NOVEL NEXT Chapter 252: Foundation Of Power
"Whether I am hiding something or not, that isn't of your concern," Aurelia said coldly, the celestial light of her domain pushing back against the lingering darkness placed by Lilith.
"You are right," Lilith conceded, her eyes narrowing in tactical retreat. She knew when a direct assault was not worth the cost:
"I will get going. Although you stopped my plan, you can't hide my target from me." Lilith blew Aurelia a theatrical, mocking kiss and vanished instantly.
Aurelia waved her hand in irritation, the act of a powerful being clearing away unpleasant residue. All the darkness in her domain vanished, the brilliant, comforting light snapping back into its place.
"So annoying," she muttered under her breath, a rare break in her regal demeanor.
"I knew this would happen."
Aurelia looked over her shoulder, seeing Raphael, his arms folded across his chest, his magnificent wings momentarily still. He had been observing, but wisely kept his distance.
"Oh, don't," Aurelia warned, her voice tight. "I have a lot going on in my head at the moment." She vanished from sight, leaving the domain to its silent, perfect order.
"Gosh, my elder sister will do anything for that..." Raphael stopped himself, biting back the critical words. Although he was strong, he knew better than to cross his sister's path when she was in such a protective state. The thing she was protecting had to be worth more than a war with Lilith.
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[Lower World.]
[One Week Later.]
[One of Eldoria's Territories.]
Eldoria's sleek Starship settled quietly onto the city grounds—a testament to the nation's rapid technological advance. Sunny, Josephine, Star, Ellen, and Jinx disembarked, the royal family stepping onto a territory that was visibly thriving.
"Greetings to the royal family of Eldoria," David, now Eldoria's Chief Engineer and inventor, said with a respectful, professional bow. Standing behind him were Nicolas, Blood Eye, and Vancouver.
"I am here to inspect the progress of... well, everything," Sunny said, walking past the group with Josephine by his side, his family following closely. He was acting as a CEO, ensuring his investments translated into absolute power. Nicolas walked beside him:
"We have finished all the factories, and everything is on track," Nicolas reported, his voice crisp with efficiency.
"We started mass-producing our foods, battleships, warships, vehicles, and even weapons. Thanks to the Spirit Stones the King provided, our military weapons and ships are far more powerful than any other nation's." He gestured toward a colossal factory:
"We build armors in that factory. As of the moment, we have more than two hundred Grand Class armoreds ready for deployment. We are also rapidly making defense shields for all major installations."
Sunny listened intently as they stopped in front of a recently constructed, opulent mansion. Guards opened the gate, bowing deeply.
"Good, it seems the trillions of funds didn't go to waste," Sunny nodded. While the money was meaningless to him, the visible progress—the crystallization of his influence and vision—was deeply pleasing.
"Okay, what about you, David?" Sunny asked, remembering the advanced weapon he had commissioned.
David snapped his fingers, and an obsidian-looking drone with twin guns on either side materialized before them, having been stored in his spatial storage.
"My King, this is still a prototype, not yet completed," David explained, his eyes shining with the pride of an inventor.
"I will use this one to demonstrate what the real drone, the Assassin Drone, can do."
He placed the prototype on the ground, activating his Cosmic Brain to interface with it, making the drone's system visible to the others. The drone ascended, hovering silently before them.
"Now... let's give it a target," David said, pulling out a photo. He scanned the image into his Cosmic Brain and sent the command to the drone. A red glow pulsed on the drone's front, and the two guns snapped online.
David then sent a message to his apprentice, a young Elf positioned on a nearby rooftop. The apprentice nodded and pressed a button on a large cage beside her. The door opened, and a 2-meter long half-dragonfly and half-cat creature—flew out, shooting into the sky with incredible speed.
"Now, let the game begin!" David smirked, enjoying the show, and sent the final kill command.
WHOOSH!!!
The drone instantly turned, its sensor locking onto the high-speed target.
[Target confirmed.]
BOOOOM!
The drone shot forward, achieving a velocity twice that of the creature, and arrived directly behind it in seconds.
RA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA!!!
It unleashed a continuous barrage of bullets, circling the target in a blur, ensuring that no part of the creature's body was spared the assault. Sunny and the entire family, except for the proud David and his apprentice, watched in pure, wide-eyed shock. The bullets efficiently severed the creature's limbs and wings. The drone continued to fire until the mangled form was utterly lifeless.
[Target Exterminated.]
The drone flew back to David and stopped before him, its mission complete.
"The only downside is, it can only target one entity at a time for now," David admitted, slightly deflating. "Well, this will be useless if we have thousands of drones."
Sunny stared at the drone, then, without warning, focused his intent. To David's utter stupefaction, the drone began to squeeze inward on itself. It imploded, but the resulting explosion was instantly contained—the flames and debris simply vanished into nothingness.
"Ahhh? But its defense--!" David yelled, stumbling backward in shock, his best invention nullified in an instant. He rubbed his neck with a nervous chuckle, the sudden realization of his King's overwhelming power sinking in.
"What am I saying? Even if it's the main drone, you can easily turn it useless," he admitted, his previous pride humbled by a reality check.
"But anyone below the Divine Rank can't."
Sunny nodded, satisfied with the potential, if not the current output. "Get started. I've sent all the money you need. Start mass-producing it. I need more than a thousand before six months are up. Vancouver, come with me."
Sunny turned and walked toward the mansion door, entering with his family and Vancouver, leaving a stunned David, Nicolas, and Blood Eye behind.
DING!
David looked at his account number. Seeing the astronomical figures, the culmination of his life's work and his King's unimaginable wealth, was too much. He promptly fainted from shock.
".....??"
Both Nicolas and Blood Eye were utterly dumbfounded, staring at the unconscious David.