Chapter 84 - Shadows on the Crystal Veil

The seventy-eighth dawn broke over Kael El's Ashen Empire with a crisp, golden haze, the 10,906 square kilometers of his Territory Level 5 dominion thrumming with quiet resolve. The capital city stood at 255 buildings, bone steel and golden turrets piercing the sky as 2,688,000 subjects drove the empire's pulse—forges roaring, fields yielding, streets buzzing with intent. Kael stood on the eastern outpost's ramparts, 1,200 kilometers from his capital, Stormforged Blade in hand, its shard-pommel pulsing with a faint, insistent hum. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, and Stormhide Armor hugged his frame, its scars glinting in the morning light. His flirty smirk danced across his lips, a cool dominance radiating as he flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins threading the stone beneath his boots.