The morning sun cast long shadows across the construction site as Alex sat alone near the edge of the valley, his grey eyes fixed on the distant horizon. A month had passed since he had revealed the secret realm to the Human Council, a month of careful observation, of watching the delegates come and go, of waiting for the inevitable questions that would follow. But the questions had not come. The Council had been satisfied with what they had seen. For now.“They'll want more eventually,” Alex thought, his mind turning over the possibilities. “They always do. But for now, they're content. And that gives us time.”Time was the one resource he couldn't afford to waste. The source was still out there hiding, waiting, planning its next move. The ancient enemy was still lurking in the shadows of the greater universe, preparing for a war that would consume everything. And Alex, despite all his power, was still not strong enough to face either of them.“But I'm getting stronger,” he reminded

The inner zone stretched before Alex like an endless puzzle waiting to be solved.He moved through the corrupted wilderness with the practiced efficiency of a warrior who had spent decades navigating hostile territory, his space law extended outward in a constant, sweeping wave. The sun was high overhead, painting the sky in shades of purple and gold, and the air was thick with the residue of dark energy that permeated every corner of this forsaken land.But Alex wasn't searching for secret realms this time. He wasn't looking for rare ores or hidden dimensions or ancient treasures. He was searching for something far more valuable, something that would help him grow stronger in ways that resources alone could not.He was searching for monsters.“Attribute points,” he thought, pausing on a ridge to survey the landscape below. “That's what I need. The ores and resources are useful, but they can wait. Alena can send her people to collect them once the base is complete. But attribute poin

The demon realm was in turmoil.The Demon King sat on his throne of bone and iron, his burning eyes fixed on the holographic display that hovered before him. The image showed the Roshar base in the inner zone, a massive fortress of white stone and spiritual energy, its walls bristling with cannons, its towers reaching toward the purple sky like the fingers of a grasping hand. The base was nearly complete now, its defenses fully operational, its garrison of warriors and engineers working tirelessly to finish the final touches.It was a monument to human ambition. A declaration of intent. And it was everything the Demon King had ever wanted to build for himself."This is an outrage," the Demon King growled, his voice echoing through the throne room like distant thunder. The flames that lined the walls flickered and danced, responding to his fury. "The humans have built a base in the inner zone. Our spies didn't even know about it until it was nearly complete."The War Chiefs of the dem

The cave was silent.It had always been silent, a place of shadows and secrets, hidden deep beneath the demon realm's volcanic surface where no prying eyes could find it. The walls were carved from obsidian that seemed to drink the light, and the air was thick with the residue of ancient rituals, of blood spilled and power harvested. It was the Demon King's most private sanctuary, the place where he had stored the blood of fallen geniuses for millennia, building toward a breakthrough that had never come.And now it was empty.The Demon King stood at the edge of the pool, a vast basin carved into the floor of the cave, its surface stained with the residue of countless sacrifices. For thousands of years, he had collected the blood of warriors who had fallen in battle, storing their essence in this pool, refining it, distilling it into a source of power that he believed would one day help him break through to the Universe Venerable realm.But the pool was empty now. The Source had taken

The Demon King emerged from the cave and entered his palace only to see his War Chiefs waiting for him.They stood in a loose semicircle, their faces carefully neutral, their eyes betraying their curiosity. They had seen him go into the forbidden area in the palace, and they had seen him emerge after a few hours. They wanted to know what he had been doing in the forbidden area. They wanted to know what he is planning for the future."Kaelor," the Demon King said, addressing the oldest of the War Chiefs. "You've been gathering information on the inner zone. What have you found?"Kaelor stepped forward, his scarred face thoughtful. "We've identified several potential locations for a demon base in the inner zone. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.""Show me."Kaelor raised his hand, and a holographic display flickered to life above his palm. It showed a map of the inner zone, a vast expanse of corrupted wilderness, dotted with spatial anomalies and resource deposits."The