The command deck of the Vanguard thrummed with life as Kane stood at its center, overlooking the open sea. The horizon shimmered with the promise of conquest, dotted by the silhouettes of nearby islands—territories waiting to be claimed.
Behind him, holo-screens projected the system's tactical overlay, fed by data from scout drones already circling the sky. Every coastline, cavern entrance, and cluster of mutant signatures glowed in sharp clarity.
Kane raised his hand. "Deploy the Ironbound Legion."
The deck shook as the order transmitted through the island's command lattice. From the shoreline, 250 skeletal juggernauts rose, their rusted armor gleaming under the afternoon sun. Some bore shields and halberds, others carried jagged swords, and a handful now unfurled skeletal wings, each blackened bone reinforced with crimson sigils. The shriek of their wingbeats made the air hum with menace.
They were not just soldiers—they were Kane's first true legion.
The first target lay less than 15 kilometers out—a medium-sized island covered in dense jungle. Scout drones had identified three cavern networks beneath the surface, their mineral veins glowing faintly under mana-scan. Resource tags confirmed:
Mana-infused iron
Crimson crystal deposits
Bioluminescent fungi (high alchemical value)
But the caves also swarmed with twisted insectoid mutants—large, armored beetle-like creatures that nested in the veins themselves.
"Stormbreaker," Kane commanded. "Suppression barrage. Marked caves only. Leave the jungle intact."
Stormbreaker's forward turrets rotated with mechanical precision. Seconds later, glowing tracers arced across the sea and slammed into the jungle's edge. The ground erupted in controlled detonations that collapsed several cave entrances without damaging the resource-rich inner veins.
From the skies, assault drones swooped in, their autocannons shredding any insects that emerged from the broken caves. The shrill cries of chitin being torn apart echoed across the island.
"Legion, advance."
Ironbound warriors stormed the beachhead, shields raised as acidic projectiles splashed harmlessly against their armor. The flying units soared higher, dive-bombing the nests and scattering the insectoids like leaves in a storm. The undead cut through resistance with brutal efficiency—every kill adding fuel to Kane's growing tide of dominance.
By evening, the island was theirs.
Workers disembarked from the Vanguard, already marking cave entrances for excavation. The greenhouse division prepared soil tests, while the drones swept the island one final time for hidden threats.
Kane's eyes lingered on the glowing veins deep in the caves. "This island will be our forge."
The second island lay further northeast. Smaller in size, but far more dangerous—it was once a coastal town before the apocalypse, its ruins now entrenched with hulking mutants. Scout drones identified cluster nests around broken skyscrapers and a large central spire crawling with infected.
"Erebus, status?" Kane asked.
"Underwater sectors cleared," came the calm AI tone. "Mutation levels in surrounding waters: 37%. Torpedoes locked for submerged threats."
"Good. Warships, prepare for urban bombardment. Drones—sector sweep, priority on high-density clusters."
The operation began with terrifying precision.
Scout drones streaked across the ruined town, dropping their new payload of micro-bombs. Explosions rippled through the ruins, scattering mutants into the open.
Assault drones followed, laying down suppressive fire, their double-rate autocannons chewing through swarms with mechanical ruthlessness.
Vanguard and Stormbreaker unleashed their artillery, each shell detonating in perfect timing with drone strikes. The mutants never had a chance to regroup.
Then, the Ironbound Legion arrived.
From skeletal infantry to winged units, they surged into the ruins, smashing through barricades and cutting down waves of infected. Buildings collapsed under the weight of battle, streets ran black with corrupted blood, and the Legion left no survivors.
The climax came at the central spire. A fused mutant—part ogre, part serpent, part armored crustacean—roared from its perch. Its carapace absorbed turret fire, and its bulk dwarfed even the Ironbound elites.
Kane did not hesitate.
"Legion—focus it. Form the Wall."
Two hundred skeletal soldiers slammed shields together, forming a massive phalanx that advanced step by step. Winged Ironbound dove from above, hacking at the creature's eyes and soft spots. Assault drones rained fire. A single command pulsed through Kane's mind like lightning:
"Break it."
The Legion obeyed. Halberds pierced its underbelly, skeletal claws tore into flesh, and one of the flying Ironbound sacrificed itself by detonating with an explosive rune directly on its head. The fused mutant collapsed with a thunderous crash, leaving only silence.
By nightfall, the second island was pacified. Its ruins would become a training ground and outpost, a forward base for further expansions.
On the mainland shore, the scouts and appraisers watched in mute horror.
Two islands—one resource-rich, one overrun—both pacified within a single day. Not by an army of thousands, but by Kane, his Legion, and his fleet.
"They… they didn't just conquer," one appraiser whispered. "They eradicated. Perfectly. Like they've done this a hundred times before."
Another scribbled notes with trembling hands. "Two hundred fifty undead soldiers. Air, land, and sea supremacy. Fleet bombardment synchronized with drones. And their leader…" He swallowed hard, staring at Kane's silhouette. "Their leader commands it all like it's second nature."
The scouts exchanged glances, fear plain in their eyes.
Sanctuary Isle was no longer a mystery. It was a kingdom rising from the apocalypse.
And Kane was its undisputed monarch.
The conquered islands trembled as Kane extended his hand toward the sea.
A deep crimson glow emanated from the bracelet on his wrist—the dormant Blood Moon Sigil fused with the Crimson Relic. System prompts flickered across his vision as the territory subroutine activated.
[Island Merge Activated]Target Islands: Resource Haven – Ruined BastionDistance to Core Isle: AcceptableProcessing…
The ocean itself roared. Waves twisted unnaturally, the seabed grinding against itself as unseen forces dragged the two islands toward Sanctuary Isle. Within minutes, bridges of stone and sand rose, stitching them together as if they had always been one landmass.
The result was staggering. Sanctuary Isle's size had tripled—lush jungle, cavernous mineral veins, and reclaimed ruins all now part of Kane's dominion.
Miners cheered as the caverns stabilized, the veins gleaming brighter under the merged system grid. Resource extraction protocols synced instantly with the island's infrastructure. Farming divisions were already scouting fertile land in the newly absorbed zones.
But Kane's eyes weren't on the land.
They were on the hulking corpse of the fused mutant—the ogre-serpent-crustacean monstrosity that had nearly leveled an island by itself.
"Rise," Kane commanded.
Crimson mist coiled through the air, pouring into the beast's carcass. Bones cracked, flesh reknit, armored plates snapped into place. Its three fused forms writhed before solidifying, eyes blazing with unnatural light.
The ground shook as the abomination took its first undead breath. Its serpentine tail thrashed, its ogre-like arms clenched weapons made of chitin, and its crustacean shell gleamed under the moonlight like obsidian.
A notification chimed.
[Ironbound Legion Apex Created]
Designation: Ironbound Abomination
Abilities Retained:
– Ogre Fury (Physical Smash)
– Serpent Bind (Constriction & Poison Spit)
– Crustacean Carapace (Damage Reduction 45%)
– Fused Core (Skill Adaptation – learns from combat)
The Legion knelt as one, acknowledging their new apex commander.
Kane smirked. A general for my Legion. Perfect.
On the far side of the mainland coast, the five spies—three scouts and two appraisers—prepared to retreat. Their notes and readings were overflowing: Sanctuary Isle had doubled in size before their eyes, resources flowing like a fountain, and a resurrected monster unlike anything seen before.
"This is beyond dangerous," one whispered, clutching their notebook. "If we bring this back, every safehold will—"
He froze.
Shadows moved in the treeline. Not one. Dozens. Mutants.
Their mana signatures spiked on the appraisers' visors. Each was level 70 or higher—monsters far beyond what their little squad could handle.
The scouts drew blades, already pale. "We'll have to run. If we split, maybe—"
The ground trembled.
Not from the mutants.
From the sea.
Missiles screamed overhead in a fiery streak, slamming into the mutated beasts before they could take a single step forward. Explosions ripped across the coast, shockwaves flattening trees and reducing the abominations to charred husks.
The scouts shielded their eyes from the flames. When the smoke cleared, they looked up—and froze.
Stormbreaker loomed out of the mist, its guns still glowing, water churning beneath its hull. And on its armored deck, silhouetted against the moon, stood Kane himself.
Crimson eyes burned with silent authority as he gazed down upon them.
The warship turned, gliding closer, its shadow blotting out the moonlight. The scouts realized with horror that Kane hadn't just saved them from the mutants.
He had cornered them.
The Stormbreaker cut through the waves like a silent leviathan. The five outsiders—three scouts and two appraisers—stood trembling on the armored deck, their eyes locked on Kane.
None dared speak.
They had seen the impossible—an island merging with two others, undead legions numbering in the hundreds, a resurrected abomination serving as Kane's general, and now a warship that had struck down monsters they couldn't even dream of fighting.
Kane didn't bother to explain himself. His command was simple."Come. You'll see for yourself."
The Stormbreaker slid into Sanctuary Isle's docks, where defensive towers rotated with mechanical precision. From their vantage point, the scouts and appraisers saw submarines docked in fortified pens, automated drones hovering above the shoreline, and patrols of undead moving in disciplined formations.
"T-This isn't a settlement," one appraiser whispered under his breath, his voice shaky. "It's a fortress… a nation."
When they unboarded, their shock deepened.
The newcomers were marched through the island's heart, and everywhere they looked, life and order flourished.
To their left, a massive greenhouse thrummed with mana-powered irrigation, vegetables glowing with faint energy signatures. Beside it, a fish farm used reinforced mana-nets to breed mutated fish safely for food. Just ahead, a barn held livestock—some normal, some slightly altered by evolution, but all controlled under strict watch.
Soldiers trained in the fields, their undead sparring partners moving with frightening discipline. And along the ridges of the isle, defensive buildings—turret arrays, fortified bunkers, and mana-barrier emitters—stood ready to repel anything that dared approach.
One scout muttered, stunned, "How can one man… have built this?"
But as they entered the operations hall, the answer became clearer.
The main hall loomed like the command center of an empire. Giant tactical maps glowed across the walls, resource counters ticked in real time, and massive constructs—hulking like mechanical titans—stood in alcoves, waiting for orders.
The five outsiders could only stare.
Then their attention was stolen.
A small giggle echoed in the chamber.
Descending the staircase was Elysia, cradling a peacefully sleeping Reina in her arms. But what walked beside her sent the appraisers' visors into overdrive.
A snow-white pup with golden markings, radiating holy light, padded forward proudly. It was no ordinary summon—it was Radiant Fang – Holy Canis Pup, recently summoned by Reina herself.
The appraisers immediately recognized the aura. "Impossible… A Radiant Fang? Those are… mythical-tier companions!"
But the pup wasn't just glowing. Its form had already shifted—larger, sturdier, its fur gleaming with a celestial sheen. It had evolved, its level surging as if it had fought in dozens of battles.
Kane's system window confirmed the truth:
[Radiant Fang – Holy Canis Pup]
Species Trait: Holy Kin of the Eternal Fang
Unique Skill: EXP Share – Automatically gains experience equal to 30% of its bonded guardian. Transfers 10% of its accumulated growth to its bonded guardian.
Current Bonded Guardian: Elysia
Buff: All stats of bonded guardian increased by +12%
The outsiders froze. If they had doubted before, now they were speechless. A child… no, Kane's sister, had summoned a being with powers that could alter the balance of entire wars.
And Reina wasn't alone.
From another corner padded Emberveil – Flame Vulpi Pup, Maya's fiery summon whose tails flickered like living embers. Beside it prowled Frostfang – Ice Lupus Pup, Lena's frost-coated wolf, breath steaming with icy power. Both had grown larger since their birth, already climbing into their second stage.
Together, the three mythical cubs radiated an aura of unity, as if destined to fight as one.
The appraisers' hands shook as they logged every detail."This place… it's not just strong. It's untouchable. If this spreads, every safehold will fight for an alliance—or for its destruction."
Kane stepped forward, his towering frame casting them in shadow. His eyes glowed faintly crimson as he looked them over.
"You've seen enough," he said coldly. "Now the question is… what will you do with what you've seen?"
The hall fell into silence, the outsiders' fate hanging on their answer.