Kael Ardyn sat at the table, moving his hand almost mechanically as he ate, though his eyes kept darting toward Elara Myrin. Two years of quiet admiration had built up in him, and now she was right there, tied to a pillar, rigid, yet radiating a subtle fire. Even in restraint, she refused to look small.The room seemed to shrink. Every breath felt heavier, every heartbeat louder. Silence pressed down on him in a way that made his chest ache. He felt a sharp pang of pity—unexpected, unwelcome—and with a soft metallic clink, he rose.The Ripper Woman’s gaze followed him, calculating and cold. Every muscle in her body tensed, ready to strike at the slightest misstep. She had rehearsed her words, imagined every possible reaction. Yet Kael’s next move left both her and Big Bear frozen.He walked to the bed, lifted a pillowcase, and gently draped it over Elara’s head, hiding her expression. Then, without hesitation, he returned to his sea

Two hundred drilling machines crawled through the thick lower roots of the Doomsday Ancient Tree, diving ever deeper into the earth toward the coordinates of the Mother Worm at the very bottom. The ground vibrated with the hum of machinery, the air thick with dust and metal tang. The tunnels weren’t empty—not by a long shot.Somewhere deep below, the commanding-level Mother Worm sensed them immediately. Psychic tendrils slithered through the soil, probing every inch. It had learned to recognize threats: two hundred small, highly efficient drilling machines, each stuffed with Black Bat Special Forces. No hesitation. From the shadows, advanced Voidspawn surged forward, massive forms blocking the tunnels with terrifying precision.They were huge, fearless, and brutally strong. Claws ripped into drills, smashed into rear cargo compartments, and slammed against metal hulls. Sparks flew. Metal groaned under relentless pressure. The drills kept spinning, but the a

“Black Bat Special Operations Team, you have to pull this off. Sister… come back alive.” Elara Myrin whispered the words under her breath, heart hammering so hard she could almost feel it in her throat. Her eyes swept the battlefield, sharp and calculating, but inside, she was a storm. Every second was precious. Every wrong move could spell disaster.The orders had already gone out. From the fortresses scattered across the war-torn land, the second wave of Aether Combat Division mechas surged into motion. Launch tubes spat out tens of thousands of armored machines, each one bristling with guns, missiles, and energy blades. Engines screamed, vibrating the earth beneath, a chorus of metal and fire that made the ground quake.With the Mecha War Gods joining the fight, the Celestial Dominion’s ground forces—once outnumbered and outgunned—finally had the upper hand. Surface-level Voidspawn Swarm units were torn apart almost instantly, and the first underground layer didn’t stand a chance e

After finishing the porridge Elara Myrin had brought him, Kael Ardyn tossed his few belongings into a bag. Not much to pack—just the two sets of military uniforms he owned. That was it.An hour later, Kael, the Ripper Woman, Elara, and Big Bear stepped out of the base. Soldiers lined the walls inside Radiance Base, watching. Some cheered. Some grinned like kids finally getting a break.“Finally, the Black Bat Special Operations Team is leaving!” one yelled.“Those two troublemakers are gone. We might actually get some sleep tonight,” another said, smirking.They were escorted to the transport spacecraft. The engines hummed, a soft vibration under their feet. Slowly, they lifted off Dark Moon. Outside, stars stretched endlessly, a glittering sea of lights that made even Kael pause for a moment.Inside the cabin, Kael flopped onto the bed. And then it hit him—he’d finished the War God System mission. Queen Mother was gone. Yet… where was his reward?“Lyndric Fayne. We took her down. Wh

Kael Ardyn blinked, and for a heartbeat, the warmth and serenity that washed over him felt almost unbearable. Seventy years. Seventy dreamlike years. They felt real. Beautiful. Tangible, even. And just like that—they were gone. Vanished. Snatched away the moment he opened his eyes. Reality hit him like a punch to the gut. Hollow. Cold. Unfamiliar. That strange dissonance crawling under his skin wasn’t something he wanted, but there it was.He swung his legs over the cockpit edge and felt the familiar hum of energy circuits beneath his fingers. The fifth-generation Death God mech responded like an extension of himself. Across the room, Ripper Woman moved back into her control cabin, smooth, practiced. The four mechs of the Black Bat Special Operations Team emerged one by one from the drill machine. The groaning of the machinery faded, leaving an eerie calm.Ahead of them, a monstrous mound of pale flesh heaved slightly, as though it were breathing. One massive eye stared into nothing,