Chapter 499 – Day 1,003 (Part 5) – Victory Speech

“People of Purgatory!” My voice was amplified and carried by the sound type energy I pushed out into the air. “We endure!” I raised up both my arms. My left one a mess. There was a roar from the crowd.

“This assassination attempt is just one of countless that has happened, and more I have no doubt will happen. This world, this place is barbaric and artificial. There is no doubt about that.” The crowd quickly became interested. The one thing that united all people in this place, was this hell.

“For the Almighty System that has brought us here and controls our lives is powerful, and its purpose unknown. But we will never stop and never give up. We endure!” There was another loud round of cheering at this.

“My people, for you are all my people. Just as I am your Emperor. I will not cower behind you like the feckless and weak elected politicians of old. I will stand at the front, to be your sword and shield. Just as you support me, I swear that I will protect all of you,” I shouted out to the large crowd of thousands.

I would still run away and sacrifice people, but people were clearly happy about a leader who wasn’t afraid to mix things up. It helped make the idea of a powerful Emperor more palatable to people who wanted elections. Now people would point at me and say, ‘would an elected politician go out and smash face?’

The last absolute ruler of a nation on Earth to also fight in battle was Napoleon, ancient history as far as most people were concerned. But I knew my history. People loved a leader that was scrappy and put their life on the line. Here in the Systemic Lands where people had personal power, it was easy to do and a requirement.

“Supreme Governor Clarissa battled bravely as well. For the assassins targeted her as well. She battled bravely in the face of this threat, and it has been ended. Terrorism will not be tolerated. We are one united people.”

People cheered at this. They were sheep, but they were my sheep. They would go out and get crystals, and I would sheer them over and over with taxes to empower myself with passive income.

“Let there be no isms in our Empire except nationalism for the Empire of Purgatory. When I look out, I do not see black, white, old, young, I see proud people who have endured. The trauma of coming to a new place. To face new challenges. New threats to life and limb. But we endure!”

There were cheers at this. No more stupid Earth thinking. I needed to be forward thinking. No longer could I afford to judge people on where they were from on Earth, but on what they could do for my Empire and their loyalty to my new nation. Any signs of groups or organizations trying to form based on nations from Earth, that would be stopped very quickly.

The number of Chinese cities under my control was quite large. Allowing any sort of power block to form that used national unity would be wiped out with prejudice. Disloyalty would not be tolerated in any form. I was Emperor, the supreme, absolute, and best Emperor.

No elections, no charity. Everyone would work or starve. Criminals would be executed. Corruption would be found and purged. My Empire would be one of efficiency and not waste. That was the biggest mistake the Divine Empress had made in my opinion. Her Dragon Empire was hell made real. For all her commanding presence and human furniture, it was complete and utter garbage of a nation.

“I cannot promise what waits for us when we finally confront the Almighty System behind the Systemic Lands. But what I will promise is that I will ensure your trust in me is not misplaced.” After making sure my own interests were taken care of first of course.

“If you want to control your own destiny, work hard, grow strong, gain stats. Many of you might look at me standing here, but behind my ascent to my position is countless hours of grinding out in the wilderness. To maintain my sense of urgency no matter what. Even when there are comforts nearby.”

“While the Divine Empress indulged in sadism and war crimes and the Astrologer had a massive harem, I hold myself to a higher standard.” Even a dead duck that was being consumed by maggots would have a higher standard than those two.

“Indulgence leads to complacency. Complacency leads to weakness. Weakness leads to death. While it is hard, we people of Purgatory, we have our motto. WE ENDURE!” The crowd roared as one with me. It was a heady feeling.

“Carry that in your hearts. Just as I do not abuse my power and strength. I ask that all of you work hard to become or support this Empire. For the threats out there are not simple and will come. For we people of Purgatory, WE ENDURE!” The crowd roared with me again, much louder this time. I could feel the very air shake from their passion.

“Now we stand at the dawn of a new age. The Age of Purgatory. Where we spread across the zones. No longer will we fear the monsters. The monsters will fear us. Level 4 monsters were once impossible. Now we will crush them. Then level 5 monsters. And keep going until we reach the end. For we people of Purgatory, WE ENDURE!”

After coming this far I would not stop no matter what. The towers were still out there, with their mysterious votes. The non-human who had gained a vote was also a concern. But if war came, I would have armies of summons, hordes of beam using soldiers, and a capable team at my back to crush whatever came at me.

“Long ago I called this place the Systemic Lands after the Almighty System and this place Purgatory. For we are stuck here. But our lives are our own. Make the best of them. Be the best. For we are people of Purgatory and WE ENDURE!”

It was getting close to the point of needing to wrap things up. No matter how excited the crowd was, better to keep my speech short and sweet. I had come through quite a bit. From being fat and cowardly so long ago, to being an Emperor.

I didn’t want to lead but some people were born great, others achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. I liked to believe I was the first. Clarissa was clearly in the second category. And I had fallen into the third category.

Even if I didn’t want this position as Emperor, there was no way to change that. It was impossible to give up power and after fighting for so long, I would never do so. I let out a long breath. My arm and my foot hurt, but I was used to pain, even if I didn’t like it.

Losing my limbs way too much, the hole in my chest, the tumors that had grown in me, all of them had left their mark on me. It was good things were finally calming down. There would still be challenges, but no great threats for a while, at least I hoped.

“Thank you my people. Be good to each other and yourselves. And above all, WE ENDURE!” I walked from the arena, Clarissa at my side. Taking my time as people cheered in excitement. I didn’t get why they were cheering so much. But I guess seeing a major fight, to them, and me winning was exciting.

It felt good to be on the winning side. Also, I could have any of them melted. That probably encouraged them to cheer so as not to get on my bad side. People could be so irrational sometimes. I left the arena to get some rest and heal up.

I stopped by the store and looked at the chained Avatar whose spirit was completely crushed. Captain Francis and my protection detail also fell in around me. There had been no escape attempt, which was surprising. For once the Avatar hadn’t schemed something up.

One day she would have no mind left. I wouldn’t stimulate her in the slightest. I couldn’t tell if she noticed me as I got a restoration, healing up. That was much better. I left her without a word. Let her sit there chained forever having to do pointless paperwork to survive.

Making my way back to the Imperial Palace, I went to my rooms and stripped off my ruined clothing. I got a shower and then went to my dressing room afterwards. There was a large mirror. I paused and blinked. Impossible!

My eyes opened and closed. I even poked myself to confirm it wasn't a dream. After all this time it had finally happened.

I went closer to the mirror and looked. I put my hands on my stomach. After all this time, they were finally showing up. A grin split my face. I finally had abs. After all these years of hardship, they were finally coming in. I shook my head and chuckled and the absurdity. I was more pleased about this than being Emperor.

Tossing on a sleeping robe, I collapsed into my bed. The darkness was comforting, and my mood couldn’t be brought down. I just needed to keep winning and killing my enemies. Once that was done, there would be happiness. I let out a sigh of contentment.

Even after all the hardships I had gone through I was still here, and my enemies were dead. I gave them a final thought and then resolved to put them behind me. It was a new age. They would become stories for children to tell and old timers to gossip about in bars.

For the first time, I felt I had a chance of surviving this place and not just enduring. There should be more assassination attempts to confirm my superiority and capability. I was only half joking in my mind. But there was comfort in knowing I had the strength to handle threats that came up.

Once I woke up, it would be a new day. A new team. A new brighter future. I took in a couple of deep breaths and let them out slowly. The tension left my body. Sleep claimed me.

***-***

NOTE: This is the end of Volume 10. Volume 11, chapter 500, will start back up on 5/13, a week from now. There will be a time skip and I will be working on the math, maps, and lots of other things in this week. So while a break in posting, not a break in doing writing stuff. If I could keep writing, I would do so. But there are too many things I need to carefully think through. Trying to write while doing all of that is just not feasible.

I have done out the final plotting and there will probably be 25 volumes in total. So we are about 40% of the way through the story of the Systemic Lands. This could change, but that is probably are where things will end up.

Thank you for all your support. Without you all amazing people, I wouldn't be able to write.