"How are things going?"
Above the skies of the Kingdom of Neon, starlight continued its slow descent, bathing the Life Spring nestled within the Primal Neon Tower. Achilles stood in its glow, soaking in the power it carried.
He turned to Rose, who hovered above the steaming spring, her expression serious as she drifted toward him.
"The vast majority of humans in Neon are choosing to undergo the baptism and become Thalassarians," she said softly. "Dr. Shaw is monitoring everything, watching for chaos or anyone abusing their power. But so far, after advancement… every Thalassarian displays power at the level of an Upper Body Modification Advanced Human. They'll likely form their meridians soon as the first wave..."
Her eyes lifted toward the sky.
Together, she and Achilles looked up into the artificial night where the massive body of water suspended over Neon shimmered. A woman with a glowing blue cane swam joyfully through the currents, Granny Lila. Around her, hundreds of thousands joined, their feet adorned with the newly formed wings unique to Thalassarians, letting them fly up and swim in the depths.
Rose smiled, watching the woman who used to be old and fragile.
"Granny Lila, they called her in the Slums. She always helped the orphans… anyone in need. Gave away everything her family left her. And now, as the first Thalassarian, her power is already more potent than anyone else's." Her smile faded. "But the more pressing issue is the confirmation from Dr. Shaw. The Colony City of Green, under the Thornveil Dynasty. He's received distress calls. They..."
She trailed off, clenching her fists, biting her lower lip as anger flared behind her eyes.
"The Andromeda Sentinels managed to capture some images through drones and satellites. There are Ancient Ones, massive, golden orc-like beings, assaulting the city. Intel confirms multiple Dharma Manifestation-level beings. And one... an Astral Core Ascension Ancient One. They're not just attacking the city. They're butchering the people inside. An unknown number are already dead. The others are... being tortured."
Achilles said nothing.
His gaze returned to the starlight falling from above, noting the Adrastia Imperium Vitae Ascension Codex's progress toward the Imperial Embers Initiation Stage, barely nudging past 1%.
And yet, his blood was constantly being refined, starlight flowing through his veins, arteries, and meridians like some ancient energy reborn.
His seas of assimilations had compressed, converged, and refined so completely they no longer felt like vast chaotic masses, but pools, disciplined and rotating around him. Each one was seamlessly accessible, their power tenfold what it had been before.
His echelon hadn't changed.
But the strength he could now wield at this same level? Unmatched.
Not having the Adrastia Imperium Vitae Ascension Codex before had truly been like being winged, yet flightless. Because now, even as he continued to Assimilate the Organic and Inorganic Terrestrial Planetary Body beneath him, the Existence Corruption Value remained perfectly stable.
That was how resistant his lineage had become.
The [Sea] of his power as a Sea Dharma King expanded with terrifying speed. It was a power deeper, more complex, more vast than anything a Dharma Manifestation entity could ever hope to reach.
He was the Adrastia Emperor King. His foundation could not help but exceed the rest.
And as he heard of the atrocities unfolding in the nearby Colony City...
He raised his hand to the sky, starlight swirling around his fingers.
The magnificent illusory throne that had risen with the Codex's activation flickered once... then vanished.
The light he radiated dimmed. The starlight river above was abruptly cut off. The final droplets fell and were absorbed into his body as silence followed.
Around the Kingdom of Neon, the artificial night slowly began to fade.
Blue pools shimmered across the kingdom, glowing vibrantly. Rings of water circled for hundreds of miles, encasing the land in a radiant, aquatic embrace. Above the towers, the floating sea wrapped around the peak of Titanfall Mountain, suspended like a blessing from the gods.
The world remained breathtaking.
Achilles gave his command.
"Have Dr. Shaw and the others deploy. Are you... ready to witness the devastation?"
He rose from his meditative stance, stepping toward her, gently cupping the left side of her face.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, exhaling slowly.
"I've already prepared myself to see the bodies, men, women, children. I'll let the grief fuel my hatred. And I'll use that hatred to scorch every last Ancient One who had a hand in it. I'll be okay."
Her voice didn't waver.
He had elevated her to the Sky Dharma King level. With her number of meridians, her unique physiology, her Limited Assimilation of Organic and Inorganic Terrestrial Planetary Body, and the Primordium Evolutius Magitech Suit she now wore, she was far beyond what most could harm.
Even a Luminblood-stage Astral Core Ascension being wouldn't be able to injure her, not within the span of a minute.
He had protected his Rose far too well for that.
White flames burst around them, coiling upward as they prepared to teleport toward the outer rings, where the Draconic Hybrids had already begun to see the outline of the burning Colony City, smoke rising like a signal of death and ruin.
At the same time, Neon's outer rings lit with piercing blue light as the Lunar Dreadnought surged forward, trailed by Enforcer Warships, each moving with flawless precision.
Their world had changed.
But that didn't mean they would leave others behind, not when a Colony City cried out right in front of them.
Achilles watched the deployment of Dr. Shaw, Nyxaria Moonveil Lunaris, Overseer Jackson, Selene, Luna, Major David, and countless others. They led the warships and commanded the Dreadnought.
Each had consumed the Primordium Evolutius Fruits in vast quantities. Many had already forged their [Land], becoming Land Dharma Kings with the resources Achilles provided.
Their power surged higher still, especially those who had undergone baptism and gained the Thalassarian lineage.
That lineage alone began at a peak most never touched.
Their bodies, their energy... superior in every way. Those who stepped into the Sacred Pools of Thalassara emerged changed, more powerful than ever.
And now, for the first time, they moved.
To defend not themselves, but another Colony City.