West turned his gaze back toward Roland, whose head remained bowed in shame. Blood dripped steadily from his chin, staining his ruined chestplate."If we break our agreement now," West continued, his chest rising and falling heavily, "tomorrow will not be a battle. It will be an execution."His gaze hardened as he looked toward the distant ridge where the Legion of Doom had disappeared."The Stronghold has already proven its point. They wanted us to understand that our strength means nothing to them. I will not sacrifice thousands of men simply to satisfy my pride."A heavy murmur spread through the troops, but no one dared argue further.The cold logic behind West's words was undeniable.They had watched Roland, the strongest warrior among them, get methodically dismantled before an entire army.The fear was no longer merely a rumor whispered among the soldiers.It had become something tangible, a heavy weight pressing against every breath they took."Raise the white flags before sun

The moment the countdown began, Ric made every necessary arrangement to isolate the Central Capital. Together with his wives he moved swiftly through the four regions, ending slavery wherever it still lingered and formally abolishing the emperor system that had bound the land for generations.Barns rose across the countryside for the secure storage of grain, while new routes along the riverbanks opened steady lines of transport. A measured tax was put in place to support a functioning administration. The Legion of Doom expanded rapidly as advanced weapons were mass-produced under Ric’s direction. Drawing on the system’s access to knowledge from his former world, he designed prototypes for future use and stationed elite legionnaires throughout the four regions to keep the peace and protect the people.Corruption was rooted out. Hospitals were built and medical personnel trained from modern baseline manuals provided by the system. Free basic healthcare became the standard, dismantling t

Ric nodded once.The commanders saluted as one, fists pressed against their hearts, and the cabin filled with the low thunder of their voices as they acknowledged his command.Outside, the sky over the Central Lands was already beginning to brighten with the first hints of dawn.Six days remained on the countdown.Six days until the Capital either fell or became their tomb.Ric drew his three wives a little closer, feeling the warmth of their bodies against his own. In the face of the storm that awaited them, their presence was a living promise that no matter what happened, they would face it together.Whatever awaited them inside the Emperor's halls, they would confront it the same way they had faced every challenge since the beginning.Together.****A few hours later, Ric and his three wives stood around a heavy oak table, their eyes fixed on a detailed map of the Central Capital.Yan had used her intelligence ability to gather information from numerous sources, allowing her to rec