The southern highlands wind cut sharp against Kai’s skin. Each breath he took in was like a blade in the lungs. Vanguard Base was made with steel and stone carved into the mountainside. Here, past victories meant nothing and titles were discarded like broken armor. In the Legion, you weren’t what you had been, you were what you could survive.Kai’s boots sank into the frost-hardened dirt as the morning whistle shrieked. It was the Drill day, an obstacle course trial. There were rows of recruits, both fresh and seasoned, all were lined up at the starting gates. And among them was Gregor Flint.Gregor was taller than most of the soldiers there. His shoulders was like a siege wall. His hands were like shovels, and he wore a stiff face that rarely moved except to grunt. His armor bore dents that looked like they had been carved by axes, and the way he stood was immovable.Gregor didn’t speak much, but his views were plain. Protocol users like Kai were “soft” people who hid behind glowing

The moon was nothing more than a sickle of pale light, hanging above Ironsphire Academy like a watchful eye.Kai crouched behind the shattered statue of an old war hero. Xiren Wren pressed close beside him. The wind carried the scent of moss and dust, the air was sharp with the unspoken risk of what they were about to do.“Library security rotates every thirteen minutes,” Xiren whispered, her eyes scanning the environment ahead. “If we move now, we will make it to the west wing before the patrol swings back.”Kai’s heart pounded. It was not out of fear, but out of the bitter urgency that had been gnawing at him since the System revealed its new requirement: Level 11 demands high-level missions and spiritual cultivation. Missions, he could earn with his blood. Cultivation… that was why they were here.The forbidden section of Ironsphire Library was more than off-limits, it was practically a death sentence to trespass. But somewhere beyond its barred gates lay the sealed book titled, Th

The Obsidian Legion’s southern drill yard was a cauldron of sweat and intense body drilling. Boots slammed against hardened dirt. Swords clashed with intense brutality. And at the far end, a group of soldiers gathered. It was not for training, but for something more...Kai stood at the center of it.Word had already spread he had beaten Lance Corwen in front of the entire base and humiliated Nina Graves so thoroughly that even her snide whispering had died. But Henry Voss still walked through the Legion like an untouchable king. His shadow was longer than most, because his superior, Captain Aldric Kaine, was the real power behind him.Aldric wasn’t just a captain. He was the power of the southern highlands. He's a decorated warlord whose scarred face and deep voice could silence an entire platoon. He was also known for defending his favorites, the Henry chief among them.And today, Kai had decided to break the chain.Kai didn’t wait for a sanctioned duel. He found Aldric in the midd

The Vanguard Base wasn’t quiet after Henry Voss’s crushing defeat. Soldiers talked about it in almost every corner; including the barracks, and training grounds. Some soldiers glanced at him with newfound respect. Others… with envy. And then there were the predators, the ones who saw him not as a comrade, but as a fresh challenge to destroy.Derrick Holt was one of them.He was an endurance specialist with a young body built like a siege engine, Derrick had a reputation for breaking rookies in the weighted chain trials. The man’s stamina was legendary; he could run drills under brutal conditions for hours without so much as a bead of sweat. He ruled the endurance ranks with an iron fist and a booming laugh that made weaker recruits shrink back.And now, Kai’s rise had put him in Derrick’s crosshairs.It started in the mess hall. Kai had just finished eating his food and he was heading toward the exit when Derrick’s voice cut through the clatter of trays and utensils.“Well, if it isn'

The mess hall at Vanguard Base was always loud at midday. Noises of cutlery clinking against tin trays, boots scuffing against the concrete floor and the faint scent of overcooked stew lingering under the tang of the air. Kai preferred to eat in silence so that his mind could filter out the noise. But today, Kai felt something was different.When he reached his usual table, Kai noticed the bread roll on his tray missing. He didn't misplace it. It just vanished.He scanned the room, eyes narrowing through the corners. The food here wasn't much to begin with. Two slices of processed meat, a ladle of stew, one bread roll, and a cup of vitamin-fortified water. Losing even one item wasn’t a joke. For most recruits, it was just enough to keep their bodies running through the brutal training days.A few tables away, Jax Renner leaned back in his seat, his laugh was loud and sharp like the scrape of a blade against a metal. The tall, lean brawler had a reputation for petty cruelty especia