With a brilliant glow of milky gold, the illumination of the origin gate receded, revealing Seth’s frame.
Quickly rushing out of the safe residence, Seth hurried through the crowd of evolvers, down a destined path.
He had contacted Malgo previously through a mental link established via the Meta card the imp had left them.
Malgo had prepared a smithy workshop Seth could use at a moment’s notice.
Walking through the crowd, Seth couldn’t help but observe the jarring scene of foreign race evolvers going about their day.
Some laughing among themselves, others bargaining prices with salesmen along the streets.
Some even silently browsing through alchemist displays for potions and talismans.
And he couldn’t help but realize — to them, it was just another normal day on their evolutionary paths.
Yet for him and other Earthlings, it was the day the entire planet would be embroiled in war.
To him, his race was about to enter a war that might end with the extinction of the entire human race.
This revelation was humbling. He wasn’t the center of the cosmos; the cosmos didn’t revolve around him.
Unknowingly, over the past few days, Seth had fallen into the same false sense of invincibility he had warned his teammates against.
Though one couldn’t blame him, as he had practically become invincible within this region, residing in such shallow waters for so long was detrimental.
Not only to his growth, but to his mind...
Shaking his head, he snapped out of the train of thought. Before him were the massive metal doors that led to the forge he needed.
With a craning groan, the metallic doors swung open, releasing a sudden rush of heat...
Seth marched inside the forge, lit with self‑illuminating, heat‑proof gems lining the ceilings.
A massive furnace coiled in the form of a slumbering ancient eastern dragon, green embers sparking from within.
Taking in the heat, Seth nodded in satisfaction. It was perfect — there was no need for Brandon’s intervention this time.
Walking up to the metallic forge table holding the crimson‑red anvil, Seth summoned Jack’s hammer and landed a strike.
The resonating ring that followed wasn’t as loud as he expected, nor did the entire forge rumble — which made sense, this was the Origin Realm after all.
Preparing his coolants and materials, he quickly went to work, his gaze taking a focused glow as he threw himself into the immersion of the process...
...
Meanwhile, back on Earth, while the US government was meeting with their allies about movements and plans for war, another meeting was taking place in the northern half of the continent.
Clustered lands that were once made up of Asia and parts of Europe were now dominated by a single ruler.
Contrary to what the US and other countries assumed, these lands weren’t fragmented and filled with people in constant struggle for power.
If that had been the case, conquering them would have been easy for the US and its allies.
In fact, the US had failed to extract any information from these lands despite how chaotic things had become.
And if any of their reconnaissance missions had succeeded, they would have realized the rival nations they feared no longer existed.
All the people had been unified by a single human man.
A man long believed to be dead in history...
Within the Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow...
Eight figures sat around a council table, a hologram flickering into light above it, displaying a hovering 3D depiction of the current Earth after the convergence.
Of the eight, seven were previous leaders of great nations put in place after the cataclysmic event of the origin descent.
They hadn’t enjoyed their reign for long, though, as a single man rose from the dead with an army of imperial soldiers cultivated to the peak of the Shackled Realm.
Before humans could even gain footing in their new reality, he swept across the interconnected continents of Asia and Europe.
Though he wasn’t able to swallow Europe whole, he successfully claimed the great nation of Russia.
The newly appointed president was reduced to a mere minister by his side.
All previous presidents glanced at the figure sitting at the head of the council table, a hint of fear flashing in their gazes.
The shadowy outline of the head sat in a relaxed posture, his fingers adorned with gem‑embedded rings tapping silently against the cold metallic surface of the council table.
Everyone remained hushed, not daring to disrupt the thought process of the terrifying emperor.
Suddenly, the emperor’s fingers halted. Leaning forward, light bled onto his face, illuminating his features.
Deep black hair flowed down with glistening grace, almost like obsidian strands. His eyes carried an authoritative fiery red, his facial structure clearly embodying the traits of an eastern man.
Holding an entrancing charm, he embodied the presence of a born emperor.
His clothes were embroidered dragon robes of the prestigious Son of Heaven...
This great emperor was none other than one of the greatest rulers of times past.
The great Emperor Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng).
"The time has come..." A grand, deep, majestic voice rumbled, carrying faint echoes of dragon cries.
The seven remained dead silent, the stifling imperial presence bearing down on them — not metaphorically, but literally.
This man, they thought, their eyes flashing in fear, was a Variant among variants!
An evolver who defied the logic of evolution, whose prowess grew in tandem with his Providence and Fortune.
And now, holding the fortune of such vast lands under his control, his might could only be left to speculation.
But the mere presence he gave off was so oppressive that every second the Peak Shackled Realm ministers remained around him was a constant battle for survival.
"Our enemies will be upon us soon... I think it’s time we meet with the Western world..." The emperor’s voice resounded firmly, echoing through the council rooms...
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{A/N} Please read the author notes below to learn more about the Flash point system i will be putting in place, and also please drop comments if you have anymore questions or opinions regarding the Flash Sale system I’ll be putting in place.