Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

"Let's send a small force to handle the situation." Evalyn suggested immediately, "Crux and I can lock down the base in two hours. There's no reason to wait."

Riley and her soldiers' eyes widened in shock, but no one else was surprised.

"Don't forget they're hostages, Evalyn." Kaze shook his head, "Crux must handle missiles, and you must stop the soldiers from panicking and killing our people within the storehouse.

Killing everyone is easy; keeping our people alive around irrational people isn't."

The Maltian soldiers shuddered at his statement that killing everyone was easy.

"Then let's send healers to make it until you can leave Immortal Skye." Evalyn gritted her teeth after hearing his warning. "Our soldiers can double as protectors and healers."

"Unfortunately, things aren't that simple." Kaze said calmly, "Showing up could be more dangerous than not going. That's why we must discuss—"

"People's families are dying right now, and you are prioritizing internal panic prevention and stating that letting people die might be the best option?" Evalyn asked coldly.

Kaze closed his eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing a desire to berate her for her idealism. Her mother's death triggered her mental state, so he couldn't fault her.

Moreover, he wrongly prioritized killing her father instead of keeping her mother alive. He wasn't responsible for her mother's death, the vacation, or creating a policy averting her entry, but he could've prevented her from dying. She was also speaking to that, and he had to accept it.

After consideration, Kaze opened his eyes and turned to Riley calmly. "Riley, why don't you have all the soldiers on your side?"

"Kaze, don't—" Evalyn tried to snap at him for ignoring her, but he sent her a glance that sent the fear of death shooting through her like hunger pangs. It made her fall silent instantly.

"The…." Riley said hesitantly, not wanting to choose between two people that could massacre their entire military base, "General Peyton claims you plan to kill everyone indiscriminately for letting some of your people die.

Therefore, two-thirds of our soldiers don't want to protect people and die for it. Half left the base already, and the remaining are waiting to fight for supplies."

"Thank you, Ms. Lycan." Kaze said, turning to Evalyn. "They fear us killing them, so showing up unannounced will trigger desperation and a heated hostage crisis.

Healers will exasperate that issue. With limited Qi, we'll spend days healing our people without touching wounded soldiers. That will reinforce fears we only care about our own and could cause soldiers to turn against us."

The blonde took a sharp breath, hearing his statement.

"Crux and I don't have a Qi problem." Evalyn said, "We can heal at least a few dozen people per session."

"Crux must defend from missile attacks." He countered, "And you must keep thousands in check simultaneously. Without power, you are just another mortal."

She swallowed back words and gritted her teeth, feeling cornered. "What about Kiera?"

"If powerful techniques are double-edged swords by threatening Qi deprivation, Kiera's Qi control is a ballistic missile." Kaze responded dryly, "Her body can alter the Qi flow around her.

If she accidentally shifts it, and people attempt to use techniques, it could instantly rupture hundreds of people's meridians and dantians."

Evalyn closed her eyes in vexation, aware of Kiera's dangers. "Why can't you leave for a night?"

"One night?" Kaze cracked, scoffing and turning away in disbelief, "Do you think I can show up, kill General Peyton, heal our people, and solve this?

Where are we feeding and housing thousands of people if not at Lainwright amongst those we spare?

If we had the resources to support them, they'd be at Immortal Skye now, would they not?"

"Yes, they would be." Evalyn sighed, her passion disappearing, "So we need to set up a government the minute we arrive?"

"A temporary one, yes." The emperor confirmed, "Not only must we feed our people, but we must also determine who needs to be spared and punished and adhere to strict information control.

Or do you still prescribe to the delusion that Immortal Skye is a stable utopia that can run itself without its leaders and survive resentment and distrust of their leadership?"

Evalyn closed her eyes in frustration. She understood Immortal Skye was a powder keg that could ignite with a single incident and explode. Therefore, Kaze's plan was the right approach.

He planned to create a permanent rift connecting Immortal Skye and Lainwright Military Base in ten days.

At that point, he'd have announced that he asked the military to search for families, the military found families, and General Peyton brutally killed some out of revenge.

Then [Kaze would secure the safety of the families] and stage a rescue with the Immortals running the show. That way, everyone could save their families without endangering them, and they'd blame the right people without endangering their families.

Even if many suspected his involvement or protection of families, a narrative and operation of that quality are far too strong and concrete to overwrite. It would stand, and Kaze's shadow involvement would become part of the operation as a hero, not create a vector for dissatisfaction.

By contrast, Evalyn suggested they should kick down the door and murder their way to the family's safety without concern for Immortal Skye's population or strategic preparations. Still—

"You're right." The Ice General nodded with a downcast expression, "However, please understand that when it comes to family, we must try to help. It's a requirement."

Riley and her soldiers were already under a gag order regarding a connection between the base and Immortal Skye. She didn't need a reminder to keep her lips sealed.

"Of course." Kaze nodded earnestly, "If I felt differently, I'd have let them die.

We needn't discuss whether we will help; we must discuss an operation to defuse the hostage situation and prevent our actions from killing our people. Therein lay my criticisms of your approaches."

Evalyn's eyes widened in surprise before the message sunk in, and she looked down with a wry smile. "Understood."

"Ms. Lycan." The emperor said, turning to the redhead, "Do you know which bunker General Peyton is in? Also, do you know where the communication shelters are?"

"He's not in a bunker." Riley replied, "We're using analog communication to conserve energy and ensure consistency. Since he's using it, he has to be above ground.

There's only one above-ground communication shelter, so he's probably in it. However, that won't help if he's giving orders to someone in a bunker with non-analog equipment."

"Such is the main problem we face during this operation." Kaze said with a serious gaze.

"If Crux can stop missiles, and Evalyn can take out people en masse, why don't we move our people temporarily?" Jake asked nervously, "That would give us time to find General Peyton, right?"

"There are almost two hundred injured civilians." Riley explained, making everyone grimace, "So you'd need trucks, which would trigger a panic."

"If we wish to move our people, there is a way to get the trucks there without an attack." Kaze commented, "However, it will trigger panic within the storehouse.

So we'd have to trust Ms. Lycan and their team to keep order through the process."

He explained a plan that left the Lainwright soldiers shocked beyond reason. They felt like they were listening to the recap of a fantasy show episode!

"Is there another strategy you can think of?" Evalyn frowned, furrowing her brows. She didn't like placing trust in the soldiers.

"Not on short notice." Kaze said, shaking his head, "That doesn't mean we cannot devise one, but I currently lack an option with less risk.

Therefore, as a leader, you must bear the responsibility of trusting others if you wish to go this route."

Evalyn closed her eyes and quietly thought about the situation for a few minutes while everyone patiently waited. "I'll take responsibility for the operation.

Ms. Lycan, I assume you have brought a list of those who have died?"

"I have." Riley nodded somberly, reaching into her black purse and pulling out a list, "This is a list of casualties, both from Immortal Skye and the ex-Maltian soldiers."

"Thank you." The Ice General said, "This should be enough."

***

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"It's open." Kaze called out, sitting at a desk late at night. It was a roll-top desk made of maple, lit by a small desk lamp. He sat on a luxurious rolling desk chair with black upholstery before a computer.

He wasn't in his room or his bunker. Instead, he was in the main office of his mansion, working through planning and logistics for Lainwright Military Base in advance.

The door opened behind him, and a beautiful woman with slender legs and professional attire walked in.

"I brought you some coffee and crumb cake." Marilyn said kindly, walking with a cup and a snack plate to the side desk next to him, "With Evalyn leaving on her own, I imagine you'll cultivate instead of sleeping again tonight. So I thought this would be a good pick-me-up."

"Thank you, love." Kaze replied hypnotically, turning to her and admiring her attire, "You are correct.

Evalyn has already organized a team and seeks to leave tomorrow, so I must do what I can."

The busty brunette wore a dark charcoal gray sports jacket and a matching-colored knee-length skirt, and a sympathetic expression.

While the attire was similar to what she wore as an attendant, the style was very different, making her look more like a CEO than a secretary or attendant.

"Do you worry she'll get injured?" Marilyn asked, "I watched her fight against the Sky Plane cultivators.

It's hard to imagine she could get hurt by normal soldiers, especially alongside Ms. Panthera."

"There are many types of injuries, Marilyn." Kaze smiled wryly, "And she has already befallen far too many under my protection."

"I don't think so." She smiled softly, "If she experienced such irreparable tragedy, your eyes would shine with pain instead of flickering with happiness and warmth when you look at her."

"Is that so?" He mused softly, "Perhaps I seek to give her the life she deserves. At present, I'm not even doing that for my assistant, caring for me voluntarily instead of enjoying her night."

"Hush, now; I am enjoying my night." Marilyn claimed, flashing him a stunning smile, "I enjoy caring for you, and you let me."

He turned back to his computer with a slight chuckle. "While I relish your form of enjoyment, it makes me wonder if I've done enough to make you comfortable."

"I've never felt better or more comfortable." She said, walking to his back slowly, "So [relax] and stop worrying about something so ironic."

As she said [relax], she reached her hands around his shoulders and pushed her fingers down his chest, gliding them up and placing her fingers on his shoulders, rubbing them.

Kaze smiled with his eyes closed, leaning back and humming to express his enjoyment. When he opened his eyes, he gazed into Marilyn's beautiful brown eyes with a charming smile.

"You may feel better than you did when people didn't didn't see you for your potential, talents, and beauty, but you have still yet to experience a taste of the life you deserve." He smiled, "While it's egregiously late, I feel I make up for that."

Marilyn felt a rush of electricity pass through her when he spoke. They had a minor soul connection and communicated deeper than others, so she felt his earnestly and knew from experience he could make her feel things she never found imaginable.