anwhile—
In the far reaches of deep space, a colossal warship hung silently in the void, so massive it seed to blot out the stars.
Its size dwarfed even the Doomsday Ark.
A dense energy barrier wrapped around the vessel like a stellar corona, and even the faintest leak of its power was enough to collapse an ordinary world.
Inside the ship's central command chamber, a towering figure sat upon a throne.
Every breath he took seed to tug at the very fabric of space.
"Explain."
The voice was low, cold, and sharp, echoing through the vast hall.
"Why couldn't you handle a re low-tier Plane World?"
"You even needed to intervene with a projection?"
All the generals in the room were kneeling, heads bowed so low they didn't dare lift their eyes.
Their voices trembled.
"That world… it's not normal."
"They've developed their own Powered Combat Armor."
"And they have airborne Sky Fortresses."
"This level of tech should only exist in high-tier civilizations."
"And they've already defeated the Narlost Empire… and taken the Doomsday Ark…"
Silence fell like a guillotine.
The figure on the throne slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, a wave of invisible cold swept through the command chamber.
Varkhan's gaze was abyssal—two sharp, cutting slits of darkness that swept across the kneeling officers.
His fingers curled slowly.
The grinding of bone echoed through the hall, sharp and grating.
He was furious—beyond furious.
He'd expected them to kneel, admit their failure, and beg for rcy.
Instead, they offered excuses. Weak, pathetic excuses.
Blaming their defeat on a "low-tier Plane World."
"Silence."
The word wasn't loud, but it hit like a hamr.
A crushing pressure exploded from Varkhan's body. The air froze. Space itself began to warp.
The generals flinched as if slamd by an invisible force, pressed to the floor like insects under a boot. Breathing beca a struggle. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, like prey caught in a predator's gaze.
"In the end," Varkhan said, his voice slow and glacial, "Erald Castle is still just a low-tier Plane World."
"And you're using that as an excuse for your incompetence?"
"Are you tired of living?"
BOOM—
The pressure intensified. The air compressed violently. Several generals let out muffled groans of pain.
Just as the atmosphere reached a breaking point, a deep, steady voice cut through the tension.
"My Lord."
A tall man stepped forward from the ranks.
His presence was calm but razor-sharp, like a greatsword still sheathed. Even under Varkhan's crushing aura, he stood straight and unshaken.
Varkhan's gaze shifted to him. The fury in his eyes eased—slightly.
"Kaelthorn."
"You've never bothered with low-tier worlds before."
"What's changed?"
Kaelthorn glanced at the others still kneeling, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
"They're the Empire's elite."
"And they lost to a low-tier world."
"That alone is abnormal."
"I want to see for myself… what that world is hiding."
His tone was calm, but there was a subtle edge of excitent beneath it. Dangerous excitent.
"If it turns out to be nothing but a bluff, I'll erase it myself."
Varkhan was silent for a mont, then gave a slow nod.
"Good."
"Go prepare."
"Erald Castle just fought a major battle. They won't have fully recovered."
"This is the perfect ti to strike."
Kaelthorn gave a slight bow, said nothing more, and turned to leave the hall.
Soon after, the warship's deck filled with elite troops.
Each soldier radiated terrifying energy, their eyes burning with fanatic heat—as if they'd been waiting for a real war.
Kaelthorn scanned them with satisfaction.
"Move out."
The fleet slowly disengaged from its current course and turned toward the depths of space—toward Erald Castle.
However—
As the fleet passed through a warped stretch of space, an abnormal spatial fluctuation suddenly surged.
Light twisted unnaturally, as if pulled by an invisible force—and a lone figure appeared silently in front of the fleet.
No ship. No escort.
Just one man, floating in the void.
Yet he stood there like an immovable wall.
"Kaelthorn."
The voice was deep, calm, and composed.
"You really think you can take down Erald Castle?"
"Don't kid yourself."
"Their strength is far beyond yours."
Kaelthorn's expression darkened instantly.
Soone dared to intercept a Vorgar Empire fleet?
But the mont he truly sensed the man's aura, his heart sank.
That power… it was faintly above his own.
"Who are you?" Kaelthorn asked coldly. "Do you not realize this is the Vorgar Empire's military?"
"Are you looking to die?"
The man chuckled softly and pulled a finely crafted token from his robes.
Strange energy patterns shimred across its surface.
At the center, a phoenix was carved in exquisite detail—so lifelike it seed ready to take flight.
The very space around them seed to hum in resonance with the token.
Kaelthorn's pupils contracted sharply.
"Phoenix Empire…"
A na out of legend.
An ancient superpower that rarely interfered in external affairs, long hidden within an independent dinsion.
"That's right."
The man tucked the token away, his gaze steady and absolute.
"My na is Azrath."
"The Vorgar Empire is powerful, no doubt."
"But if you think this fleet alone can take Erald Castle—"
"You're marching straight into annihilation."
Kaelthorn's chest tightened.
"If you want even a chance at destroying them," Azrath continued, "you'll need your entire empire to mobilize."
"Only then might you stand a chance."
Kaelthorn's eyes lost focus for a brief mont.
Within the Vorgar Empire, he was one of the most feared commanders alive.
His legion had never known defeat. He himself had single-handedly wiped out over a hundred minor Plane Worlds.
Failure was a foreign concept.
He knew Erald Castle wasn't ordinary.
But the fleet had already launched. The war banners were raised.
To retreat now wouldn't just be a tactical withdrawal—it would be a collapse of pride.
"This ti," Kaelthorn said slowly, his voice regaining its usual icy calm, "I won't launch a full-scale assault right away."
"I'll scout first."
"If they're truly unshakable, I'll wait for a better opportunity."
"But if I find even the smallest crack—I'll crush Erald Castle myself."
Azrath shook his head lightly.
"I'm not here to talk you out of it."
"I'm here to offer a partnership."
Kaelthorn blinked, caught off guard.
The Phoenix Empire and the Vorgar Empire had almost no direct contact.
For them to suddenly propose cooperation… was highly unusual.
"Partnership?"
Kaelthorn narrowed his eyes. "Then let's hear it. What kind of partnership are we talking about?"
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