Silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The enormous golden screen continued to stretch across the heavens, bathing Base 101 in brilliant golden light.
Every citizen...
Every soldier...
Every child...
Stared upward.
Even the wind had stopped.
Inside his mind...
Rex's calm voice echoed.
Commander...
Unknown System Protocol Detected.
Analyzing...
Sam frowned.
"Even you don't know?"
A brief pause followed.
Negative.
The Age of Kings was inaccessible until a Hidden Legacy was claimed.
Sam's expression became serious.
"So..."
"This is something completely new."
Affirmative.
The golden screen flashed once.
Then...
New words slowly appeared.
---
SYSTEM NOTICE
The Age of Kings has officially begun.
Unlocking New World Functions...
Analyzing Active Commanders...
Please Wait...
---
A low humming sound spread across the world.
Ben folded his arms.
"I don't like it when the System says 'please wait.'"
George laughed nervously.
"It usually means something huge is about to happen."
Dennis kept his eyes on the heavens.
"I've got the same feeling."
No one disagreed.
---
Far away...
A young woman stood upon the walls of a massive fortress.
Long silver hair danced in the wind.
Brilliant blue armor reflected the golden light.
Commander Elena.
She silently watched the screen above.
One of her captains stepped beside her.
"Commander..."
"What exactly is a Hidden Legacy?"
Elena slowly shook her head.
"I don't know."
Her eyes never left the heavens.
"But..."
"Whoever claimed it..."
"...just changed humanity's future."
---
Elsewhere...
A gigantic axe crashed into the skull of a massive monster.
BOOM!!
The beast collapsed.
Standing above its corpse...
Bjorn looked toward the golden sky.
His expression darkened.
"A Hidden Legacy..."
He slowly rested his axe across his shoulder.
"So..."
"Someone finally got there before me."
A dangerous smile spread across his face.
"Interesting."
---
Deep inside a mountain fortress...
The sound of metal echoed endlessly.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
A young man wiped the grease from his hands before looking toward the sky.
Mechanical arms surrounded him.
Half-finished machines lined the workshop.
Commander Atlas.
The Mechanic.
He adjusted his goggles.
"A Hidden Legacy?"
A small smile appeared.
"So someone finally forced the world to evolve."
He looked back at the unfinished machine before him.
"I'll have to work faster."
---
Back at Base 101...
The golden screen changed once more.
---
World Functions Successfully Unlocked
Kingdom Reputation System
Commander Alliance Expansion
Territory Control System
Ancient Kingdom Recognition
World Boss Awakening Protocol
Additional functions will unlock as humanity grows stronger.
---
The entire fortress erupted into whispers.
"Kingdom Reputation?"
"Territory Control?"
"What does that even mean?"
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"Territory Control..."
"So every Base can officially claim land now."
Zora nodded.
"And Kingdom Reputation..."
"It sounds like our actions will affect how other kingdoms and civilizations see us."
George scratched his head.
"Ancient Kingdom Recognition..."
He slowly turned toward Sam.
"...Commander."
"The Ancient Necropolis..."
Sam smiled.
"It probably has something to do with that."
Before George could ask another question...
The screen flashed again.
A final message appeared.
---
WORLD OBJECTIVE
Prepare for the Age of Kings.
Duration:
30 Days
Objectives:
Expand Your Territory.
Strengthen Your Kingdom.
Develop Your Army.
Forge Alliances.
Failure to prepare may result in the destruction of your kingdom during the next World Event.
---
A heavy silence settled over Base 101.
Thirty days.
That was all humanity had.
Ben finally broke the silence.
"So..."
"We've got work to do."
George grinned.
"The Advanced Forge won't be cooling down anytime soon."
Kael rested his Frost Spear on his shoulder.
"My soldiers will train day and night."
Leon folded the latest scout reports beneath his arm.
"I'll map every mile around Base 101."
Zora smiled confidently.
"The Mage Corps will be ready."
Dennis chuckled.
"I guess my vacation just ended."
Laughter spread through the group.
Even Sam couldn't help smiling.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Recommendation.
Hold a Council Meeting immediately.
The future of Base 101 will be decided within the next thirty days.
Sam looked toward his officers.
Then toward the countless citizens filling the streets.
This wasn't just his responsibility anymore.
It belonged to everyone.
He nodded.
"Tomorrow morning."
"We begin preparing for the Age of Kings."
Above them...
The golden screen slowly disappeared.
But throughout System World...
The echoes of its announcement remained.
The world...
Would never be the same again.