Return to Base - Evening
By the time they returned to base, it was evening.
Alperen entered the command tent. He closed the door. He was alone.
He sat down. He placed his hands on the table. He bowed
his head. Silence.
Then... he took a deep breath.
'400 energy. 30 books. 116 dead. No losses.' 'A perfect
hunt. But...'
He closed his eyes. In his mind... he saw the bodies. Children. Burning tents. Screams. He felt
nothing.
"Good. I still don't feel anything. I'm still cold." He opened
his eyes. He activated the hologram screen in front of him.
[CURRENT ENERGY: 448]
448.
The highest number. The highest number so far. "But still... is it
enough?"
He thought. He calculated.
'67 soldiers. 2 mammoths. Looks strong. But in the Kingdom of Openag... The Iron Shirt Sect has 1,300 warriors. The Hua Clan has
1,000.'
'I... I'm only 67 people.'
'Insufficient. Very insufficient.'
"But patience... patience is needed. I will grow slowly. I will grow stronger slowly." "And one
day... they will all be mine."
He opened the system's screen. He examined the options.
'What should I do now?'
Army Summoning Decision
Alperen calculated for an hour.
"448 energy. I need to spend this wisely."
"Just taking Level 1... cheap but weak. Just taking Level 2... strong but expensive." "Balance. Balance is
needed."
He made his decision.
"System," he said. His voice was cold. "Summon 20 Level 1 Skin Hardening Early Stage fighters."
[APPROVED]
[20x Level 1 Fighter: -200 Energy]
[REMAINING: 248]
"Summon 4 Level 2 Bronze Bone fighters."
[APPROVED]
[4x Level 2 Bronze Bone: -200 Energy] [Remaining: 48]
"Summon 9 Heavy Armored Cavalry."
[APPROVED]
[9x HEAVY ARMORED CAVALRY: -45 ENERGY]
[REMAINING: 3]
He stopped. Only 3 energy left. Almost all of it was spent.
'Was that the right decision?'
'Yes. The army must grow. Power must grow. I... am just the commander. The soldiers... are my power.' "Call
them," he said. "All of them. Now."
DING! DING! DING!
Summoning Ceremony - Blue Lights
Alperen stepped outside.
It was night. There was no moon. Only the stars were shining.
In front of the base, the soldiers had gathered. 01, Eris, Mammoth Cavalry 7, the other soldiers. They were all waiting silently.
Alperen stepped forward.
"Today," he said. His voice echoed to every corner. "Our army will grow. 33 new warriors will join us. With them... we will be
stronger."
He raised his hand.
"Begin, System."
Blue lights flashed.
First one by one. Then all together. Thirty-three lights. They lit up the sky. The lights
intensified. Shapes began to appear. Human shapes.
And then... the lights went
out.
33 units appeared.
The first group—20 fighters—lined up. They were all wearing black uniforms. Their faces were expressionless. But their bodies... were
powerful.
[20x 1st-Level Fighters Summoned] [Elite Check in
Progress...]
Alperen held his breath. 'Will the Elite appear?'
[UNIT 1: NORMAL]
[UNIT 2: NORMAL]
[UNIT 3: NORMAL] [...]
[UNIT 18: ★ ELITE DETECTED!]
[SPECIAL UNIT CALLED: ELITE FIGHTER - "IRON FIST"]
Unit 18... transformed.
His body grew larger. His muscles bulged. His face hardened. And most importantly... his fists.
His fists took on a metallic sheen. It was as if they were covered in iron.
Unit 18 stepped forward. It was 10 centimeters taller than the others. Its stance was more dangerous. It
looked at Alperen. It bent down.
"Elite Unit 18, code name Iron Fist, reporting, Sir. I am at your command." Alperen approached.
He examined it. The fists... they really were like iron.
"Show me your ability."
Iron Fist walked toward a rock. A large, hard rock. Two meters in diameter. He clenched his
fist. The metallic sheen intensified. The fist... glowed.
He took a breath. He gathered
his Qi.
And swung.
BOOOOM!
The sound of an explosion. A shockwave. The ground flew up. Rocks scattered.
The rock... completely shattered. It turned to dust. Only a crater remained where it
had been. Alperen didn't blink. But deep down... he was affected.
'This... isn't Level 1. This is power...It's equal to the Late Stage of Level 1. Maybe even more."
"Good," he said. Coldly. "You. .....will be used for special missions. Against powerful enemies."
"As you command, Sir."
Then Level 2 fighters appeared.
Four of them. All looked bigger, more dangerous. Bronze Bone. Power radiated from their bodies.
[4x Level 2 Bronze Bone Summoned] [Elite Control...]
[ALL NORMAL]
No elite appeared. Alperen didn't care. 'One elite appeared in 20. That's
enough.' And finally... the cavalry.
9 horsemen. Heavily armored. The horses were strong.
[9x HEAVILY ARMORED CAVALRY SUMMONED]
[ELITE CONTROL...]
[UNIT 8: ★★★ ELITE! MAMMOTH CAVALRY BEING SUMMONED...]
Alperen's heart raced.
'Again? The second mammoth?' The
ground shook.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Tree branches snapped. Leaves flew everywhere.
And... it appeared.
The second mammoth.
It was slightly smaller than the first one, but still enormous. 3.5 meters tall. Dark gray fur. Teeth 2 meters long.
He wore heavy armor on his back. His rider... was a huge man. He held a massive war hammer in his hand.
The mammoth stopped. He roared.
TRRUUUUMMMPPP!!!
The sound echoed through the forest. Birds flew away. Animals
fled. The knight bent down.
"Mammoth Cavalryman 8, code name Hammer, reporting, Sir." Alperen
examined the mammoth. Then he looked at the cavalryman.
"You two," he said to Mammoths 7 and 8. "Try to knock down a tree. Together."
The two mammoths stood side by side. In front of them was a huge tree. At least 5 meters in diameter. Hundreds of years old.
The mammoths began to run.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Speed. Mass. Power.
They collided with the
tree.
CRAAAAASHHH!!!
The tree... swayed. The roots cracked. The ground caved
in. And... it collapsed.
THOOOOM!
The tree fell to the ground. The forest
shook. Alperen watched. Coldly.
"Two mammoths. Two damn mammoths. These... in battle... could even breach castle gates."
He turned to the army. Thirty-three new units. All lined up.
"Welcome," he said. His voice was cold but powerful. "You are now my army. You are my strength. And with you... I will take over
this world."
The soldiers said nothing. They just... waited. Alperen
turned back. He entered the command tent.
'67 soldiers. 2 mammoths. 2 elites.'
'Better. But... still not enough.'
Distribution of the Combat Manuals - The Next Morning
Alperen had dumped 30 books onto his desk. Old. Worn.
But valuable.
He picked one up. "Basic Fist Art." He opened it. Inside were drawings. Stances. Movements. Energy flow diagrams.
'These... are power. Real power.'
01 and Eris entered.
"Sir," said 01. "How will we distribute the books?" Alperen
looked at the books. He thought.
"The system," he said. "Can artificial entities learn these books?"
[YES. ARTIFICIAL ENTITIES CAN LEARN FIGHTING TECHNIQUES.] [THE LEARNING TIME
IS THE SAME AS FOR A NORMAL HUMAN.]
[BASIC TECHNIQUE: 3 DAYS]
[INTERMEDIATE TECHNIQUE: 7
DAYS] [ADVANCED TECHNIQUE:
15 DAYS]
[WARNING: NO ACCELERATION SYSTEM. ACCELERATION CANNOT BE ACHIEVED BY CONSUMING ENERGY.]
Alperen nodded. "I understand." He began
sorting the books.
"Basic level books - 10 copies. Distribute these to Level 1 soldiers. Each should study for 3 days."
"Intermediate level books - 12 copies. These are for Level 1 and Level 2 soldiers. 7 days."
"Advanced level books - 7 copies. Only for Level 2 soldiers. 15 days." Then he
picked up the most valuable book.
Green-covered. Snake symbol. "Poisonous Snake Style - Complete Book"
"This..." he said. His voice changed. "This is an elite technique. I will learn it. And 01, you will learn it too. And... the two strongest
soldiers."
01 took the book. He opened it. He examined it.
"It's a difficult technique, Sir. Fifteen days... maybe more."
"It doesn't matter," said Alperen. "We have time. The spies will return in 11 days. Until then... training."
3 The Next Day - Alperen's First Failure
Alperen was alone.
In the forest, in a clearing, he stood alone.
He held the Poisonous Snake Style book in his hand. He had been reading it for three days. He had
been practicing for three days. But...
Nothing was happening.
He opened the book again. He read the first move.
"Snake Bite: Sharpen your fingers. Concentrate your Qi into your fingertips. Transform the Qi into poison. Strike the enemy's vital
point."
It seemed simple.
But he couldn't do it.
He straightened his fingers. He took a breath. He tried to activate his Qi.
His Qi at Level 1 Skin Hardening... was very weak. Very weak.
He tried to direct it to his fingertips. Nothing
happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Again. Again. Again.
10 attempts. 20 attempts. 50 attempts.
Nothing.
Alperen shouted. Angrily. "DAMN IT!" He threw the book
to the ground. He punched a tree.
THUD!
His hand hurt. The tree... only shook slightly. Level 1 power... was pathologically weak. 'I... can't
do anything.'
'Three days. Three damn days. And I still can't even make the first move.' He
collapsed to the ground. He buried his head in his hands.
'01... learned it in half a day. The system is helping him. But me...' 'I'm a real
human. I'm slow. I'm weak. I'm talentless.' Silence. Only the sound of the wind.
"Maybe... maybe I can't be a warrior. Maybe I should just... stay as a commander."
But then... anger came.
'No. NO. I can't stay weak. In this world... the weak die. The strong survive.' 'If I stay weak...
someone will kill me. They'll take the system. They'll take everything.' 'I have to learn. No matter
what it takes.'
He stood up. He took the book. He dusted it off.
"One more time," he whispered. "I'll try again."
7 Days Later - First Success
Seven days had passed.
Alperen worked 12 hours every day. He read the book. He tried the movements. He failed. Again. Again. Again.
He tried 100 times. 200 times. 500 times.
And finally...
On the evening of the 7th day...
Something happened.
Alperen straightened his fingers. He gathered his Qi. He directed it to his fingertips. And this
time... he thought. He thought differently.
The book said: "Poison Qi arises from anger, hatred, and murder."
But Alperen felt no anger. No hatred. Only... cold
determination.
'Not anger. Coldness. Calculation. Cruelty.'
He saw the corpses in his mind. The Bloody Knife Gang. The Bloody Snake Clan. Children. Women. All of
them. And he remembered feeling nothing.
'I... was born poisonous. My soul is poison.' His
Qi... changed.
He felt a sensation in his fingers. A slight burning. A slight chill. He opened his eyes.
His fingers... were glowing a very faint green.
Very faint. Very little. But... it was there.
"I did it," he whispered. "Finally... I did it."
He approached a tree. He pressed his fingers against the tree's bark. The
green glow... seeped into the tree.
The tree bark... darkened. It rotted. A small area, just 2 centimeters, but... the poison took effect. Alperen
smiled. For the first time, a real smile.
'Weak. Very weak. But... a start.'
10 Days Later - Qi Reactor Prototype Test
Dr. Kain looked tired.
He had barely slept for ten days. He had only worked. But he had something
in his hand.
A metal box. 30x30 centimeters. Heavy. Strange symbols glowed on it—blue light. "Sir," he said. His voice
trembled. But he was proud. "The Qi Reactor Prototype... is complete." Alperen, Eris, 01, and a few soldiers
gathered around.
"Show it."
Dr. Kain opened the box. Inside was a crystal. Blue, bright. Surrounded by metal wires, circuits. "This... is the
Qi Storage and Amplification Unit."
Alperen touched the crystal. It was warm. It was vibrating. It felt alive. "What are its
properties?"
"Two features. First: Qi Storage. This crystal absorbs and stores the surrounding Qi. Maximum capacity is 100 units. That's the
energy of a Level 1 fighter for one day."
"That's not much."
"Yes. It's a prototype. The full version will store 1000 units." "Second
feature?"
"Qi Enhancement. Amplifies the carrier's Qi. 30% increase. Lasts 1 hour. Then requires 6 hours of cooling down." "Did you test it?"
"No, sir. I waited. I thought you might want to see it."
Alperen looked at 01. "You. You will test it."
01 stepped forward. Dr. Kain attached the reactor to 01's back. It was heavy—15 kilograms.
"Activate," said Dr. Kain.
The reactor activated. A blue light flashed. The crystal spun.
VUSHHH!
An energy wave spread out. 01's body was covered in blue light. 01
stopped. His eyes shone.
"Sir... power... I feel too much power." "Test it. Hit that
rock."
He approached the rock. He clenched his fist. He felt power. Normally, he had Level 2 Bronze Bone power. But now...
more.
He swung his fist.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion. The rock shattered completely. It didn't just shatter—it flew. The pieces flew 20 meters. 01
looked at his hands. "This... this is Level 2 Intermediate Stage power. Maybe even more."
Alperen's eyes sparkled.
'A 30% increase... this is just a prototype. The full version... what could it do?'
"Perfect," he said. "Dr. Kain. Finish the full version in two months. This... will be used in battle." "As you
command, Sir."
Day 11 - Reconnaissance Reports
During this time, Alperen had sent out reconnaissance teams.
4 Directions: North, South, East, West. Two fighters + two cavalrymen in each direction.
On the 11th day, the teams returned.
Eris gathered the reports. She drew a simple map. Alperen
looked at the map.
NORTH: 50 km of forest, a small village (population 200) at 80 km, an unknown clan territory at 100 km
EAST: 100 km of forest, Iron Bridge City 500 km away
SOUTH: Mountains at 60 km, cave system at 90 km (monsters?)
WEST: 40 km to a large river, 70 km to a bandit camp (50-60 people) Alperen
thought.
'The village in the north... an easy target. The bandits in the west... even easier.'
'But not now. I'll wait until the spies return...'
"Eris," he said. "Note these targets. But don't touch them yet. Without information about the Iron Bridge... we can't take the
risk."
"Understood, Sir."
Day 11 Evening - The Return of the Spies
Alperen was sitting in the command tent.
He was reading the book Poisonous Snake Style. He was still
working. The door opened.
Eris entered. "Sir. The spies have returned."
Alperen jumped to his feet. He put down the
book. "Bring them here. Immediately."
Minutes later, three men entered. Shadow.
Snake. Fox.
They looked exhausted. Their clothes were torn. Their faces were pale. But in
their eyes... there was light.
The light of knowledge.
Shadow stepped forward. He bowed.
"Sir," he said. His voice was serious. "We've returned from Iron Bridge City. 11 days. 500 kilometers. We saw everything. We learned
everything."
Alperen sat down. He leaned forward.
"Tell me," he said. "Every. Damn.
Thing." The Shadow took a deep breath.
"Sir... the Openag Kingdom... is much larger than you think. Much more dangerous." "I know. Continue."
"Iron Bridge City... is just the beginning. The real power... is in the capital. The real danger... lies in the Four Great Powers."
Alperen nodded. "I'm listening." And the
Shadow... began to tell his story