They stood in silence a moment, watching as the training session ended and the orcs clasped forearms, nodding in mutual respect. Dragonkin clapped softly.
Progress.
Ethan turned and walked toward the central hall. The day had only just begun. But in his mind, he could already see the map stretching further—one sanctum after another falling under his control, until the Labyrinth itself bent to his will.
And he would forge an empire from its bones.
Ethan stood at the center of the Sanctum's war chamber, the long obsidian table in front of him filled with glowing mana-slates, beast migration maps, early trade routes, and rudimentary schematics for fortifications. Light from the luminous blue crystals overhead flickered, casting shifting shadows across the ancient stone walls.
