"SHIELD"The runic word with the meaning shield appeared in front of his hands glowing in golden before a thin transparent wall like appeared in front of the runic word.With the appearance of the transparent shield in front of him, the glowing runic word started losing its luster as the shield kept sucking magical energy from it to sustain the shield in front of it.When Aron saw this he started pumping magical energy into the glowing runic word to allow the shield to continue existing."Continue sustaining" He said to Nova who immediately took over the magical fueling of the rune.Aron then left the vicinity of the runes and went near Nova "Now let's start testing it" He said while rubbing his hands in excitement.{Yes sir} Nova affirmed and immediately materialized a Pistol: Glock 19 out of nowhere."Put a human being behind the shield so that we can see if the shield mitigates all the damages." Aron said as he loaded a bullet to the chamber.Nova said nothing but immediately mater
"What I don't understand is why I wasn't informed about the other topics," Alexander asked, as he simply ignored Williams' order as if he hadn't heard it."It appears that we may have overlooked informing your group, Alexander. We assumed that because your group is the weakest, you might feel embarrassed and choose not to attend," said one of the individuals on the table, causing everyone to laugh at his remark. Despite the pretense, the meetings were far from democratic. The group with the most members was considered the king, while the lowest member was viewed as nothing more than a provider of cannon fodder for protests and other activities. The only reason they had not expelled Alexander's group from their coalition was that they needed their numbers. As Alexander heard their response, he stormed out of the meeting room, slamming the door behind him out of frustration.On his way to the bathroom, he kept seeing their grinning faces, which started to irritate him, causing his an
When the morning sun peeked over the horizon, Aron paused his Runic training and logged out of the Universal Simulation to go and prepare himself for the surprise journey.But before he prepared anything for his journey, he needed to do something else first.He laced up his running shoes and headed out for his daily run and other exercises to complete his daily quest. As he pounded the pavement, his mind raced with excitement for his plan finally reaching the starting point.The significance of the meeting between Aron and Alexander cannot be overstated, as it was crucial for Aron to at least have a face to face with Alexander before fully committing to the plan. Aron was planning to invest billions of dollars to achieve his goals, and thus, he deemed it necessary to come face to face with Alexander before he fully committed.After finishing his daily quest, Aron returned home and quickly showered and dressed for the journey ahead. After he finished his dressing he picked up his wa
Ting!!!!Alexander was jolted out of his deep thoughts by the sound of the elevator indicating that he had reached his destination.The fact that he reached his destination earlier than expected, without the elevator making any stops, caught him off guard. This was particularly unusual given the size of the resort he was in.What he didn't know was that one of the advantages of staying in a presidential suite is the privilege of using a special card key that grants exclusive access to the elevator leading to the suite. If you happen to be the only occupant of the elevator, it will not make any stops on other floors, even if someone else has called it, until it reaches the designated presidential suite.Once he regained his composure, he adjusted his suit and checked that his gun was still in place at his waist. He then took a step forward and exited the elevator, walking straight into the presidential suite."Welcome," a voice echoed through the expansive suite welcoming him.As Alex
"What do you think attracted most of his attention from the plan you sent him?" Aron asked Nova for her thoughts, as he waited for the printer he had asked the hotel staff to send him.Yes, a printer.And yes to that question too, If you happen to be lodged in a presidential suite, you have the luxury of requesting almost anything you desire, and the hotel staff will do their best to accommodate your requests, provided they are feasible. Something like asking for a printer.Despite the successful conclusion of the meeting, there is still a need for them to reconvene tomorrow, albeit briefly, to finalize the signing of the contract.{I think it was the infrastructural support that attracted the most of his attention. By simply reading the summary, he was able to deduce that the minimum cost required to achieve it would be approximately $500 million.In addition, if we successfully establish the intended structure, executing the rest of the plan would be a breeze, as effortless as reci
"With this our agreement has been officially formalized," Aron stated as he signed his name on the second contract.Aron seemed happy, the same could be said for Alexander, but he was having another thought in his mind as he had experienced an odd sensation, as if something had briefly embraced him when he finished signing the contract.The sensation that Alexander felt was not unfounded. To those with the ability to perceive magic, a luminous golden aura would have been visible, enfolding and permeating Alexander the instant he concluded his final signature.The radiant glow was a result of the runic contract, which had been established to keep a watchful eye on Alexander and alert the other party should he ever violate any of its terms.Aron had also experienced the same illumination, but being the enforcer, he had the ability to annul the contract on his end, leaving only the one on Alexander still in effect."I am curious, Aron," Alexander asked as he shook his hand, "why enter in
The next day, Aron logged out of the virtual reality feeling refreshed. He completed his daily quest before cleaning himself up and preparing for his meeting with Sarah. After double-checking that he was fully prepared, he grabbed his phone and watch and headed where his car, driver and bodyguard was, ready to take him to the company."Good morning," Aron greeted Donald."Morning," Donald greeted back as he opened the car door for Aron to get in, and then closed it behind him.He then took a seat in the front of the car before the driver started the engine and they began their journey to GAIA technology......Rina Rothchild's Manor.Rina could be seen sitting inside her office.It has been three days since she met and had a talk with Aron who had given him Ava.Ava was still decrypting the encrypted backed up data and still had 4 more days before she completed this process.Despite Ava's ongoing work with decrypting the data, Rina still had plenty to do. Ava was actively intercepting
Next day.In the morning as he was doing his daily quest which had become a habit for him and he was not doing it to just complete the quest he received a phone call.He paused his activity and retrieved his phone to discover that his friend Felix was on the other end of the line. Without hesitation, he answered the call.After placing the phone to his ear, he greeted Felix with a simple "Hello"."How are you doing?" inquired Felix, addressing Aron."I'm doing well, how about yourself?" replied Aron."I'm doing good too," echoed Felix."Why did you call me?" Aron inquired immediately after their exchange of greetings."What? Am I not allowed to call my friend anymore?" Felix asked, feigning offense at Aron's question."Don't play dumb, you know exactly why I asked. Why are you calling me in the morning when you're supposed to be at work? Do you want me to report you to Sarah?" Aron teased Felix, with a hint of humor in his tone."I am working right now, actually. Sarah selected me as
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra