Chapter 60: The Fall of the Baron and the Dawn of the Dragon
Several weeks had passed since the repair of the Ether Regulation Node. During this time, things had drastically changed within the Origin Vault and Tian Heng's plans. The stable and powerful flow of ether allowed the central core to operate at peak efficiency, and its energy level easily surpassed the 50% threshold. All the data tablets had been fully decrypted, granting Tian Heng a deep understanding of the Builders' language, their techniques, and their partial history.
He had mastered the early and mid-stages of the "Frozen Star Forging Technique" and had finally broken through the bottleneck, forming a stable and powerful "Frozen Core" in his Dantian, officially reaching the "Core Crafter - Intermediate Level." His power was no longer just that of an ether gatherer; he could now generate and shape etheric ice with terrifying force and precision. His control over his dual dragon power had also become more stable, though it still held many secrets.
The Basic Manufacturing Unit (Level 1) worked tirelessly, producing not only abundant quantities of the alternative "Silverartz" alloy but also more precise tools, components for fully repairing and upgrading the Regulation Node, and even prototype models for simple combat constructs – small, fast mechanical bodies with sharp claws, powered by concentrated ether and obedient to his direct mental commands.
At the same time, Fila and Lyra (who had been summoned from the temporary base after securing the factory) were gathering detailed and precise information about Baron Vargas's holdings and the town of Oakhaven. Their reports confirmed the Baron's absolute weakness, the corruption of his court, the small number of his poorly trained guards, the suppressed resentment of the people, and the weak points in his humble castle's defenses. They also identified a key hideout for bandits active in the area, whom the Baron seemed to ignore in exchange for a share of the loot.
The time had come for Tian Heng to decide that the preparation and internal construction phase should give way to the next step: establishing a foothold in the outside world. Oakhaven, with its weakness, corruption, and relative proximity, was the perfect first target.
"Tonight," Tian Heng said calmly to his assembled group in the now-quiet working manufacturing hall. Lilith stood beside him as usual, Fila leaned against a shadowed wall, and Ilara and Lyra stood before him with obedient eyes, though they still carried deep remnants of fear. "Tonight, Baron Vargas will fall, and Oakhaven and its surroundings will fall under my control."
There were no questions or objections. They had learned that his orders were final.
"The plan is simple and direct," Tian Heng continued, his golden eyes gleaming with calculated coldness. "Fila, you and Lilith, along with two combat constructs, will infiltrate the Baron's castle with me. Our task is to neutralize the Baron and his immediate leaders quickly and quietly. Ilara, Lyra, you will stay here, overseeing the factory and the condensers, monitoring any communications from the core."
Under the cover of a dark, moonless night, the small assault team set out. Fila used her abilities to blend with the shadows, easily bypassing the few guards on the town's walls, then led them through Oakhaven's dark alleys toward the old stone castle. They infiltrated the castle with equal ease, where the internal guard was even more lax and negligent than they had anticipated.
They reached the Baron's private wing. There were no guards at the door. They heard laughter and loud music from inside. They burst through the door without hesitation.
The scene inside was pathetic. Baron Vargas, a middle-aged, overweight, and bloated man, was drowning in drink with some of his lowly courtiers and cheap dancers. The Baron initially looked at the broken door with bloodshot, angry eyes, then his eyes widened in terror as he saw the figures entering – a terrifying dark elf, a demoness with deadly beauty, two silent, deadly mechanical beings, and, at the forefront, a young man with a completely inhuman appearance: small black horns, silver hair, and cold golden eyes glowing with icy calm.
"Who... who the hell are you?" the Baron stammered in a trembling voice.
"Me?" Tian Heng said calmly, taking a step forward as a black sword materialized in his hand with a dark flash. He looked around at the cheap opulence and corruption with cold disdain. "I am the truth that comes at the end of your filthy reign. I have warmed this seat for its true master long enough."
Before the Baron or his terrified courtiers could do anything, Tian Heng moved. In the blink of an eye, his blade passed through the Baron's neck, then he dispatched the nearest aides with two swift and fatal strikes. At the same time, Lilith, Fila, and the two mechanical constructs moved swiftly and silently, wiping out the remaining courtiers and terrified dancers in a matter of seconds, leaving no witnesses.
While Fila checked the room and collected any important documents or maps, Tian Heng sent a mental command to the two mechanical constructs to proceed to the small barracks attached to the castle and deal with the sleeping garrison. Through his sensors, he could "see" how the few disheartened guards were efficiently and silently eliminated with brutal precision.
As the first gray rays of dawn broke, Tian Heng stood on the Baron's castle balcony, looking down at the town square where people were beginning to gather in curiosity and fear after hearing some noise from the castle and seeing the absence of the usual guards. Lilith and Fila appeared beside him like looming, dangerous shadows.
Tian Heng raised his left hand, and a white ice sword materialized within it, releasing a strong coldness into the air that caused people's breath to condense before them. Then, in a quiet voice but amplified by his etheric power to resonate throughout the square, he said:
"People of Oakhaven, remaining guards! The era of the corrupt and weak Baron Vargas has ended!" He pointed the ice sword at the Baron's torn flag, which lazily fluttered above the castle. The flag immediately froze and turned into a brittle mass of cracked ice.
"I have come to enforce order and end the chaos that this place has allowed. From this moment forward, I, Tian Heng, am the new ruler of these lands." He gazed at their astonished and fearful faces with his cold golden eyes.
"You may wonder who I am to do this. I am not just a new lord; I am the force that will reshape this world. I am the inevitable fate. I am the beginning and the end of your era. Your only choice is obedience... or annihilation."
Then he added in an even colder tone: "New laws will come. Corruption will be purged. Any resistance will be crushed mercilessly. Learn your new place."