The teleportation portal hummed to life at midday—a vertical disc of blue-white light, three metres across, hovering above a stone platform near the city's eastern gate.
Two figures stepped through.
The first was a broad-shouldered, dark-skinned man in his early forties, with close-cropped hair and the build of someone who'd spent decades doing physical work. His name was Takulani, and he moved with the careful deliberation of a man who measured every situation before committing to it.
The second was younger—early twenties, lean, with nervous energy radiating from every gesture. Efan. He looked around the City of Life with wide eyes, taking in the stone buildings, the patrolling werewolves, the defence towers still scorched from the morning's battle.
"This is… not what I expected," Takulani said slowly, his deep voice carrying a South African accent. "You've been here two days?"
"Two days," Essim confirmed, descending from the Main Hall's steps to greet them. "Welcome to the City of Life."
They gathered in the Main Hall's ground-floor conference room. Aisha had prepared the space with her usual attention to detail—tea on the table (duplicated from a single premium packet found in a silver chest), chairs arranged for conversation rather than hierarchy, and a large map of the island projected by a system display.
"Brother Essim," Takulani said, "I'm committed. The World Market Alliance is exactly what this realm needs. A neutral trading power."
"Same here," Efan added, nodding quickly. "I want in."
Essim studied them both. Takulani was straightforward—a man of action, probably ex-military or engineering, the kind of person who built things and solved problems without drama. Efan was harder to read. His eagerness seemed genuine, but there was something else—a private confidence beneath the nervous exterior, as though he knew something the others didn't.
Essim didn't press. Everyone in the Ascendant Realm had secrets.
"The alliance works like this," Essim said, laying out the terms Aisha had drafted. "Members get access to high-quality goods at fifty percent below market rate. In exchange, you contribute rare finds, intelligence, and cooperation. Fifteen percent profit share on alliance sales. Five percent transaction fee funds infrastructure."
He slid two copies of a membership agreement across the table. Aisha had written it with the thoroughness of a law student—articles covering quality standards, conflict resolution, termination conditions, and amendment procedures. It was concise, fair, and unmistakably professional.
"Princess Aisha is thorough as ever," Takulani remarked, wiping his brow with a faint smile as he read through the document.
Both signed without objection.
What Essim didn't know—what Efan chose not to share—was the real reason behind his eagerness. On the tablet hidden in his bag, a talent notification glowed softly:
(Lucky Eye — A-Rank)
Target: Essim
Luck Level: Maximum.
Efan's talent allowed him to see the fortune aura surrounding any person. In the two days since arriving in the Ascendant Realm, he'd scanned hundreds of people through the system. Most glowed with dim, unremarkable light. A few shone brightly. But Essim blazed like a sun. The last time Efan had seen a glow that intense was when he'd discovered a Golden Chest in a raid.
Standing near Essim, Efan felt, wasn't just smart. It was lucky.
• • •
The meeting lasted ten minutes. As core members, Takulani and Efan would merge their islands with Essim's—a process that required destroying their own Ruler Orbs and integrating their territory. In exchange, they'd receive top-tier equipment and the full protection of the City of Life's defences.
After the formalities, they departed through the teleportation portal to handle their own Void Monster attacks. The event was universal—every sovereign faced it.
When they were gone, Aisha appeared at Essim's side.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Takulani's solid. Efan's hiding something, but I don't think it's anything bad." He paused. "You chose well, Aisha."
She tried to suppress a smile and failed. "I know."
"Now," Essim said, turning toward the island's edge where a second Rock Island was already visible in the distance, rising through the clouds like a dark promise. "Let's go hunting. I found something in the last Rock Island that gives massive experience, and I want to test a theory."
"What kind of theory?"
"The kind that involves destroying the island from the inside before the monsters even leave it."
Aisha's eyes lit up. She pulled her bow from her back.
"Lead the way, brother."
And together, the siblings set off toward the approaching darkness, the City of Life glowing behind them, its first two citizens already making their way home through portals of light.
DUPLICATE INTO INFINITY
Chapters 16–25
Revised Edition
As core members, their primary role would be resource acquisition — scouring islands, securing rare drops, and feeding the alliance's growing supply chain. It was dangerous work, but both men had survived the first two days of the Ascendant Realm through skill and determination. They had earned their place.
When the portal's light faded behind them, Aisha turned to Essim with a look he recognised — the look of someone who was already three steps ahead.
"Nineteen founding members," she said. "Not bad for a first week."
"Not bad at all," Essim agreed. And together they turned toward the approaching darkness of the next Rock Island, the City of Life glowing at their backs like a promise.