Chapter 7193: The Oscillating Variable If there was one undeniable fact, it was that the shadow of the Oscillating Fist loomed tall over the entire leadership challenge. The RC negotiating team had done an excellent job of shaping the leadership challenge in a way that gave the Dark Apostle an option to take over the Phase Lord Department without needing to confront its true leader. This was a masterstroke in negotiation. Perhaps the Ascended Giants themselves had not truly recognized the implications of these terms. Well, Ves thought it was more likely that the Ascended GIants underestimated the challenger. They initially thought of him as a mech designer who possessed no real fighting skills. Well, they had certainly been proven wrong this time. The Oscillating Fist definitely shouldn’t have been able to foresee how all three of his strategos eventually rolled over the challenger. This should have thrown him off-balance, but this also made him even more unpredictable. How would he react? Would he accept the results? Would he try to fight back in order to retrieve the Phase Lord Department back in his possession? All of these questions and more lingered in the minds of the collies and even the Ascended Giants. After the initial celebration subsided, the collies all grew serious as they awaited the start of the fourth and final duel. Multiple think tanks ran through the data and came up with many different theories. The Red Collective had come closer than ever to regaining control over the Phase Lord Department. They did not want to drop the ball at the last second because they overlooked a crucial variable. At this moment, none of the variables caused as much consternation to them as the self-styled polemarchos of the Ascended Giants. The opinions of the Ascended Giants had always painted him as a cut above the rest of their kind. Before their progenitor came along, the Ascended Giants almost universally considered him to be the perfect member of their kind. He possessed both excellent fighting skills and a true body that could overcome any martial challenge. Combined with his ambitious vision and his compelling leadership qualities, the Oscillating Fist had long served as the compass of the Ascended Giants. Yet strangely enough, the Oscillating Fist had remained almost entirely absent since the Dark Apostle first tried to open a dialogue with the Phase Lord Department. The strategoi led the personnel stationed in the headquarters. Many units and departments continued to do their jobs as if nothing had changed. What was he thinking? What was he doing? What were his intentions? Many questions remained unanswered, but Ves knew that the time had come for the veil to be cast aside. "According to our monitoring of their headquarters, many Ascended Giants and human support personnel have mostly accepted the outcome of the three duels." Secret Keeper Zariel-775 spoke in an emotionless tone as usual. "They are all aware of the short version of the agreement and understand that they will soon answer to a different polemarchos. Overall, their resistance to this leadership transition is fairly low. They are sincerely convinced by the fighting ability and technological ingenuity of the so-called Dark Apostle. There are exceptions, but we have already marked them for reassignment or elimination." The projection of Department Head Demetrius Sol Klavia nodded. "Thank you for your report. The situation has developed along one of our more optimistic tracks. However, this is no reason to let your guard down. The Ascended Giants have become a group of regressed tribalistic warriors. External influences have misguided and indoctrinated them to the point where they mistakenly believe they belong to a different race. We cannot rely on their honor or their duty to make good on their promises. A single powerful ’tribe leader’ can always come and smash our agreement to pieces by relying on brute force." The Dark Apostle’s giant expression began to frown. He clearly did not want this to happen, but when he thought about the virtues of himself and his fellow Ascended Giants, he had to admit that these fears were not entirely unfounded. Blinky began to run his furry chin with his paw. "What is the probability that the Oscillating Fist will not accept the outcome of the leadership challenge?" Everyone looked at Zariel-775. The robed figure offered his response. "Our diviners, ritualists and more mundane intelligence analysts have studied all of the relevant data that we have collected. I have to warn you that our data is not as complete as we like. We especially lack direct observation and access to more confidential records related to the Oscillating Fist. He has always resided in the center of the headquarters, which enjoys the greatest protection against physical and non-physical intrusion. Even if these safeguards have become dated by the current standards of the RC, their effectiveness is not in doubt." After making all of this clear, the secret keeper finally moved on to the information that everyone wanted to know. "With these caveats in mind, we estimate that there is a 78 percent chance that the Oscillating Fist will not surrender his leadership position. If that is the case, there is a 68 percent chance that he will force the Dark Apostle to accept a duel that will not end unless one of them dies. Winner takes all. Regardless of the terms of the leadership challenge, the Dark Apostle cannot formally take over the Ascended Giants if he is dead. This is what the Oscillating Fist likely rely upon to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It suits him best as he has always prided himself on his excellent martial power." "..." Ves, the Dark Apostle, the Patient Builder and everyone gathered in this impromptu meeting looked at each other. If this was a normal situation, then the Red Collective could readily intervene and rely on their mechs and warships to suppress the Oscillating Fist. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎 After all, the Phase Lord Department under the tacit approval of the current polemarchos had signed a contract. They agreed to bet knowing what would happen if they would win or lose. If they won, then the Oscillating Fist would retain control over the Ascended Giants. That did not happen. If the Oscillating Fist had any sense of genuine honor in him, then he would honestly accept his loss and abide by the terms of the agreement. To hear that this guy had a high likelihood of flipping the table and forcing the Dark Apostle to fight for a reward that he should have secured already sounded incredibly frustrating! "We can’t simply rely on overwhelming force to neutralize the Oscillating Force, is that correct?" Ves asked. The projection of the Patient Builder sighed. "Our analysis of the primitive psychology of the Ascended Giants has revealed that they harbor less respect for contracts and agreements. They value martial virtue much higher. Just as they are willing to let you take over leadership so long as you have defeated enough of their leaders, they are also eager to see the Oscillating Fist win back everything that he has lost by initiating a daring duel to the death." "Savages." Eliza Mo Ragadan contemptuously remarked. "We have forged the Red Collective to be a force of enlightenment. Unlike the brutal practices of the Five Scrolls Compact, we approach the forces of mystery from a scientific and rational perspective. Every phenomenon has an explanation. No matter what unusual mysteries we end up making use of, we always remind ourselves that mystery must serve red humanity, and not the other way around." That sounded familiar to Ves. Well, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Red Collective copied the best practices of the Red Association. "If I had my way, I would force all of these stupid Ascended Giants to go back to school so that they can be recivilized." He said through Blinky. "However, I have a feeling that as soon as their phasewater concentration increases by a considerable margin, the heavenly authority of the Red Ocean will come and reprogram them. I fear that we have no other choice but to accept the savagery of the Ascended Giants and work around this fact." "There are advantages to our ways." The Dark Apostle couldn’t help but stand up for his own kind. "We are not adept with technology. We are more reliant on external support to provide us with equipment and intelligence support. We are also more centralized. If you want to control them, you control their leaders. Our respect for hierarchy is strong. Individual Ascended Giants are not supposed to possess much initiative. They will not disobey their superiors unless they are truly driven to desperation." That was all true. It was easier to manipulate the Ascended Giants when they were moronic. Yet the fact that they no longer thought like humans or identified themselves as part of their original race was still a tragedy. The Red Collective never wanted this to happen. They wanted the Phase Lord Department to be led by a loyal human. They wanted the human phase lords to retain their humanity even as they employed the power of their enemies. They wanted to turn the human phase lords into their most reliable and dependable champions and shock troops in the Red War. The recent changes threatened to unmake this dream, and it was only when the chief councilor of the Upper Council agreed to intervene that the higher ups of the RC regained hope. They were most unwilling to allow the Oscillating Fist to spoil their plan just when it was about to bear fruit! "Can we assassinate the Oscillating Fist before he shows up at the dueling ground?" Ves asked. "It is best to eliminate him out of sight of everyone else. Let his absence speak for itself." "Y-You!" His alter ego looked scandalized. "No! I veto this proposal! So what if the Oscillating Fist does not accept the outcome of the leadership challenge? I will not be a coward and refuse to meet him face to face. At least hear him out. What if your estimations about him are off? You should not judge him until I have an opportunity to question him about his motives in person. As the first leader of the Ascended Giants, he deserves to be treated with dignity unless you have ironclad proof that he has ill intentions." That was difficult to obtain given how secretive he behaved. However, it was undeniable that much of the reason why the Phase Lord Department had become so estranged from the rest of the Red Collective was due to the Oscillating Fist. The leader bore undeniable responsibility for letting his men slide closer and closer to independence and defection. He had failed to do his duty to red humanity. Nobody even knew whose side he was on these days. Only a meeting could clarify this matter. His answer — or lack of one — would determine what sort of treatment he deserved. A short discussion ensued. They reluctantly concluded that it was not feasible to assassinate the Oscillating Fist. The fear was too great that they would botch the attempt. Once the commotion spread, the other Ascended Giants might get pulled into the vortex and ultimately fight directly against the forces of the Red Collective! In order to prevent such a mess from happening, it was best to control the variables as much as possible. They could do this by making the Oscillating Fist act in isolation. He at least needed to show up on the dueling ground alone. Though the Red Collective would not be able to hide their subsequent actions, it would be a lot easier to take out the polemarchos without letting the situation spin out of control. "Give him a chance." The Dark Apostle found himself forced to stand up on behalf of the Oscillating Fist. "If he acts dishonorably, then you can do whatever you want to him. However, if he acts in a manner that is supported by the Ascended Giants, then I advise you to leave him alone. You will not endear yourselves to my future subordinates if you do not take our traditions seriously."