The sand was still settling when Draven looked down at what remained of Potts.
It had been almost insultingly easy.
One trap. One strike. One fallen Lord.
Potts never saw it coming—how could he? No one expected a rival Lord to tame a Desert Lizard and use it as bait, much less to strike from beneath the earth like a viper waiting for its prey's heartbeat.
Draven smirked. If Potts had survived this, he'd have to start wondering if the man was some blessed Son of Fate.
The system's voice cut through his thoughts:
[Your warrior, Luq, has slain Lord Potts of the Caroran.][Promotion Energy +2.][Potts' territory is now without a Lord. The protective barrier has collapsed.]
Draven's eyes drifted to the city. The shimmering dome was gone—only a modest Lord's lodge and a dim, lifeless summoning gate remained. The strange structure Potts had flaunted vanished the moment its owner's heart stopped.
The crunch of boots in sand announced Selene's arrival. She wasn't alone—the squad dragged three more lizard carcasses behind them.
"My Lord… is he truly dead?" she asked, staring at the still form in disbelief.
"Don't overvalue your enemies," Draven replied evenly. "We're not weak."
Her lips curved into a tight smile. "Yes, my Lord."
"Search everything," he ordered. Within moments, the warband poured into Potts' streets.
Draven knelt beside the corpse, placing his palm on the cooling chest. Gold light flared, spilling the spoils of war into reality—glittering cores, vials of potion, two skill tomes, and at the heart of it all, a green-bronze sphere pulsing with contained power.
Life Potion—scarlet liquid that mended flesh.Energy Potion—pale white, clearing the mind like a cold river.
"Good," he murmured, pocketing them. "Too few, but good."
The skill book Mental Perception caught his eye. Reading faint impressions from an enemy's mind? Worth learning immediately.
Then his gaze landed on the final prize.
Lord Talent Sphere—Gnome Alchemy Workshop.Absorb to gain the Green Bronze-Tier Lord Talent.
His grip tightened. So even a Lord's innate gift could be stolen? If bronze could drop… what about silver? Gold? Legendary? Mythical?
The possibilities were intoxicating.
Not here, he decided. Too exposed. The sphere would wait until he returned home.
Potts' city was already under Draven's control when Selene returned with the tally: 1,000 basic resources, twenty Black Iron cores, and the dead Lord's Territory Token.
She hesitated before adding, "We can ambush the survivors. The desert will finish what we don't."
Draven gave a single nod. "Do it."
Inside Potts' former lodge, the Territory Token sat on a bare table—a symbol of rulership reduced to a stone tablet.
"Break it," Draven commanded.
Five blades flashed, slicing through its endurance until the slab cracked apart in a burst of black light. The fragments floated into his hand, warm with stolen authority.
Then came the system's roar—not just in his mind, but echoing across the world:
[World Announcement: The Lord of the Dominion Breakers has become the first to seize another Lord's territory.][Reward: Supreme Treasure Chest +1. Reputation Ranking +1.]
The declaration rolled three times, hammering his name into the ears of every Lord alive.
Draven allowed himself the smallest smile.
Today, the desert knew his power.
Tomorrow, the world would remember it.