Vesh had decided not to show off his army five when the tournament ended.

Several days passed since then, and Ananta Kingdom’s name not only hit the top 5 list in the leaderboard, but took the first spot as the kingdom with the highest overall combat power!

Because all people could freely become stronger in Ananta Training Center, absorbing Refined Magic Energy of up to A-rank.

Vesh had given 30 hours of free time each week to all citizens in all cities, as the core facilities were built across all territories under the Ananta Kingdoms. For a longer stay than 30 hours per week, people must pay Ananta Points.

Millions of people with Seed Force in hundreds manage to get their Seed Force to ten thousand, and many also broke through further.

That was bound to increase the overall combat power of the Ananta Kingdom.

But now, the Warfare event was upon this sideland.

Only one day was left until it began, and nobody knew how it would begin.

According to records, there were multiple rounds of war that would be arranged by the system of this realm, and kingdoms would have to compete with each other by following the rules.

Vesh had also conquered thirty-four kingdoms without invading them in the last several days.

And since the ten-day period within the Sprout-rank was over, Vesh, Arga, Rovina, Kayan, and Viana broke through to Root-rank!

Sitting high up in the sky, upon a cloud he made himself, Vesh was meditating and absorbing B-rank energy to increase his Root Force.

Breaking through to Root-rank had given him a title.

Arga and others didn’t get new titles, but the titles that they already had were activated, giving them effects that boosted their combat power.

As the wind peacefully raged and the sun set itself high up in the sky, Vesh opened his eyes as they sparkled with power.

’Finally done.’

[Vesh]

[Life Rank: Root | Root Force: 10,000]

[Combat Power: 137,931,486]

[Territory: Ananta Kingdom]

— Titles —

[Conquerer of People & Magic (S)]

— Talents —

[King’s Rule | SSS-rank | Potential 100✧/100✧]

[Sword Sovereign | SSS-rank | Potential: 100✧/100✧]

[Wheel of Elements | SSS | Potential: 75✧/100✧]

[Ascension Storm of Heaven and Earth | SSS | Potential: 100✧/100✧]

[World Map | SS-rank | Potential: 50✧/50✧]

— Inventory —

[Slime Sword (SS-rank)]

[Warlord Combat Suit (SS-rank)]

— Builder Mode —

[Blueprints]

Over the last several days, Vesh had trained to increase his combat power.

All combat suits had been upgraded to SS-rank since his Wheel of Elements achieved 75✧ Potential, which was equivalent to full potential SS-rank talent.

That meant he had comprehended the principles behind all eight foundational elements!

This massively increased his scope of applications when it came to magic. All combat suits, weapons, and everything he created were transformed into SS-rank quality. That would be more than twice as powerful as S-rank stuff.

Moreover, he had already started producing S-rank R.M.E batteries in the ocean since his S-rank army had reached over 100,000 total units, and were still in production since Vesh didn’t bother pausing it.

Everyone’s SS-rank quality combat suits were now powered by S-rank batteries.

The quality of combat suits was of SS-rank, meaning it wouldn’t break unless the opponent showed SS-rank level of attack or used some debuffs and weakening to reduce the defence.

And the energy these SS-rank combat suits used and the parameters they boost for the user wearing it, reached the power of S-rank, A.K.A Bloom-rank.

...

Vesh’s eyes flickered as big holograms appeared before him, showing the various cities in different cultures and themes under the name of the Ananta Kingdom.

Each Ananta Governing Tower had a different design in each city because Vesh gave the city to the people living in it and made sure it resonated with them more than ever, despite being under a new ruler.

’Everything is proceeding smoothly.’

’All kingdoms around Aurora Kingdoms have submitted, and many others in the center did the same.’

Vesh’s eyes glinted. He couldn’t wait to unify this sideland under one banner.

The first objective was to make this sideland a perfect paradise that ran with Ananta Kingdom’s values and rules.

And then he would make a solo trip to the mainland to check it out.

After everything he had heard about it from Vinz Aurora, the mainland was infinitely more dangerous and vaster than the Sidelands.

Vesh knew he had to keep a low profile there. If he went out aggressively expanding as he did here, he would attract the attention of some powerful force, and they would simply annihilate him.

So after conquering this sideland, and properly turning it into a paradise he had envisioned and let it run, Vesh decided to make a trip and look around for a territory there.

He would transport and slowly move things from the sideland to the mainland, and grow sneakily while checking out the big powers.

That was his plan.

Soon, the entire day passed by as Vesh went around in each territory to see if everything was running according to law.

His main concern was Ananta Court, though with the technology of Abyss Eyes that could record one’s memories, people didn’t dare to do anything drastic.

But then, the cases of verbal abuse began increasing.

"Hmmm, getting offended over bad cusses and rude disrespect is fine, but not on stupid things." Vesh frowned as he looked at the cases.

Under his kingdom, all lives were equal. There was no place for discrimination.

But some people had that third-class mentality where they think they are superior to other people based on visuals.

No.

You can be superior to someone else based on your merit and skills.

But not based on how you look.

"Alright, it seems I have to implement a new law. Only verbal abuses that are filled with malice, threats, and hard curse words are allowed to be presented as cases."

Viana nodded. "Understood. Should I send a notification to all IDs about this new law now?"

"Do it."

...

The day passed, night arrived, and left.

The moment the clock hit seven in the morning of the next day, an announcement rang in every person’s ears.

[Warfare Event Begins]

[ All Kingdoms in the leaderboard have 24 hours to prepare their army and march towards the northern mountain range. No fighting or scuffles are allowed between the armies. In this round, the army you have brought there will be locked on, and you won’t be able to add more troops to the army afterward.]

[After 24 hours, all armies can enter into a free-for-all conflict. The goal is to destroy the Kingdom Tower that will spawn in each participating kingdom’s core territory. Any kingdom whose Kingdom Tower is destroyed will be disqualified. Their ruling party and army personnel will be sealed in time-space stasis until only one Kingdom Tower remains at the end.]

[When only one Kingdom Tower remains, the rest of the Kingdom’s rulers will face unavoidable judgement from the winning kingdom, and their territories will have a new owner.]

[That’s all. The countdown for marching the army towards the northern mountain range starts now.]

[23:59]

Vesh blinked.

The Executive Commanders and Agents quickly gathered on the floating island high above.

The army of S-rank was a secret he had told no one, so nobody was ready for the spectacle.

Vesh arrived before the group and smiled behind the helmet.

"Director, what about our army? Will all members of Ananta Order?" Rovina curiously asked.

Vesh grinned. "Our army? Didn’t I tell you to have a plan for our army?"

"Yeah....that was a week ago. Did you do something, but didn’t tell us?" Arga asked with a laugh.

"Seems like you have a surprise ready for us," Kayan muttered.

"For now, most of you will stay here. Your job is to guard our Kingdom Tower." Vesh cracked his finger. "I’ll lead the army to the northern mountain range with two Executive Commanders."

"Scarlet and Robin."

Robin was a new Executive Commander, a Stem-rank powerhouse, and the previous King of a Kingdom that came under the Ananta Kingdom.

"You both, follow me. The rest will tighten the defence around our Kingdom Tower."

...

High above the sky, far beyond the reach of normal sight, Vesh hovered in silence.

Scarlet and Robin stood behind him, both curious.

"Director," Robin spoke, "where is the army?"

Vesh didn’t answer.

He simply raised his hand.

The sky... trembled.

At first, it was faint.

Then.

A deep, mechanical hum echoed across the heavens.

The clouds parted.

And something descended.

Not one.

Not ten.

But thousands.

Then tens of thousands.

Then.

An ocean of figures.

100,000 units.

All descending in perfect formation.

The air itself distorted under their collective presence.

Scarlet’s eyes widened.

Robin froze.

Every single unit was... identical in essence, yet different in design and purpose.

<Assault Units>

At the very front stood the Assault Units, the spearhead of annihilation.

S-rank Multi-Weapon Assassin

Slim, humanoid constructs with matte-black bodies that absorbed light. Their limbs constantly shifted, reforming into blades, spears, chains, or ranged weapons depending on combat needs. Their heads had no faces, only a narrow glowing slit that pulsed with cold intent. Their movements were silent, fluid, and unpredictable, like living shadows.

S-rank Dual-Wielding Samurai

Tall, elegant war machines clad in layered metallic armor resembling ancient samurai, but refined to perfection. Each carried two long, slightly curved energy blades that hummed with compressed force. Their stance was disciplined, their presence calm, but the pressure they emitted felt like standing before a drawn blade.

S-rank Flashblade Duelist

Lean, high-speed units built purely for agility. Their bodies were lined with glowing veins of energy, and their primary weapon was a single ultra-thin blade that flickered in and out of visibility. These units didn’t walk. They blinked, leaving afterimages as they repositioned, their entire design focused on speed and precision.

<Heavy Units>

Behind them marched the unbreakable wall.

S-rank Heavy Knight

Massive humanoid constructs clad in thick, fortress-like armor. Towering over others, each step they took compressed the air around them. They wielded colossal shields and heavy weapons, designed to absorb and return overwhelming force. Their eyes burned like furnaces behind their helmets.

S-rank Bulwark Roller

A bizarre yet terrifying design. These units could shift into a rolling fortress form, becoming a spinning mass of reinforced armor and crushing force. In humanoid form, they carried heavy blunt weapons, but once deployed, they transformed into unstoppable rolling engines that flattened everything in their path.

S-rank Aegisbark Warrior

Broad, tree-like constructs with layered armor resembling bark infused with metallic sheen. Their bodies constantly regenerated minor damage, and their presence stabilized the battlefield. They carried massive tower shields that could expand into barrier fields, creating defensive zones for allied units.

<Aerial Units>

Above all, the sky belonged to them.

S-rank Twin-Bladed Winguard Skirmisher

Humanoid aerial fighters with wide, razor-edged wings. Each wing could act as both a flight mechanism and a weapon. They wielded twin blades and moved in sweeping arcs, cutting through enemies with aerial precision.

S-rank Hyper-Cannon Wyvern

Large, beast-like constructs shaped like mechanical wyverns. Their bodies were reinforced with heavy plating, and their mouths housed devastating energy cannons capable of long-range bombardment. Their wings generated shockwaves with every flap.

S-rank Velocity Vanguard

Sleek, spear-like units built purely for speed. Their entire form was streamlined, almost minimalistic, with a glowing core at the center. They accelerated instantly, piercing through defenses like living missiles before reforming midair again.

<Support Units>

And among them moved the backbone of the army.

S-rank Fortress Turtle

Enormous, floating constructs with layered shells resembling fortified cities. Their shells opened to deploy turrets, shields, and support systems. They moved slowly, but their presence alone turned entire zones into fortified strongholds.

S-rank Shadow Priest

Humanoid units cloaked in flowing, shadow-like energy. Their forms flickered, half-visible, as they channeled waves of dark energy to debuff enemies and enhance allies. Their "eyes" glowed faintly beneath their hoods, watching everything.

S-rank Delta Nurse

Sleek, humanoid support units with radiant, soft-glowing bodies. They emitted pulses of stabilizing energy that repaired damage, restored energy reserves, and maintained unit efficiency. Their movements were calm and precise, even in chaos.

Scarlet let out a low whistle. "...You’ve been busy."

Robin’s throat went dry. "This... this is..."

Vesh smiled.

"This is our army."