Just as Ethan was weighing how to explore the forest without triggering a full-scale disaster—
The sky suddenly twisted.
The once-stable spatial structure warped violently, as if torn open by an invisible giant hand.
A massive spatial vortex ripped into existence high above, its swirling edges crackling with blinding energy.
A second later, warships burst through the rift like a flood of steel.
They poured out in waves, blotting out the sky. Each ship radiated a cold, brutal pressure, their weapon systems locking on targets the instant they emerged.
Their target—
Emerald Castle.
Alarms screamed across the city.
The defense grid surged to life.
Emerald Castle's main forces launched into the air, forming tight combat formations. Layer upon layer of energy shields snapped into place. The atmosphere turned razor-sharp in an instant.
Then a voice boomed across the sky, amplified by a wide-range energy broadcast—heavy with dominance and greed:
