[FINAL SYSTEM EVOLUTION: 4%…]Ethan stood in the center of the ancient chamber.The golden light that had surrounded him moments earlier was gone.The ancient core still floated above its platform, but its violent energy had disappeared. Thin golden lines moved slowly across its dark surface, almost like veins carrying the last remnants of its power.Ethan watched it carefully.Then he looked at the System.The familiar interface had changed.It no longer looked like the System he had known since the beginning.Its usual panels flickered in and out of existence, as if they were being dismantled and rebuilt at the same time.[FINAL SYSTEM EVOLUTION: 5%.]Ethan frowned.“So you’re rebuilding yourself.”There was no response.Only another percentage.[7%.]Ethan folded his arms.He had spent months watching the System reward him for every legitimate investment, every acquisition, every financial victory.At first, it had been simple.Money became experience.Experience became levels.Lev

The armory beneath the Standish estate had been built to survive a war.Arthur Standish had always believed that.The walls were reinforced concrete. The doors were layered steel. The ventilation system was independent from the main estate. There were enough weapons inside to equip a private military unit, and enough ammunition to keep that unit fighting for weeks.For decades, Arthur had considered the room his final insurance policy.No matter what happened above ground, the Standish family would always have something left.Money.Weapons.Connections.Power.That belief had kept Arthur calm through political investigations, corporate disputes, hostile takeovers, blackmail attempts, and even internal betrayals.Tonight, none of it mattered.Arthur stood alone in front of the armory’s central security display.The screen reflected against his pale face.One line remained visible.[STANDISH PROPERTY OWNERSHIP: 0%]Arthur stared at it.He tapped the screen.The result did not change.H

Night had settled over the capital.From the upper floors of Horizon Tower, the city looked almost peaceful.Traffic flowed through the avenues below. Office towers glowed against the dark sky. Digital billboards flashed advertisements across entire buildings.Nothing about the city suggested that one of its oldest financial dynasties was making its final move.Six armored SUVs moved through the traffic.They traveled close together, maintaining formation without attracting unnecessary attention.Arthur Standish sat in the lead vehicle.His rifle rested across his thighs.Thirty-two men accompanied him.They were the last members of his inner security unit.For years, these men had protected Standish properties, executives, private facilities, and family members.Tonight, they had one assignment.Reach Ethan Vance.Arthur looked through the tinted window.The lights of the city passed across his face.“How long?”The driver checked the navigation display.“Ten minutes.”Arthur nodded.

The last fragments of glass continued to fall.They struck the polished stone floor of the rooftop pavilion with tiny, sharp sounds that seemed strangely loud beneath the silence.Smoke drifted between the broken glass walls.Beyond them, the city stretched beneath the night sky, thousands of lights scattered across the horizon.Arthur Standish stood with his weapon raised.Thirty-two armed men surrounded Ethan from every direction.For several seconds, nobody moved.Nobody spoke.Arthur’s chest rose and fell heavily.His eyes remained fixed on Ethan.The former security guard was still standing.The same place.The same posture.The same calm expression.The bullets had torn through the pavilion.They had shattered windows.They had destroyed furniture.They had punched holes through walls.But Ethan had not fallen.There was no blood on his shirt.No wound on his body.Not even a scratch on his skin.Arthur’s fingers tightened around the weapon.“Impossible.”Ethan looked at him.Ar

Arthur Standish remained on one knee, breathing heavily as he looked around the rooftop. Thirty-two men lay scattered across the stone floor, some struggling to push themselves upright while others had already dropped their weapons. The attack had begun with automatic rifles. It had ended with every man on the ground, while Ethan Vance remained standing in the center of the ruined pavilion, calm and untouched. The broken glass around him had stopped moving, and even the ocean wind had fallen completely still. The Sovereign Realm had transformed the rooftop into something no ordinary person could understand.Arthur slowly raised his head. Ethan stood several meters away, his expression carrying none of the anger Arthur expected. That frightened Arthur more than rage would have.“You think you’ve won,” Arthur said.Ethan looked at him. “I know I’ve won.”Arthur forced himself upright, his legs trembling as he grabbed the edge of a broken stone table for support. “You haven’t finished m