The sky fractured.
No warning, no prophecy — just a soundless shatter that echoed through the bones of every living creature. Stars twisted, cities paused, and the sun bled light as the world's foundation was rewritten.
Then came the voice. Mechanical. Cold. Divine.
"SYSTEM INTEGRATION: COMPLETE."
"WELCOME TO AETHERION."
"ALL CAPABLE LIFEFORMS HAVE NOW BEEN ASSIGNED TERRITORY."
"YOU ARE NOW A SOVEREIGN CANDIDATE"
---------
----
--
Kael Draven blinked once.
He was no longer inside the ruined tunnel he had taken shelter in. The smoke, the crumbling sky, the panic — gone.
He now stood on a stone platform suspended in the air, with nothing but endless clouds beneath and a burning blue sigil spinning above him.
----
"Initializing Sovereign Core…"
"Scanning soul signature… MATCHED."
[SOVEREIGN INTERFACE ACTIVATED]
NAME: Kael Draven
ASSIGNED TERRITORY: Null Province Rank: F
RESOURCES: [0]
POPULATION: [0]
MILITARY: [0]
STATUS: Extreme Risk
Special Trait Unlocked: "Law of the First Sovereign"
Origin: Unknown. Legacy: Null.
---------
Kael's breath caught.
Law of the First Sovereign…?
"What the hell is this place?" He muttered.
Suddenly, the platform descended. Slowly at first — then like a spear thrown from the heavens.
He braced, expecting death.
Instead, he landed in silence.
A field of gray ash stretched before him. Broken towers, burnt ground, no sign of life. Wind howled through dead ruins.
"This is your dominion, Sovereign Draven. Rise, or perish."
--------
Kael stood tall.
He didn't know why he was chosen. He had no army, no magic, and no clue. But he could feel it now — something vast coiled inside him.
And then the prompt blinked again.
[TERRITORY INAUGURATION PROTOCAL]
You may now write your first LAW.
This LAW will govern your land, bind your people, and punish your enemies.
It cannot be undone.
A blank box hovered before him.
Kael's mind raced. He had no people, no walls, no hope — but he could still set the rules.
He thought for a moment.
He smiled.
Then, he spoke:
"No invader shall leave my land alive."
The system pulsed red.
[LAW RECORDED]
Law of Sovereign Kael #1: "No invader shall leave my land alive."
Effect: All hostile forces within your territory are marked.
Any attempt to flee will fail.
Enemies below Territory Rank C suffer a 50% mobility debuff while inside your borders.
Kael felt the wind shift.
The territory had acknowledged his will.
-----
Suddenly, a warning blared:
[TERRITORY INTRUSION DETECTED]
HOSTILE UNITS: [5]
TYPE: Scavenger Fiends
COMBAT LEVEL: E+
From the ruins, shadows emerged — twisted, four-legged beasts with glowing red eyes and jagged fangs. Their snarls echoed through the emptiness.
Kael clenched his fists.
"Let's test the Law, shall we? "
He grabbed a rusted blade from the ground — probably from a dead Sovereign before him (Who cares) — and stepped forward.
The battle was brutal.
Kael was no soldier, but the system guided him — slight boosts, precise timing, instinct sharpened. He fought, bled, screamed.
One by one, the beasts fell.
They tried to retreat.
They couldn't.
The LAW bound them like chains.
Kael drove the last blade through the final monster's neck.
And then — silence again.
-------
[BATTLE COMPLETED]
[TERRITORY DEFENDED SUCCESSFULLY: +EXP]
[TERRITORY LEVEL UP: F → E]
[TALENT PROGRESSION UNLOCKED]
"Law of the First Sovereign" (1/10)
REWARD:
Hero Summon Token (x1)
Structure Blueprint: Ashwood Barracks
Resource Pack: Stone x50, Iron x25, Worker Soul x3
Kael dropped to one knee, exhausted — but something inside him burned stronger than before.
He had no army. No advisors.
But now, he had a law.
And soon, he would build a kingdom of them
"Let the others fight for power," he whispered.
"I'll write reality itself. "
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[End of Chapter 1]
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