I smiled faintly.
’Good. Torture him a little. Make sure he never wants anything to do with Armus again.’
He had Gyros. The envoy had been plucked right out of the war zone without anyone noticing.
’Torture? Lyrate would be a better choice for that,’ Knight replied through the mental link. ’She actually enjoys that sort of thing. I’d rather stay here and wait for the reinforcements.’
’How long until they arrive?’ I asked.
’I’m not sure,’ Knight answered. ’It depends on how badly Lana wants help. If she pushes, they could force their way here in half an hour... or it might take an entire day.’
I hummed thoughtfully.
’Alright. Tell Lyrate where you dropped the demon. Let her handle him. You stay here with me.’
Knight sent the location to Lyrate, and, unsurprisingly, she argued for almost two minutes. Eventually she clicked her tongue, dismissed her giant tree from the battlefield, and vanished to go deal with Gyros.
Knight appeared beside me a moment later, slipping into the same hidden space with me, completely erased from sight.
While we waited for everything to settle down, I turned my attention toward the trio. One by one, I checked their status screens to see how far they’d grown.
[Primus Bloodreaver – Level 296]
[Steve Harper – Level 287]
[North Winter – Level 291]
I nodded to myself. Steve and North had come a long way. Their fight on the asteroid base, slaughtering abominations by the thousands, had pushed them far ahead of normal human limits. But the real reason for their sudden jump was simple, Essence.
I had infused Essence into their bodies again and again. Strength, constitution, dexterity, even the flow of essence in their bodies all of it had improved. That allowed them to take risks an ordinary fighter could never survive, and each risk paid off with higher levels.
Suddenly, my attention was pulled toward the discussion forming between Primus, Orobas, Dorian, and the Ronic leadership. Few moments ago, Platius and his elders had stood completely quiet, still processing the scale of what had happened. But now the shock was fading, replaced by concern, calculation, and the anxiety of a family whose position had suddenly become uncertain.
What was most striking was not the Ronics’ distress, it was that everyone was looking at Primus. Not Orobas, whose authority had once shaped the bloodreavers response. Not Dorian, whose strength had been the pride of the Bloodreavers for decades. But Primus, standing tall, still radiating that terrifying momentum he gained after killing Herald.
He was the gravitational center of the entire valley.
Platius finally stepped forward, shoulders tight, voice steady but cautious.
"Primus... about your announcement earlier. If the Bloodreaver family now rules Armus, what becomes of the Ronics? What position do we hold? Our cities, our influence, will they remain intact?"
He was phrasing it politely, but the meaning was clear. The Ronics had lost their ancestor. They had lost face. And they had just witnessed the Bloodreavers crush their greatest rival like insects.
They needed clarity. And protection.
Primus did not evade the question.
"Ronics will not be troubled by us," he said. "From this moment onward, you will stand as the second strongest force in Armus."
A ripple of murmurs moved through the Ronic elders but Primus raised his hand, silencing them instantly.
"You will retain your cities. Your internal matters will remain your own. But anything touching Armus as a whole, its defense, its future alliances, its connection to Dragos or other worlds, you will run through us first. If you act behind our backs..."
He paused deliberately, letting the threat settle into their bones.
"...then today will not be the last time our families meet on the battlefield."
Even Orobas looked faintly impressed by the way Primus delivered those words with absolute authority, but no unnecessary hostility. It was the tone of a ruler, not a raging victor.
The Ronic elders exchanged uneasy glances.
One of them stepped forward, his tone trembling slightly. "That restricts our freedom far more than before. We fought in this war. We suffered losses too. Should we not receive... compensation? Or a greater political standing?"
Another added, "If Armus is entering a new era, the Ronics should not be reduced to mere followers. We stood beside you."
Primus didn’t budge. "No equal rule. No shared throne. Armus has been split too many times. That is why Del Reys became bold."
The elders tensed, but Primus lifted a hand.
"You asked for compensation," he said. "You will get it. One fifth of all abomination zones under the Del Reys will now belong to the Ronics."
Platius inhaled sharply. The other elders’ eyes shone in surprise.
One fifth... That wasn’t a small offering. It was enormous, practically a second empire. Dangerous, yes, but filled with resources, influence, rare materials, and future for the coming generations.
And Primus had just handed it to them.
Platius bowed his head slightly. "...That is acceptable. The Ronics will remember this."
More discussion followed—logistics, troop withdrawals, temporary border lines, distribution of resources, and how to handle Del Rey civilians within newly conquered cities. The tension slowly drained from the Ronic side, replaced with reluctant acceptance and even a hint of appreciation.
Eventually, with a final bow, Platius led his people out to reorganize their forces.
The moment the Ronics left, Orobas released a loud, exhausted breath.
"Primus," he said, rubbing his temples, "how are we supposed to manage this much territory? So many abomination zones... so many cities... so many responsibilities."
Primus only tilted his head slightly toward the cloaked figures behind him, my summons.
"They will handle the worst zones," Primus said quietly. "Their strength is enough to clear areas our grandmasters fear to enter. And with them doing that, we can free hundreds of grandmasters to handle city control."
Orobas squinted at the cloaked silhouettes.
"I know the two humans," he muttered. "But the others... what are they? Humans as well?"
Primus smiled subtly. "No. Not humans. You’ll know in time."
Orobas clearly wanted to press, but held back. Before he could ask something else, Dorian stepped forward.
"Primus," he said quietly, "what you said about Lana... was any of it true?"
Primus didn’t hesitate. "Yes. All of it. She married me with a plan. She stole my luck, my future. She manipulated our family, used outside forces, and tried to have me killed."
Orobas cursed harshly. Dorian’s face twisted with disgust.
Primus continued, voice softer but boiling beneath.
"She left behind a child she didn’t care for. She abandoned us without emotion. And everything she did... was for her own and her family’s benefit."
Orobas spat. "A disgrace. Filth. She should be dragged back in chains."
Dorian shook his head. "We’ll handle her together."
Primus nodded once.
"No need. I’ll go to Dragos soon. I will confront her myself."
Then he looked over the torn battlefield and said:
"Tomorrow, we perform the Blood and Fire Ritual."
Orobas blinked, then his face split into a wide grin. "So soon? Good. Very good. Should we invite the Ronics?"
Primus shook his head.
"No. This ritual will be only for the Bloodreavers... and my human friends."
I smiled from the hidden space above.
Knight shifted beside me, his silhouette barely visible in the layers of space I kept us hidden in.
’So,’ he said through the mental link, voice calm as ever, ’it looks like Armus is finally moving toward the direction you wanted.’
I nodded slightly as I watched Primus still speaking with the remaining Bloodreavers.
’Yeah. It’s getting there. But to prepare Armus as a true backup, something that can fight for us whenever we need, we still need more work.’
Knight hummed. ’You already discussed this with Primus?’
’I did. He knows what to do. And after this war, the Bloodreavers will have enough authority to start shaping Armus the way we need.’
Knight gave a small scoff.
’Why do you even need an entire world behind you? We’re strong enough to handle problems these demons can’t even begin to understand.’
I exhaled slowly.
’I know... but that’s not the point.’
I paused, watching Orobas rally some of his commanders.
’Too many players are involved in this game, Knight. Eternals. Phantoms. Whatever is happening in Prime Galaxy. And now this Hollow Star organization too. I don’t know what’s coming next.’
Knight stayed quiet, listening.
’I just want to be prepared for everything,’ I continued. ’If a time comes when we need an army behind us or a faction that moves without questioning, Armus can become one of that. A fallback. A shield. Maybe even a weapon.’
Knight’s tail flicked lazily behind him.
’Sounds like a long-term plan,’ he muttered.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
’It is. I might have to fight even the system one day. So I don’t want to leave any loopholes. Nothing that I’ll regret later.’
Knight chuckled softly.
’Fine. Then let’s prepare this world properly... Mr. Prime Monarch.’
I let out a low laugh of my own, remembering how my summons had teased me the moment they heard the name I’d chosen. They hadn’t stopped calling me that for several minutes straight.