The mechanostrider's metallic footsteps had barely faded when Kael found Bai Yi waiting in the training yard.
"These," Kael said, pressing four small crystal vials into her hands, "will mend flesh and bone. Give them to the wounded."
Her eyes shone with gratitude. "Thank you, my Lord."
Ten of her Sword-and-Shield soldiers still bore fresh scars, their bandages crude and temporary. Finally, healing could begin.
But Kael knew four vials wouldn't last. Battles loomed ahead—more soldiers, more blood. Ashburn would have to craft far more if his army was to survive.
Bai Yi squared her shoulders. "My Lord, may I lead a unit deeper into the wilds? To clear more of the fog and its beasts."
"Granted," Kael said sharply. "And stay alive."
After she left, Kael retreated to his chambers and unfurled Ashburn's material list. Only four or five ingredients in total—yet two stood out: Blood Origin Flower and pure iron.
Opening the trade network, Kael reminded himself: meat was still king. Ten slabs of Desert Fog Lizard for one unit of mechanostrider-grade metal. Three slabs for one batch of potion-grade herbs.
He listed five thousand units. The name Lord of the Blazing Sun—the Plunder King—shot to the top of the rankings once more.
The World Channel exploded:
"Five thousand?! Is his territory a lizard farm?""Pray for the Desert Fog Lizard.""Anyone know where to find Blood Origin Flower?""Pure iron? You need a proper forge to work it."
Kael barely noticed the noise. His attention was on the flood of private trade requests. Most were junk, some yielded scraps. Blood Origin Flowers, however, were scarce—he'd barely gathered enough for five potions.
Then one message froze him mid-scroll:
[Spiritual Medicine Lord]: Big Brother Blazing Sun, I have 500 Blood Origin Flowers. Want them?
Five. Hundred.
Kael's reply was immediate:
[Plunder King]: Done. Trade now.
Meat for flowers.
Moments later, the air in his quarters thickened with their crimson scent. Enough for two hundred and fifty potions. Enough to keep an army alive.
A final message caught his eye. The herbalist called herself Ling'er, thirteen years old, and included a photo of a small, nervous girl clutching an old teddy bear. A child competing for a crown in this brutal game.
"Don't use titles with me," Kael told her. "Just… be careful."
Far away, in a lonely outpost, the girl smiled at the sudden bounty of meat, whispering that the feared Plunder King couldn't be as ruthless as the stories said.
Back in Blazing Sun City, Kael pushed the thought aside. She probably had a rare gift for growing medicinal plants—there was no time to investigate.
He turned toward Ashburn's workshop—and then it hit him: warmth blooming in his chest, surging through his veins, sharpening his mind, hardening his muscles.
He checked his status.
Black Iron – Advanced Tier.
A grin split his face—cut short by screams.
Roars. Hisses. The earth trembled beneath countless claws.
"My Lord!" Qin Guang's voice thundered from outside, thick with alarm. "A horde is coming!"
Kael's hand went to his blade.
The beasts had chosen the wrong city to test.