The first rays of dawn stretched across Base 101.
Another day had begun.
The kingdom was already awake.
Builders continued raising the walls of the Alliance Hall.
The Advanced Forge roared with life.
Training grounds echoed with the clash of steel.
Everywhere Sam looked...
His people were preparing.
Preparing for the Emerald Wildlands.
Preparing for whatever came next.
---
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
Commander...
Morning Report.
Population: 6,087
Military Readiness: Excellent
Alliance Hall Construction: Twenty-two percent complete.
Mana-Steel Equipment: Ahead of production schedule.
Regional Monster Activity: Reduced after yesterday's victory.
Sam nodded.
"Good."
"But stay alert."
Always, Commander.
---
A knock sounded on the Commander's office door.
"Enter."
Ben walked in first.
The blue cloak of the Vanguard General rested proudly on his shoulders.
Mira followed carrying several medical reports.
George entered with a stack of blueprints nearly as tall as himself.
Master Doran walked behind him.
Finally...
Leon stepped into the room.
Everyone immediately noticed the black feather in his hand.
Sam looked at him.
"You found something."
Leon placed the feather and the emerald crystal fragment onto the table.
"I did."
The room fell silent.
---
Leon pointed toward the crystal.
"I found another one."
Then toward the feather.
"This was waiting for me."
Kael picked it up.
"...It's just a feather."
Leon shook his head.
"No."
"It isn't."
---
Inside his mind...
Rex activated another scan.
Scanning...
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Unknown Material Confirmed.
Origin cannot be traced.
Contains traces of spatial mana.
---
Zora frowned.
"Spatial mana?"
"Teleportation?"
Rex answered through Sam.
Possibly.
Further analysis required.
---
Leon unfolded a rough map of the northern forest.
"I followed a trail."
"It was deliberate."
"They wanted me to find it."
Ben crossed his arms.
"So they were testing you."
Leon nodded.
"They already know what I can do."
The room became quiet.
---
Sam looked toward Leon.
"You saw something."
Leon hesitated.
Only for a moment.
Then he answered.
"A vision."
Everyone looked up.
"What kind of vision?" Mira asked.
Leon spoke carefully.
"I saw mountains."
"Kingdoms."
"Cities unlike anything we've seen."
George blinked.
"So..."
"Not Eastern Aetherra?"
"No."
Leon shook his head.
"And seven cloaked figures."
Sam's expression hardened.
"What were they discussing?"
Leon repeated every word exactly as he remembered.
«"The Eastern Kings continue to exceed expectations."»
«"The Necromancer has claimed the First Key."»
«"Continue observing."»
«"The Sovereigns must not interfere..."»
Silence filled the room.
---
"Sovereigns..."
Sam repeated quietly.
Inside his mind...
Rex spoke.
No historical records found.
Term does not exist within Eastern Aetherran archives.
---
Master Doran folded his arms.
"So we're dealing with someone beyond our borders."
George scratched his chin.
"Or older than our history."
---
Ben looked toward Sam.
"What do we do?"
Sam didn't answer immediately.
He walked toward the crystal window.
Outside...
Soldiers trained.
Children laughed.
Builders worked.
People lived without fear.
Finally...
He spoke.
"We don't chase ghosts."
Everyone listened.
"Our priority hasn't changed."
He turned back toward the table.
"We protect Base 101."
"We finish preparing the Alliance."
"And when the Emerald Wildlands open..."
His eyes settled on the emerald crystal fragment.
"We'll find our answers there."
Every captain nodded.
---
At that moment—
DING!
A blue communication screen unfolded above the council table.
Dennis appeared first.
Behind him stood Marcus and Sophia.
A second screen appeared.
Elena.
Roland.
Lysette.
Then a third.
Atlas.
His goggles were covered in soot.
George smiled.
"...You blew something up again."
Atlas looked offended.
"It was a controlled explosion."
George laughed.
"That's what I said last time."
Even Elena smiled.
---
Dennis noticed the serious expressions.
"What happened?"
Sam looked at the three Commanders.
"Leon found something."
He placed the black feather and emerald crystal where everyone could see them.
"I think..."
"...our world is much bigger than we imagined."
The room fell silent.
No one argued.
No one dismissed the possibility.
Because every Commander around that table had already begun to realize the same truth.
The Emerald Wildlands...
Were only the beginning.