Lysara blinked and looked up. "What the..."
The sky split open with a violent crack. A massive bolt of blue-white lightning fell like divine judgment, engulfing Lysara and the square in a roar of thunder and flame.
The ground shook. People screamed, some scattering, others falling to the ground in terror. Debris and dust exploded into the air. For a few moments, the world became nothing but light and sound.
The hands around him fell away in shock, and Daniel rolled to the side, coughing as dust and smoke filled his lungs. He wiped ash from his eyes, eyes burning as he sat up and looked around.
When the smoke cleared, Lysara was gone. Nothing remained of her but blackened stone and scorched ground where she had once stood.
The people of Scorch End stood frozen in horror. Some had dropped their weapons. Others fell to their knees.
Daniel slowly stood, brushing ash from his shoulders. He looked at the trembling guards still surrounding him. None of them dared move.
His breathing slowed as he took it all in. The stunned silence, the weapons slowly lowering, the fear taking hold.
The Lightning Orbital Strike had done more than kill Lysara. It had shattered their illusion of power. It had rewritten the rules of this confrontation in an instant. He held the power, not them.
And now, Daniel stood alone in the center of a shell-shocked settlement. He had enough power to destroy this place entirely, wipe it from memory. But he couldn't.
He remembered the children he'd seen earlier, dirty, wide-eyed, clutching at each other behind the doors. They were innocent. They'd done nothing wrong.
He exhaled slowly and turned to the nearest cluster of guards. "Tell your people this. I came in peace. Your leader didn't. If anyone ever tries something like that again, I won't be so merciful."
The guards slowly backed away, nodding, eyes wide with disbelief.
Daniel strode toward the gate, and the crowd parted like a tide. No one dared stop him. No one even raised a voice.
He boarded his stealth aircraft, sealed the hatch, and collapsed into the pilot seat, the silence around him a welcome change.
"Let's not do that again." He muttered.
[Autopilot ready. Initiate takeoff?]
"Yes."
The aircraft hummed to life, lifting off smoothly. As it rose into the sky, Daniel brought up the system shop again.
He opened the Powers tab and began scrolling.
"I need to cover my weaknesses. I had firepower. But no awareness. No control. I need to be prepared."
He started with defense.
[Purchased: Gravity Shield – $250,000]
[A passive shield that reduces incoming force and impact. Ideal for surprise attacks or large-scale area effects.]
[Purchased: Passive Threat Detection – $100,000]
[Alerts the user of hidden threats within a 50-meter radius.]
"That should stop anyone from taking me by surprise again."
Then he moved to mobility.
[Purchased: Blink Step – $75,000]
[Short-distance teleportation, usable in quick bursts to dodge, escape, or reposition. Good for getting out of traps or ambushes.]
"Movement wins fights. Especially if I'm alone."
Then he focused on offense.
[Purchased: Force Burst – $30,000]
[Unleashes a concussive shockwave from the body, pushing enemies away and knocking them down. Great for breaking crowds.]
[Purchased: Combat Awareness – $10,000]
[Increases perception, reflex speed, and reaction time in battle situations. Better decision-making in life-or-death moments.]
He considered going further. There were powers for illusions, elemental control, even minor time manipulation, but he didn't want to overreach just yet. These were practical. Reliable.
The total cost was less than half a million dollars. A drop in the bucket for him. And a necessary investment.
He leaned back in the pilot seat, fingers steepled.
"Now let's see who else wants a piece of me."
[][][][][]
Far below, the scorched ruins of the central square still smoldered.
A pulse of energy split the sky like a crack of thunder, and a figure descended like a falling star.
Blue flames trailed behind him, flickering like divine wings. He touched down at the edge of Scorch End, the earth cracking beneath his boots. The air rippled with heat.
Lord Vexar had arrived.
He was tall and broad, his armor forged from obsidian colored plates with golden trim. A spiked crown hovered inches above his head, spinning slowly like a halo. His eyes glowed faintly beneath his helmet, twin pinpricks of golden malice.
His soldiers followed behind, cloaked in shadow, each of them armored in jagged steel and bone.
The villagers dropped to their knees, some weeping, others too afraid to move.
Vexar scanned the ruins with a slow, calculating gaze. He took in the crater, the blackened walls, the scent of ozone and smoke.
"Where is Lysara?" He asked, voice calm but heavy with menace.
A guard crawled forward on hands and knees. "She's dead, my lord."
"By whose hand?"
"A man named Daniel. He came in a stealth plane. We thought he was just some rich traveler. Lysara tried to rob him. He— He called down lightning from the sky. She was vaporized instantly."
Another stepped up. "He walked away unharmed. Threatened us with another strike."
Vexar walked forward, inspecting the crater where Lysara once stood. The blackened stone was cracked and smoking.
He knelt, placing a gauntleted hand on the ground. Ashes swirled upward at his touch, forming a brief, flickering image. Daniel's unclear silhouette as he walked out of the settlement.
He smiled.
"A man with enough money to use orbital strikes like pocket change."
He turned slowly, gaze sweeping the frightened villagers. "Describe him."
"Black hair, dark eyes, human. Looked clean, and well fed.
"His aircraft?"
"Black. Smooth. Silent. Floated above the sand like a spirit."
Vexar's smile widened.
"Then we'll take it."
He walked to a ruined pillar, placed his palm against it, and let magic flow through him. Golden veins spread across the stone. The pillar restored itself in seconds, stone sealing back together like healed skin.
"This Daniel has power. Wealth."
He rose into the air again, flames curling beneath his boots, his voice ringing out across the settlement.
"Send word to every scout, every hunter, every raider. Map the skies. Watch the sands. We are going on a hunt."
He summoned a blade of pure golden energy, the air hissing around it.
"And this Daniel shall pay his respects to Lord Vexar."