Chapter 138: Chapter 138: The Monster Kingdom

Chapter 138: The Monster Kingdom

The War Council concluded with a definitive strategy.

We were not going to march blindly into the open plains. We were going to make the Zenith Academy bleed for every single inch of our territory.

I stepped out of the obsidian war room and walked into the central courtyard of the estate. The night air was cool, but the atmosphere was thick with tension.

Chief Inquisitor Silas was waiting for me. He was not alone.

Four heavily armored Orc guards stood in the center of the stone courtyard. They held thick iron chains.

At the center of the chains knelt a massive, terrifying creature. It had dark purple skin, leathery bat-like wings, and four glowing yellow eyes.

It was a high-tier Shadow Fiend.

"Sovereign," Silas greeted. He bowed his head respectfully. "My inquisitors caught this rat trying to slip past the Ashfall Marches. He was carrying encrypted transmission crystals."

"A Zenith Academy spy," I stated coldly.

I walked slowly toward the bound monster. My heavy brass boots clicked against the cobblestones.

CLACK. CLACK.

The Shadow Fiend looked up at me. He did not look afraid. He bared his jagged fangs in a mocking grin.

"You think you have won, Goblin?" the spy hissed. His voice was like grinding stones. "You killed Valerius. You wiped out the Elven proxy. The Academy is furious."

"They should be," I replied casually. "I ruined their favorite toys."

"You do not understand the scale of the power you have offended!" the spy roared, pulling against the iron chains. "The Zenith Academy is not some fragile mortal kingdom. It is the absolute apex of the Monster Continent!"

I stopped directly in front of the creature. I crossed my massive armored arms over my chest.

"Tell me what they are sending," I demanded.

"They are sending nightmares!" the Shadow Fiend laughed wickedly. "High-Orc Juggernauts encased in impenetrable A-Grade enchanted steel. Swarms of Elder Wyverns to blot out your sky. And the grandmasters are waking up the undead. The apprentices of Archlich Malacor are marching with the Vanguard!"

My glowing red eyes narrowed behind my dark visor.

Archlich Malacor. That name carried a massive weight. Valerius Thorne had tried to use Malacor’s core to enslave me back at the Academy. The Zenith elites were deeply tied to the ancient undead ruler.

"Archlich Malacor is a relic," I stated completely unfazed. "And his apprentices will burn just like the Elves did."

"You are arrogant!" the spy spat dark saliva onto my boots. "They will turn this city into a graveyard!"

I did not wipe the saliva from my armor. I simply reached forward and grabbed the Shadow Fiend by the throat.

I lifted the massive creature clean off the ground with a single hand.

I unleashed the Venom of Desire directly into his brain. I did not use it to induce lust. I used the sheer, suffocating weight of my Domination Aura to crush his mind.

VWOOM.

The magenta mist wrapped around the spy. His arrogant laughter died instantly. His four yellow eyes widened in absolute, paralyzing terror. He felt the terrifying depth of my new Sovereign System.

"I am not going to kill you," I whispered. My voice vibrated directly against his skull. "I am going to let you go. You will fly back to the Zenith Academy. You will tell the Grandmasters exactly what you felt here."

The spy whimpered softly. His terrifying facade was completely shattered.

"Tell them to bring their Wyverns," I commanded. "Tell them to bring the apprentices of Archlich Malacor. Tell them I will be waiting."

I tossed the broken spy onto the stone floor.

THUD.

"Release his chains," I ordered the Orc guards.

The guards hesitated for a fraction of a second before unlocking the heavy iron restraints. The Shadow Fiend scrambled backward. He did not say another word. He violently flapped his leathery wings and launched himself into the night sky, fleeing like a terrified rat.

"He will bring the entire Academy down upon us," Silas warned softly.

"That is exactly the plan," I replied.

I turned away from the sky and looked at the sprawling capital city. Nyssa was standing near the massive iron gates of the courtyard. She was waiting for my command.

"Nyssa," I called out. "Are you ready?"

The Arcane Overlord Goblin stepped forward. The glowing green geometrical patterns on her skin pulsed with incredible energy.

"My core is fully charged, Sovereign," Nyssa reported. "I am connected to the raw materials in the underground vaults. I just need the designs."

I opened my mental interface. I navigated directly to the Imperial Domain tab. I had thousands of Imperial Points sitting in my treasury.

"System," I commanded internally. "Purchase the Grand Bastion Wall blueprints and the Absolute Kinetic Dome blueprints."

DING!

[Imperial Points Deducted.]

[Blueprints Acquired: Grand Bastion & Kinetic Aegis.]

I stepped up to Nyssa. I placed my brass gauntlet gently against her forehead.

BZZZT.

The massive surge of architectural data flowed instantly into her mind. She did not stumble this time. Her new C-Grade evolution handled the cosmic mathematics perfectly. She absorbed the knowledge of towering defenses and magical dispersion fields in a matter of seconds.

Nyssa opened her eyes. They burned with a brilliant emerald light.

"I see it," Nyssa whispered. "It is beautiful."

She walked to the exact center of the courtyard. She raised both of her glowing hands toward the sky. She activated her Law of Fabrication.

The earth beneath our feet began to violently shake.

RUMBLE. RUMBLE.

Citizens in the streets below screamed in surprise. The ground tore open along the entire perimeter of the capital city.

Massive, towering walls of pitch-black iron ripped themselves out of the dirt. They climbed fifty feet into the air. They were incredibly thick and layered with reinforced brass plating.

SCREEEECH. CLANG.

The sounds of twisting metal echoed for miles. But the walls were not empty. Heavy, auto-loading artillery cannons physically formed out of the raw iron along the battlements. Thousands of massive gun barrels locked into place, pointing aggressively toward the horizon.

Nyssa did not stop there.

She slammed her palms together.

FWOOSH.

A massive array of green and blue magical energy erupted from the central tower of the estate. The energy expanded outward at terrifying speeds. It formed a colossal, transparent dome over the entire city.

The Kinetic Dispersion Dome settled into place with a heavy hum. It was practically invisible, but the sheer magical density was undeniable. Any A-Grade magical strike from a Zenith monster would hit the dome and harmlessly disperse into the air.

"The capital is completely locked down," Nyssa panted heavily. She lowered her arms. "The Ashfall Marches will receive the exact same upgrade by morning."

I stood in the center of the courtyard. I looked at the towering black iron walls. I looked at the thousands of automated cannons. I looked at the glowing magical dome protecting my people.

It was no longer just a loose collection of monster tribes.

I grabbed the heavy Arcane Radio receiver from the command table nearby. I activated the global frequency once again.

"People of the continent," I announced. My voice boomed out of every speaker and magical relay in the territory. "We are no longer just the Forge! We are no longer the outcasts of the Academy! Today, we claim our true title!"

I gripped the microphone tightly.

"This land is the Velkrath Imperium!" I roared. "And we bow to no one!"

A deafening wave of cheers erupted from the streets below. Millions of monsters chanted the new name. The sound of their loyalty fed directly into my System. My Imperial Points began to aggressively multiply.

I dropped the microphone. I walked toward the edge of the courtyard balcony.

Nyssa walked up beside me. She looked absolutely exhausted, but a massive smile stretched across her green face.

We looked out over the towering iron defenses of the Velkrath Imperium.

"You did perfectly," I commended softly, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "This city is an absolute fortress. The architects of the old world would weep if they saw your genius."

"I only built what you gave me, Master," Nyssa replied happily, leaning into my touch.

"Rest now," I ordered gently. "Because tomorrow, the true war begins."