The horizon shimmered under the weight of the Blazing Sun Desert, a vast stretch of gold and heat extending as far as the eye could see.
Kael Ardyn stood at the center of his new domain, the freshly created Blazing Sun City. The air around him buzzed with invisible promise, mingled with a hint of danger.
Two soldiers knelt before him, Zhang Cang and Bai Yi. They were disciplined, armed, and loyal—at least for now. Their lives were valuable pieces in his game, and Kael planned to keep them alive only as long as they remained useful.
"Zhang Cang," Kael's voice was calm, but it sliced through the air, "take Bai Yi and patrol the edge of the protective barrier. Hunt any fogspawn you find. Kill them from within the barrier if you can. If you have to step outside, stay within sight of the walls. Your lives matter more than unnecessary heroics."
"Yes, my Lord," Zhang Cang replied, bowing his head before he walked away.
A sharp, metallic chime rang in Kael's ears. Four times in quick succession.
[Lord's Personal Record — Unlocked][World Channel — Unlocked][Marketplace — Unlocked][Friend Ledger — Unlocked]
A translucent panel appeared in front of him, showing the basics of his current power:
Lord Title: Lord of the Blazing SunStrength: Black Iron-Tier, ElementaryTerritory: Blazing Sun City, 400m³ footprintLord Talent: Plunder Absolute (Legendary), 100% loot dropBuildings: Lord's Hall, Gate of SummoningResources: 2 Mist Cores, no Origin Crystals
For most Lords, this would be a modest start. For Kael, it was just the first coin in a vault he aimed to fill with the bones of his enemies.
He flicked through to the newly opened Marketplace, which was empty of value and filled only with raw materials, then glanced at the blank Friend Ledger.
Next, with a thought, he entered the World Channel.
A massive virtual sphere filled his sight, with Cerulean Planet hanging in the void like a cold jewel. Messages from thousands of Lords scrolled across the screen, filled with desperation, pride, and envy:
"My Lord Talent is Diamond-tier—Knight's Hall! My subjects become Combat Spirit Knights!""Lucky guy! I've only got a Black Iron-tier talent—just extra summons a day.""Ghost Master Station here—anyone want to trade spectral services?""Falcon Corps reporting in—tech and talons, boys.""No awakened talent here… someone tell me how to survive!"
Kael scanned the messages like a predator watching prey. Most Lords bragged about minor talents; 80% of them were clinging to low-grade abilities. Only a few had reached Yellow-Gold tier.
None had mentioned the word Legendary.
Good, he thought. I'm the shadow in the room they don't even know is there.
The chat changed to discussions of monsters lurking beyond the protective barriers, their danger, and the upcoming Novice Lord Trial in seven days. Fear seeped into their words like frost creeping under a door.
Kael closed the channel. He had heard enough.
"Seven days," he murmured. "Time to sharpen the blade."
A sound like claws scraping on stone caught his attention. Two figures appeared through the glare—Bai Yi and Zhang Cang, dragging the heavy bodies of Desert Fog Lizards. The smell of their blood rose in the heat.
The soldiers dropped the carcasses at Kael's feet.
"Report," Kael commanded.
"We found them near the barrier," Bai Yi said, excitement shining in her eyes. "We dealt with them before they could escape."
Kael examined the bodies. One was standard size—Black Iron-Tier, Elementary. The other was larger, its darker scales indicating better loot.
A panel appeared:
[Desert Fog Lizard — Intermediate]4x Black Iron-Tier Mist Core (100%)Meat, water, equipment… rare drops at low oddsSword Shield Soldier recruitment tome (0.1%)
The corners of Kael's mouth turned up—not in joy, but in calculation.
"Strip them," he ordered. "Every bone, every scale, every drop of value… it's mine."
The desert wind howled across Blazing Sun City. In its cry, Kael heard the promise of future days, where the corpses at his feet would number in the thousands and his enemies would kneel or disappear into the dust.