The four massive phantom swords of Governor Victor Vane’s two-hundred-foot Soul Avatar descended like falling mountain ranges, cutting through the ash-choked air of the Blazing Tooth Valley. The sky tore open along four distinct paths of violent, dark-purple flame, the heat hot enough to turn the basalt ridge beneath Austin’s boots into a glowing pool of liquid glass.Down in the valley, the five thousand provincial legionnaires pressed their faces into the dirt, their breathing shallow, pinned beneath the sheer weight of their master’s Tier-7 domain."This is where your luck ends, boy!" Vane’s voice boomed from the chest of the titan, echoing with the crushing resonance of a divine patriarch. "No Tier-5 mortal in the history of the Grand Provincial Realm has ever breached a Realm Master's avatar! Die!"Standing in the center of the sinking earth, Austin didn't flinch.He didn't draw a standard broadsword, nor did he attempt to build a mass of brute defensive Aether.

The tactical projection table on the bridge of The Sovereign Dragon flickered with dual red warnings. To the north lay the heavily fortified Provincial Capital, where Governor Victor Vane cowered behind his Tier-7 Imperial Rune Wall. To the south, four hundred leagues away, the deep blue waters of the Southern Bay were choked by the ironclad warships of the Cross Maritime Fleet.Seraphina adjusted the crescent blades strapped to her waist, her face pale as she analyzed the distance. "Austin, if we march the warship back south to break Benson Cross's blockade, Victor Vane will use the window to stabilize his shattered core and recruit mercenary legions from the Western Marches. But if we ignore the bay, the Cross family will sink nine of our primary trade vessels and murder hundreds of Vance Clan workers.""They want us divided," Ethan said, stepping forward. Though his dark hair was still matted with dried blood from his escape, his dragon-core vibrated with strong, steady h

The metallic hum of forty sub-aquatic naval mines resonated through the clear blue water of Port Valen, sending terrifying ripples against the hulls of the ten trapped merchant vessels. On the quarterdeck of the ruined flagship Iron Leviathan, Grand Admiral Benson Cross stood with his thumb pressed firmly against the blood-red rune button of the brass ignition device. His breath came in ragged, hysterical gasps, his grey eyes locked onto Austin Vance with a mixture of terror and triumphant malice. "I said on your knees, boy!" Benson screamed, his voice wavering as he held the glowing trigger high. "One twitch of your fingers—one spatial blade—and my thumb drops! Six hundred of your clan’s workers will be vaporized into fish food before you can take half a step!" Across the harbor, bound on the wooden deck of the lead merchant ship Silver Current, the young Vance captain looked up at the towering silhouette of the Prime Heir. "Prime Heir! Do not bow to this pirate!" the captain roar

Governor Victor Vane’s insane laughter echoed off the black stone battlements of the Provincial Capital.Below, the wreckage of the Vance Clan’s four siege cannons still smoked. The black basalt dirt was scorched red from the reflected Aether blast.Ethan Vance wiped a streak of dark soot from his jaw. He looked at the pitch-black dome shielding the city, his jaw tight with anger."Austin," Ethan muttered, stepping up beside his brother. "If physical attacks and Aether strikes reflect back at double the power... how do we break through?"Austin didn't answer right away.He stood casually fifty yards from the main iron gate, his dark tunic rustling in the cold northern wind. His vertical golden pupils flared as he activated his past-life spiritual vision.To the rest of the Vanguard army, the Tier-8 Grand Nether-Mirror Ward looked like an unbroken wall of absolute blackness.To Austin, the array was a mass of complex, ancient energy threads.He stared

The heavy, suffocating pressure spilling through the dimensional gateway pressed down on the grand hall. The white marble floor groaned. Microscopic cracks spread across the stone pillars as the Tier-8 aura of the Imperial High Council member washed over the room. Governor Victor Vane lay on his knees near the altar, coughing up black blood. Yet, a manic, desperate grin cut across his pale face. "Elder Osmund!" Vane shrieked, pointing a shaking, blood-stained finger at Austin. "It's Austin Vance! The Prime Heir of the Vance Clan! He destroyed the provincial garrison, shattered the city ward, and seeks to overthrow imperial authority!" On the other side of the swirling purple portal, the tall figure in crimson-and-gold robes took a slow step forward. His face was hard, framed by silver hair, and his cold eyes looked down at Austin through the dimensional rift as if looking at an ant. Elder Osmund, one of the Seven Grand Magi