Twenty days remained.
Base 101 had become a kingdom that never slept.
Before sunrise...
The Training Grounds were already full.
The clash of steel echoed across the fortress.
The roar of battle magic shook the air.
The sounds of construction blended with the rhythm of the Advanced Forge.
Every citizen...
Every soldier...
Every craftsman...
Worked toward the same goal.
The Emerald Wildlands.
---
At dawn...
Sam stood atop the walls overlooking his kingdom.
He watched thousands of people beginning another day.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Morning status report.
Population...
6,031.
Military Strength...
Increasing.
Alliance Hall Construction...
Fifteen percent complete.
Mana-steel weapon production...
Ahead of schedule.
Food reserves...
Sufficient for ninety-eight days.
Sam smiled.
"Everyone's working hard."
Confirmed.
Morale remains exceptionally high.
---
Below the walls...
Ben's voice thundered across the training field.
"SHIELD WALL!"
Hundreds of soldiers locked their shields together.
"ADVANCE!"
The formation marched as one.
Goblin Warriors moved alongside them without hesitation.
Every step landed in perfect rhythm.
Ben walked along the line.
"Again!"
"No hesitation!"
"When you enter the Wildlands..."
"The monster won't wait for you to get ready!"
The soldiers answered with a unified shout.
"YES, CAPTAIN!"
---
Not far away...
Kael stood before the Spear Corps.
The Frost King's Spear rested in his hands.
"Your spear..."
He spun it effortlessly.
"...isn't just a weapon."
"It's your partner."
He stopped before a young recruit.
"Again."
The recruit thrust.
Too slow.
Kael redirected the spear with a single movement.
"You hesitated."
"The enemy won't."
The recruit nodded.
"Again!"
---
Across the grounds...
Runa watched rows of archers.
She raised the Windpiercer Bow.
"Watch carefully."
She released a single arrow.
WHOOSH!
The arrow split into six streaks of wind before striking six targets at once.
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
The recruits stared in amazement.
Runa smiled.
"Storm Volley."
"It isn't about firing faster."
"It's about controlling every shot."
She lowered her bow.
"Now..."
"Let's begin."
---
Nearby...
The Mage Corps filled the air with shimmering mana.
Zora and the Goblin Mage stood together.
Dozens of mages watched intently.
"Magic isn't simply power."
Zora raised her staff.
"It's control."
The Goblin Mage lifted its crystal staff.
Both staffs glowed.
A dozen mana circles formed in the air.
Rather than exploding...
They merged into a single, stable formation.
The younger mages gasped.
Zora smiled.
"The Wildlands will punish wasteful magic."
"Learn efficiency."
---
Within the Medical District...
Mira inspected the newest hospital.
Rows of clean beds lined the halls.
Shelves overflowed with healing potions.
Medical Corps members hurried between patients.
Mira stopped beside a young healer.
"Remember."
"We don't just heal injuries."
"We give people hope."
The healer nodded.
"I understand, Commander."
---
Meanwhile...
George and Master Doran stood inside the Alliance Hall construction site.
Massive stone pillars stretched toward the sky.
Workers hauled enormous blocks into place.
George pointed excitedly.
"The council chamber goes there!"
"And the communication crystal..."
"Right here!"
Doran looked toward the towering framework.
"It'll be magnificent."
George grinned.
"It has to be."
"It isn't just for Base 101 anymore."
"It's for the entire alliance."
---
Hidden among the trees outside the walls...
Leon crouched beside one of the Shadow Scouts.
"What did you find?"
The scout handed him a broken arrow.
It bore the same unfamiliar symbol they had discovered the day before.
Leon's expression remained unreadable.
"Any tracks?"
The scout nodded.
"They vanished at the eastern ridge."
Leon studied the forest.
"They're testing us."
Inside his mind...
His System quietly processed every detail.
Then...
Without another word...
Leon disappeared into the trees.
The Shadow Scouts followed like ghosts.
---
That evening...
Sam gathered his captains once more atop the western wall.
The sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
Its light painted Base 101 in shades of gold.
No one spoke for a while.
They simply watched their kingdom.
Ben finally broke the silence.
"We've built something special."
George laughed.
"We're still building it."
Kael rested the Frost King's Spear on his shoulder.
"And we're about to make it even bigger."
Mira smiled as she looked toward the lights of the hospitals.
"So many people finally have a place to call home."
Runa looked toward the distant emerald pillar.
"It won't stay peaceful forever."
Leon appeared beside them without a sound.
"No."
"It won't."
Sam folded his arms.
"The Wildlands will test every kingdom."
He looked at the people standing beside him.
"But we won't face them alone."
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Countdown to Regional Zone stabilization...
19 Days.
Far beyond the borders of Base 101...
Deep within the Emerald Wildlands...
Ancient ruins continued to awaken.
And beneath a forgotten city...
Something enormous stirred in the darkness.