Dustin tapped a smooth switch on the console, zooming the optical sensors onto the snow-covered valley thirty miles ahead. The main screen instantly brought up a clear picture of Glacial City, the wealthiest trading hub in the northern empire. Massive stone walls that stood fifty feet tall were now broken and crumbling, sending thick black smoke rolling into the gray sky.Three large black triangle ships were hovering silently over the center of the burning city, their dark hulls reflecting zero light. Small red beams of light shot down from the bottom of the ships every few seconds, blowing apart stone houses, grain towers, and city gates like dried grass. Tens of thousands of innocent citizens were running through the snowy streets, screaming in pure terror as they tried to find shelter beneath the rubble."My people... they are butchering my people like helpless cattle," the High Emperor wept, slamming his fist against the metal wall as tears burned his eyes. "Those monsters have n

The spear of white lightning tore through the blue sky, leaving a glowing trail that burned brighter than the morning sun. The high clouds split wide open, and the freezing wind rushed across the empty stones of the royal plaza. Everyone on the palace balconies held their breath as the giant beam reached straight into the stars.High above the clouds, Supreme Admiral Kraven stood on his command bridge with all four yellow eyes wide with shock. The red light from his big planet-cracker cannon was already charging, but the white spear hit the beam before it could fire. The entire upper sky flashed with a blinding brilliance that turned night into day and shook the mountains below.The white kinetic spear punched straight through the thick blue energy shield around the dark metal moon. It smashed into the front plates of the mothership, drilling deep into the heavy steel hull without slowing down. The metal groaned with a terrible, screaming roar as the projectile ripped toward the main

The black tactical gunship glided silently through the clear afternoon sky, heading straight toward the gleaming towers of the capital city. Inside the cabin, Lady Vivienne held the glowing green data pad firmly in her hands, her silver eyes burning with pure disgust. Dustin Vance sat calmly at the controls, his handsome face like carved stone as he guided the aircraft down through the clouds."Nathan Sterling has sat in the Ministry of Trade for twelve long years," Vivienne said, her voice shaking with quiet fury. "Every merchant in the city pays him taxes, and my family always suspected he was stealing from the western routes. To think that snake was secretly talking to the stars while his brother begged in the streets.""A greedy rat will always look for a bigger hole to hide his stolen cheese," Dustin replied in an easy, steady tone. "Julian thought he was clever by draining my labor, but his brother was selling out the entire world from behind a golden desk. Today, we are going t

The heavy golden doors of the inner vault began to turn a sick shade of dark purple. The warm air in the stone hall dropped so fast that white frost spread across the marble floor tiles. Dustin Vance reached out his right arm, gently pulling Lady Vivienne behind him as the ancient metal started to groan."Dustin, what is that awful coldness coming through the cracks?" Vivienne asked, her breath turning to white mist in the chilly air. Her silver sword hummed with a quiet vibration, reacting to the dark presence locked behind the wall. She looked up at his calm face, seeing his dark eyes turn sharp and completely focused.The Chief Justice fell back against the stone wall, clutching his chest as his knees shook with pure terror. "That door was sealed by the founding Emperor with three sacred blood locks!" the old judge cried out in a trembling voice. "Nothing in this mortal world should be able to shake those ten feet of solid imperial gold!"A low, wet scratching sound echoed from the

"What... what kind of forbidden domain is this?!" Raymond wheezed out in pure, suffocating horror, his fingers clawing at the cracked floorboards. He tried desperately to circulate his Eighth Meridian energy, but his spiritual core felt like it was buried under ten thousand tons of cold iron. "There is no Qi... there is no spell... how can you crush twenty warriors with your bare thoughts?!"Dustin took two slow, relaxed steps forward, his clean boots stepping right over the broken pieces of Raymond’s golden staff. He stopped right before the kneeling elder, looking down with cold, mocking eyes that made the old man’s soul tremble with primitive dread. Dustin did not raise a hand, and he did not show a single thread of strain on his handsome face."You spent eighty years practicing your silly magic sticks, Raymond, yet you do not even understand the weight of the air you breathe," Dustin said in a cool, level voice. He casually tucked his hands back into his coat pockets, looking down