Achilles and Rose floated through the rubble and torn buildings of the Colony City of Green. Beside them, an Overseer who had introduced herself as Overseer Verditas, the Sky Dharma King that Rose had saved from the murderous High Orc, hovered on a vine woven from green petals.
She gazed at Rose with a mix of reverence and pain as she looked around the ruins.
"I… I couldn't protect my Colony City. So many people died. And from the other Colony Cities of the Thornveil Dynasty… I've only received distress calls. More are likely dying or worse, being enslaved as we speak. I…"
Her voice faltered. There were no words that could do the tragedy justice. Achilles and Rose's expressions hardened.
Moments later, Dr. Shaw flew in, blue wings of the Thalassarian Lineage buzzing beneath his feet as he had undergone the change.
His hair was now streaked with oceanic blue, and sea-toned tattoos shimmered faintly on his neck. His presence pulsed with stable power as he now stood as a Land Dharma King.
He was one of many who had chosen to join the Sacred Pools of Thalassara laid out by Achilles and become Thalassarians.
Landing before Achilles, he gave a respectful nod and spoke gravely.
"King Primal, the Andromeda Sentinels have finished a rough estimate. 1.1 million people accounted for and alive… and approximately 456,000… dead."
Rose stopped mid-air, trembling.
Tears streamed freely from her eyes.
Beside her, Verditas let out a heart-wrenching cry of sorrow.
Nearly half a million.
In such a short time, the High Orcs had wiped out nearly half a million people.
It didn't seem real. But the monsters had promised to cleanse more than half the population- and they almost succeeded.
Each Colony City held a few million residents- some more, some less.
The City of Green had fewer than most, but still…
Men. Women. Children.
And all this devastation had been caused by mere thousands of High Orcs.
High Orcs who had now been eradicated with ninety-nine percent mortality rate.
Every single one had been killed. The only survivor? A mindless Draconic Orc Hybrid.
Achilles thought about the numbers. Half a million dead. His throat went dry. He closed his eyes for a breath, then opened them again, determination blazing in his gaze.
A meeting of the Dynasty Keepers would happen in two days, with humans and Ancient Ones attending.
And out there, other Ancient Lineages could already be wreaking havoc, carrying out similar slaughters across other human Colony Cities.
That couldn't be allowed.
His eyes gleamed with purpose as he turned to Dr. Shaw.
"Can we relocate the remaining 1.1 million survivors into Neon?"
It was a big ask. Dr. Shaw nodded slightly.
"Before, it would've been impossible. Food. Shelter. Resources. But… after some studies and experimentation, we've discovered that when King Primal's Primordium Evolutius Fruits are ground into powder, they accelerate Neon's agriculture by 1,000%. The rate of growth all the way to harvest can occur in hours. Grain, fruits, vegetables are all being stockpiled at a rapid rate. As for space, Titanfall Mountain is huge, with only a few tens of thousands of Titan Dwarves occupying it. There's more than enough room."
Shaw was always a step ahead. Achilles nodded.
"And the Colony City of Green? More than half the infrastructure is still standing. We can have our people and the Titan Dwarves rebuild. We can raise the city into the skies."
Shaw's words hung in the air as Achilles agreed.
Runescriptures buzzed from his body. Living Scripts formed a glowing core that he would use to raise an entire land into the air!
Beside him, Rose wiped her tears and spoke softly.
"I… I'm going to search for any more injured."
Achilles nodded as she flew toward the devastated ruins. Verditas followed close behind. He knew Rose needed something to keep her mind off the death count.
Achilles turned back to the city. He would raise it into the skies and expand the Kingdom of Neon again. Already, other Colony Cities from the Magitech Dynasty would arrive and join them. Soon, Neon would become a floating continent.
When that happened, millions would fall under his protection.
He needed to understand those people. To be like his father and grandfather who ruled over millions and billions!
And he had to be strong enough to prevent this kind of horror from ever happening again.
Because this wasn't just about sheltering survivors.
It was about Planar Destiny.
The more people he protected, the more he could draw that invisible current of power toward himself.
Power the Ancient Ones craved. Power that enslaved millions of humans and Advanced Humans alike.
He'd strip that opportunity from them, take their edge and turn it into his own.
More refinement through the Adrastia Imperium Vitae Ascension Codex.
More Draconic Hybrids, born from the corpses of Ancient Ones- beings powerful enough to fight for him.
Living Scripts pulsed beneath the ruined city as Achilles looked to Dr. Shaw again.
"Do we know where the rest of the Thornveil Dynasty's Colony Cities are? This might've been the worst one, but if any others are under attack, we need to move. We can still save lives."
Achilles had made his choice.
"I'll get the coordinates right away!"
Dr. Shaw's eyes sparkled with resolve.
The Thornveil Dynasty.
They'd lost their capital the moment the chaos began.
Now, Achilles would reclaim it, and every Colony City that remained.
This was what Achilles planned.
He did not know that it meant going head-to-head with the Ancient Holy Land that claimed the capital…
An Ancient Holy Land ruled by none other than High Zenithar Malgorith.
The Crowned Blasphemer.
The Voice of the First Flame.
The Shepherd of Subjugation.
The one who had stolen something priceless from Titanfall Mountain long ago.
One of the strongest beings outside the Nine Supreme Forces…
And a threat many of the Ancient Ones remembered!
Dozens of miles away from the floating Kingdom of neon.
In the clear empty skies, light refracted, twisted and distorted as three figures of Astral Core Ascension entities were hiddenly watching everything unfold!
One was an Atlantian with a golden trident sitting atop a Golden Orca Whale, another was an Atlantian floating alone as she had a dazzling blue gold fishlike tail and a spear, and the third…was an Ancient Millennium Acheron Phoenix in human form who had an astonished gaze filled with fury as she saw the subjugated Phoenix Legion moving around the Colony City of Green!