expressions — some excited, some nervous, others trying their best to hide the pride on their faces. Ethen simply sat quietly.
The Bastion was not a monolith. People died here every day — some during missions, some disappeared while exploring dangerous regions, others fell during battles against the enemies of humanity.
Replenishing their ranks had become more of a necessity in recent times. They all knew it. The world was becoming increasingly dangerous. Humanity needed stronger warriors.
"Before we proceed with the business of the day and assigning missions, let’s commend the recent successes and failures of this past year." Barthalemew smiled before pulling forward a screen that illuminated the sky above the grand hall. Immediately, the atmosphere changed — the cheers died down as everyone focused on the information being displayed.
"Franklin Warren and the Lumberg Republic’s cleansing of the dreadful Logar Sect." The screen changed.
[Logar Sect: A group of marauders in the Great Mountains have been waylaying caravans for decades, particularly elusive due to their strange bloodline. They have been a thorn in the territories, spreading their influence far and wide.]
[Their activities in recent years include deals with the Demi humans to sneak into human territories, as well as attempts to assassinate human talents.]
[Credits to Franklin Warren, Tudor Hensel, Lumberg Royal Guard; Seven Scythe Wind Hall of Trueblood.]
As the words appeared, applause rang out throughout the hall. The Logar Sect wasn’t a problem for no reason — it had taken an entire kingdom to participate in their cleansing, and the organization possessed a good number of Demi gods within its ranks. For decades, the Bastion had been unable to completely eliminate them. Now, they were finally gone.
"Next, Great Temple Slave and the Vanguard’s push into the third slope of the Great Fall." The screen changed again.
[The Great Fall is one of the wonders of the world.]
[Unfortunately, it is riddled with demonic beasts that are not native to the Under Mountain.]
[This discovery has prompted the Bastion to begin a discovery phase to understand the pit.]
[The third slope is a massive achievement toward that effort.]
[Credits to the Temple Slave, Fren Yongar, Xia Yang, and the Vanguard Troop.]
More applause followed. One achievement after another appeared above them — some involving battles, others discoveries, expeditions into dangerous regions, the elimination of demonic organizations, the protection of human kingdoms and the recovery of ancient treasures.
The list went on and on. With every new achievement, Ethen found himself learning something new about the world.
Things that ordinary people would never hear about were being casually discussed here. Entire regions that he had never heard of were displayed — ancient organizations, dangerous beasts, hidden dungeons, forbidden territories.
The Bastion possessed information far beyond what was available to the four kingdoms. This was truly the place where humanity belonged.
"Special thanks to the Dracontis family’s Liana Dracontis, the Judgement Hall of Bark, for foiling the descent of the Blood Serpent God." The atmosphere immediately changed. The screen above them shifted again.
[Blood Serpent God Descent Incident: Belligerent Beast God with ill intentions toward the human territories.]
[Has attempted to destroy a multitude of kingdoms recently by corrupting their people.]
[Credit to: Liana Dracontis, Kang of the Punishment Hall, White Tower and Ethen Algar.]
The moment those words dropped, the room went silent. A god incident was no laughing matter — when gods descended, people died en masse. It was the kind of event that could change the fate of an entire kingdom.
Yet somehow, almost no one in the Bastion had known that something like this had happened in Bark. The new members looked at the screen with varying expressions.
"Wait a minute." One of them suddenly whispered. "Isn’t that the name of a new member?"
"It’s the boy with the quintuple S-rank summons."
"He participated in a god incident?"
Immediately, the attention of the new members shifted toward Ethen. A trace of competition flashed through their eyes — they had just arrived at the Bastion, supposed to be the talents of their generation.
Yet before they had even settled into their new positions, someone among them had already appeared on the records of a god incident. Even though most of them couldn’t comprehend what it truly meant to participate in something like that, they couldn’t let themselves be outshone.
Barthalemew noticed the commotion. "Relax. He didn’t succeed in descending. They were able to kill his Demi god vessel before that." The explanation calmed some of the people, but not completely. Ethen remained seated, his expression unchanged — he had no interest in explaining himself.
Barthalemew turned his attention back toward the tablet. His eyes moved across the information. Then he froze. His expression changed, and for the first time since the council began, genuine surprise appeared on his face. His eyes widened as he stared at the information before him.
"Another god incident..."
He paused. His gaze slowly lifted toward Ethen.
"...involving him?"
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