9 Days Remaining.
A red hue hung in the air like dried blood over an ancient battlefield.
Sanctum no longer resembled a frontier settlement. It had grown tall, wide, and fortified. Defensive towers bristled with magical arrays. Skies above were patrolled by aerial drones and Skyguard flocks. Beneath, a labyrinth of bunkers, resource grids, and auto-summon forges thrummed like a living machine.
But even with all that... tension was high.
The Third Wave had left scars. Many.And the Fourth? It wasn't just coming. It was already shifting in the deep.
Iden stood before the Central Nexus, eyes locked on the multi-layered strategic interface. Faction commanders and top officers surrounded him, each awaiting instructions.
"We're nine days away from something worse," Iden said. "What we've seen were only preludes. The Fourth Wave will test our systems, not just our strength."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Multiple scrying sensors and predictive arrays had just begun detecting massive continental movements.
The skies to the west darkened, not from weather—but from ash drifting from the Molten Abyssal Trenches, where several Tier-A monster signatures had just blinked into reality.
"Status?" Kael asked, arms folded, his new Emperor Tyrant looming in a summoning circle behind him.
"Projected impact within 72 hours. The monsters are building pressure. They're coming in a staggered tide."
Nyra cursed under her breath. "They're waiting until we're spread thin again."
Iden's gaze narrowed.
"That's the trap."
Over the last day, Iden had deployed over 300,000 skeletons into multi-tiered rift dungeons, cycling through optimized rotations designed to maximize return. He hadn't rested.
[Skeleton Cohort Efficiency Multiplier Active – +70% EXP Conversion][Current Summons: 344,064 | Total Units in Dungeon Grind: 340,000+][Mainframe Sync: 94%]
The results paid off.
[Level Up: Iden – Level 49][EXP: 1%][Next Milestone at Level 50: SYSTEM EVOLUTION – Tier Ascension Triggered]
But that wasn't all.
Each level was heavier now. Each decision more impactful. And the doubling effect would be triggered again at 50, promising to surge his summon capacity from 344,064 to a staggering 688,128.
He wasn't just a necromancer anymore. He was becoming a continental-scale general.
As dusk settled over the skyglass dome, Kael and Rael stood quietly near the eastern rampart.
The city lights shimmered behind them, but their attention was on the stars.
"You still owe me a story," Kael said, softly.
Rael smiled. "You owe me your life about six times now."
They both laughed—but it was short-lived. As silence returned, Kael gently touched her hand.
"If we survive this… all of it—I want you beside me."
Rael didn't hesitate. "I already am."
Back in the war chamber, Iden studied his interface but paused as a soft knock echoed.
Nyra entered, carrying updated Riftpoint reports. But instead of placing them down, she stayed close.
"You're pushing yourself too far," she said quietly.
"I have to. We're not ready yet."
Nyra sighed. Then smirked. "If we survive all fourteen days... you're coming with me. No systems, no undead. Just you."
Iden glanced at her, surprised. She'd never said something like that out loud before.
"Deal."
They clasped hands in quiet understanding.
At precisely 17:49, a sudden system alert shattered the calm.
[Warning: Rift Breach Detected – Priority Red][Zone: Sanctum Inner Radius – Code: INTERNAL]
A shudder ran through the ground.
Iden turned pale. "No... That's inside the shield."
A hidden rift had activated beneath Sanctum's third sector. But it wasn't a random surge.
[Signature Match: Corrupted Entity – Ω-Tier Residue Confirmed][Subtype: Infiltrator-Class Aberration]
Suddenly, the inner defenses began collapsing one by one. Not from outside—but from within.
Images appeared on the crystal interfaces. Black fog. Warped time distortions. And one thing that terrified Iden most:
No unit data returned.
The monsters inside the rift weren't being registered by the system. Not even death flags.
Iden barked orders.
"Activate Lockdown Protocol Seven! Deploy all spectral recon units! Get the Mythal Guard active—NOW!"
But the moment he reached for his staff, the lights flickered. A dull ringing filled the air.
And then… a voice.
"You prepared so well… but you forgot one thing, little godling…"
The voice echoed from inside the throne room, and Iden turned—
—to see a figure stepping out of his own shadow, its form mirroring him perfectly, right down to the command sigils in its hand.