Chapter 7217: Forced Promotion The Phase Lord Department needed a kinship network. This meant that Ves would be tasked with creating a new ancestral spirit that specifically appealed to the Ascended Giants. Well, he was already planning to create a design spirit based on the darkness element, so he may as well fulfill a second order. Perhaps he should create additional design spirits in order to meet other needs, such as creating a design spirit centered around spearmanship. In any case, the Dark Apostle had nothing to do with it. He was the fighter, not the creator. He may have access to all of the theory and methods required to create a spiritual product, but he lacked the skill and confidence to succeed. Ves on the other hand lacked the fighting spirit and control over his true body to become good at fighting. He lacked the right mindset and had never seriously devoted himself to the grind needed to become a competent soldier or warrior. These were aspects that no enlightenment fruit could improved. Though the Dark Apostle should have lacked these qualities as well, his own qualities allowed him to master the fighting skills a lot faster and execute his moves more decisively. This could make all the difference in the field. The two already recognized how much better they would be off if they depended on each other. Sure, Ves felt upset that an interloper had intruded into his true body and took away valuable hours of his life. The Dark Apostle meanwhile felt pissed that the outdated version of himself still stubbornly clung to his true body like a renter who was supposed to be evicted from his apartment. Yet despite their desire to monopolize their true body, they recognized more and more that they benefited from cooperating with each other. That made their shared ’tenancy’ a lot more bearable. Once the meeting finally concluded, the humans and giants went their separate ways, but not before giving the new polemarchos a few important notices. "Your galactic citizenship will likely be increased to the next tier soon over the objections of the Evolution Witch." Secret Keeper Zariel-775 said. "To be more precise, Professor Ves Larkinson’s galactic citizenship will be upgraded to tier 2, as he is your human side. This is an important transition. The Bluejay Fleet will receive further reinforcements, though not as much as you think as the addition of 30 Ascended Giants already take up much of the quota. What is more important is that reaching this tier will give you access to many databases and classified information. You and Ves will come into contact with secrets that can set back many important plans if you lack discretion." "I... see." The Dark Apostle fell into thought for a moment. "I have no interest in putting myself in a dangerous situation. Whatever secret Ves and I obtain, we will do our best to keep our mouths shut. I already know many secrets from my weaker self, but I have never divulged them. I hope my track record so far proves that I know when to remain silent." He knew quite well that if he carelessly handled these secrets, he would definitely piss off multiple powerful groups and individuals! The Dark Apostle had no intention of inviting the wrath of the Evolution Witch on his head. What he feared the most was to piss off red humanity’s god pilots and Star Designers so much that they would reserve time off their busy schedules to capture him and exorcise him from his true body! In order to avoid this possible outcome, the Dark Apostle had no choice but to play the role of a subservient little giant and continue to show forbearance. This was not the time to think about antagonizing red humanity and destroying his position of trust among the major human powers. The secret keeper appeared satisfied with this answer. "Good. You can expect to receive intelligence briefings more frequently from now on. You will also be invited to partake in small discussion panels where matters of greater import are being considered. I may not be the only secret keeper to pass on information to you. Do not be surprised if other secret keepers present themselves to you in the future." "I hardly know any of you in the first place, so it makes no difference to me. You are all shadowy mortals." "That is the effect that we aim to produce." "Before you go, what does the Evolution Witch feel about my galactic citizenship promotion?" A short pause ensued. "It is clear that she has a plan for you, but plans have a way of becoming overtaken by reality. Not even god pilots are immune to making mistakes." That was as close to a criticism to the Evolution Witch that he could voice. The robed figure nodded to the Dark Apostle before departing from the large conference room. Another figure approached. Formation Master Andrea Vos had a shorter message. "The Moloch Squadron will not only be receiving the Armitage, but possibly other warships as well as cultivator soldiers. You can expect us to be able to provide more support to you and the rest of the Bluejay Fleet." The Dark Apostle knew how much of a difference this could make. Not every problem could be solved by throwing 30 Ascended Giants at it. Besides, more hulls meant more room for plunder. "I will look forward to that. Any help is welcome so long as they know who is in charge." Although the Bluejay Fleet was officially a combined escort force that was mainly supposed to answer to the Red Three, the Dark Apostle knew that the words spoken by Calabast were gradually becoming true. Once Ves became a tier 2 galactic citizen, He no longer served the powers that be. He became the powers that be. The rules became less of a constraint to him. He could get away with more stuff and he could issue orders to the Bluejay Fleet without suffering any repercussions. For example, the Dark Apostle doubted that the Red Three still cared about the rule that the Bluejay Fleet was not supposed to support their principal when initiating offensive actions! The Dark Apostle smirked. He looked forward to turning the Bluejay Fleet into his private cudgel. One of the giants approached next. The Divine Harpoon made his way out in order to prepare some of his men for reassignment to the Armitage. The Fiery Axe on the other hand approached and took a deliberate look at her polemarchos. "How are your injuries?" "I can ignore the pain." The Dark Apostle responded with a smile. "The doctors told me it will take months for my true body to get back to its peak condition. I do not mind the wait. I could use the time to train my skills and learn how to use them properly on the battlefield. I do not want my first real battle against serious enemies to be an amateur show." The Fiery Axe nodded in approval. "Yes, we have noticed that your skill with the spear is too shaky and inconsistent to be acquired through long and rigorous practice. Whatever forbidden experimental neural data transfer tech you have made use of, it has certainly proven to be effective. It at least made enough of a difference to get you over the finish line. However... I would like to warn you that resorting to these shortcuts will not necessarily turn you into a true warrior." "I know." The Dark Apostle sighed. "I am not blind to this fact. We had no choice. I am starting from behind. You and all of the other giants are recruited from some of the best soldiers and fighters in the new frontier. In comparison, my other self whose knowledge and skills I have inherited is a mech designer. I can’t win against you or any other serious opponent by playing by the same rules." "Well, it worked out this time, but do not assume that this will happen again." "You do not need to remind me, Fiery Axe. I intend to invest most of my available time into training. I understand the value of hard work. I will turn my newly acquired skills into my own strength. Together with the ambitious tech that my mortal self has in store, I will become much more powerful in a couple of years. You as well." The Fiery Axe raised one of her eyebrows. "Your gear was notably stronger, and not by a small extent. Will we be able to wield weapons and armor that are just as good?" The Dark Apostle grinned back at the female strategos. "What I brought into battle during the leadership challenge are hastily improved rush jobs. The shoddy equipment was all that my mortal self could whip up in a hurry. What he has in mind for our equipment goes far beyond this junk. The total package will reinvent us and make us far stronger than the alien phase lords that we seek to defeat." The Fiery Axe already had a guess of what this solution might entail. "Are you thinking of pairing us with giant-sized versions of Carmine mechs?" "Yes. Maybe. Not exactly." He admitted. "He intends to combine the functionality of both Carmine mechs and phase lord raiments. The result may not be a mech, but it will not be a simple suit of armor either. It will become its own thing. This invention may define the Ascended Giants for many years to come." The female giant looked intrigued. "I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to become a ’mech pilot’ after transcending into my current form. I look forward to seeing what your other self can produce. The idea of making use of living raiments that established symbiotic relationships with their wearers sounds exciting." The two giants talked a bit more. The two had been opponents once, but now that the leadership challenge had passed, they had become comrades who fought on the same side. The Fiery Axe did not disparage the Dark Apostle for being young and inexperienced. She did not judge him for using unconventional means to strengthen his combat power and rely on that to win the leadership challenge. She genuinely accepted his ascension and provided plenty of information and advice on how to keep the giants in line. "It will be good for the phalanxes to deploy from their bases and meet the enemy on the battlefield. However, as much as they have spent their time on training their fighting skills and refining their teamwork, none of the giants have spent enough time on learning how to operate within a combined arms environment. I fear that they will not be able to coordinate their actions with friendly mechs and warships. They may even get into each other’s way." That sounded like a serious problem alright. "What do you suggest, then?" "Either deploy the giants by themselves, or let experience be their teacher." The Fiery Axe shrugged. "Few of the giants will have the patience to correct this shortcoming. The only way they will learn is by suffering the consequences first-hand. Too many of them are overconfident and believe that they can wipe out enemy champions and fleets by themselves. Once they learn how wrong they are, they should finally value their mortal human allies." That sounded dangerous. Letting these giants crash into reality head-first could easily lead to casualties that were not that cheap to replenish! However, the Dark Apostle believed that the Fiery Axe was right about how certain lessons would not stick unless the student learned the hard way of ignoring certain pieces of wisdom. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺 Casualties were inevitable so long as the giants took part in the Red War. However, this might be what the Phase Lord Department needed to transform the Ascended Giants into a true warrior race. The Dark Apostle could not tolerate weakness and stagnation in his own ranks. The giants were already few in number, but he did not mind cutting it down further in order to rid his subordinates of weak and unreliable soldiers.