The moment the caffeine hit his medieval, unrefined system, it wasn't just a physical reaction, it was a spiritual breakthrough. Jeon’s eyes rolled back into his head, and then snapped open with a force that made me jump. Right there and then, his pupils began to shimmer with a magical, neon-blue light so bright it actually hurt my eyes. His muscles rippled and groaned under his skin, and he began to vibrate with such intensity that the sand beneath his boots started to liquify."I... I CAN HEAR THE SUN!" Jeon roared, his voice vibrating with a frequency that made the tea cups rattle.Everyone gasped, stumbling back in terror and awe. They weren't looking at a man anymore; they were looking at a human lightning bolt fueled by 21st-century chemicals.The desert floor didn't just vibrate; it began to hum. Jeon was standing there, his massive frame flickering like a television with bad reception. The blue light pouring from his eyes was so intense it was casting a silhouette of his skele

QUEEN SELENE POVI have sat upon the throne of Athens for ten years, navigating the treacherous waters of courtly intrigue and bloody rebellions with a heart made of cold flint. I am a Queen because I am faster, sharper, and more ruthless than any who seek to unseat me. My kingdom thrives because I do not believe in miracles; I believe in steel and strategy. But in less than three days at the side of this "Twig of Saint," my entire worldview has been reduced to ash and replaced with a burning, suffocating sense of inadequacy.I am an apex predator, yet I find myself following a boy who looks like a stiff breeze would snap his spine.This morning, I witnessed the impossible. Again. Arthur reached into the very fabric of the void, into the "oxygen," as his High Elf maid claims, and pulled out a gleaming, silver-and-black vessel. He consume

ARTHUR POVAfter the feast, I was standing in the center of what Chief Eto called the "Obsidian Suite," but as far as I was concerned, I was standing in a glorified toaster oven. The walls were made of thick, heat-retaining volcanic stone that had been absorbing the ambient radiation of the nearby forges for centuries. It wasn't just warm; it was oppressive. The air felt like a thick, dry blanket that had been soaked in lava and draped over my head.Elsa was trying to maintain her elven dignity, but she was failing. She was fanning herself frantically with a piece of parchment, her high-collared dress looking like a torture device. Elene and Milla weren't faring any better; their "slave" rags were sticking to their skin with sweat, and I could see Milla’s temper rising along with the temperature. When the dwarf attendants brought us our "refreshments"—boiling hot herbal tea, dense rye bread with melting butter, and hard cookies, I almost cried. Okay, given that we had a wonderful lun

As Herbert left to get the gear, I turned back to my "office" table, opening the system menu on my phone. 7148 VP was a lot, but this trip was getting dangerous. I needed to know if my "slaves" were actually who they said they were.As I drank my cold tea, barely drifting off into that sweet, climate-controlled bliss when a frantic pounding erupted at the door. I groaned, dragging myself upright as the door creaked open to reveal a dwarf who looked like he’d been dragged through a rock crusher.This was Guro, the chief healer. His face was etched with exhaustion, his leather apron stained with soot and something dark that was definitely blood. "Master Arthur," he wheezed, his voice cracking. "The North Mines... a support beam buckled. It’s a catastrophe. Dozens of workers are trapped or crushed

“Master, are you sure?” It was Elene, she looked at me like I just growned horn.I realized then that if one drop of the black stuff turned Jeon into a mana-frenzied wreck, a whole can might actually launch these people into orbit."Fine, fine," I sighed, rolling my eyes so hard I nearly saw my own brain. "I’ll buy one more. But you guys are sharing. This is the premium stuff, Espresso with Milk and Sugar. The 'Brown Gold.'" I smirked as I tapped the screen. 5 VP. A sleek, brown-and-gold can appeared.You would have thought I’d just summoned a newborn god. They swarmed. I actually had to put my hand out to keep Milla from tackling me."Back off, vultures!" I snapped. "Elsa, get the cups. Herb