The flames of the Seventh Grand War reached the sky as armies clashed to the east and west, in defense and in conquest, painting the land a deep crimson with blood and fire. The Dektaria Empire, which had ruled the planet Kovkon as one of its great powers for centuries, was dying—a slow and violent disintegration brought on by relentless enemies, igniting revolts and separations that tore at it from all sides.
The emperor and his court gathered to study the dire state of a civilization once revered and feared by the other nations. The discussion quickly devolved into futile bickering before an old, frail man burst into the hall. Stumbling toward its center, he cried out as if tomorrow would never come: “I’ve found it! I’ve found it! I’ve found it!!!”
These words were enough to silence the room and draw every gaze toward him. The emperor rose from his throne, stunned, and asked: “You’ve found it???”
“Yes, yes! I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”, the old man replied with an odd, dreamy, childlike smile. He stood there, lost in thought, under the bewildered stares of the court, including the emperor himself, before snapping back to reality. Quickly, he pulled a digital map from his laboratory coat and pointed to a specific spot, exclaiming: “Here!”
The ruler studied the map carefully and said firmly: “The Regan Colony? That belongs to the miserable Kingdom of Tanania, and it’s on the other side of the world!”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The old man reassured him, “The calculations and maps don’t lie! Everything is confirmed! If we count this day, it will all end in seven days!”
“Well then, Professor Geno,” the emperor said, “if you are certain, we will prepare a battalion to accompany you and bring us—”
Before he could finish his sentence, protests erupted from members of the court, who deemed deploying an entire battalion reckless and dangerous.
“He’s insane! How do we know he’s right?”, one of them demanded.
“And how do we even know the legend of the Energy Stone is real?”, another added.
“Our nation is collapsing; we can’t gamble with our men!”, a third declared.
The emperor raised his hand to silence the dissent, then spoke: “If you are correct about one thing, it is that this is a high-stakes gamble. I trust the abilities of Chief Scientist Geno, despite his apparent... exhaustion. But I also recognize that sending a battalion could alert our enemies, costing us both the war and, worse, our brilliant scientist…”
After a serious and reasoned discussion, the council resolved to send Chief Scientist Geno Selico on a secret mission to locate the Energy Stone. He would be accompanied by two others: the fiercest soldier in their ranks, a one-man army named Milish Atrey, and the most skilled doctor in the nation, a learned young man named Dukken Kodur.
The three men gathered at the sole gate of the empire’s capital, thirty minutes before midnight. They boarded the sturdiest vehicle ever built, designed by Geno specifically for this mission. The emperor and a select few from his elite court bid them good fortune. As the gate opened, they departed in total silence, their mission concealed even from the citizens of the empire.