[Chapter 265. Spoils and Sentinels]

Before Clara could walk over, pale flashes of blue light erupted one after another, like silent, ethereal explosions in the air.

The sudden appearance of items on the table made her jump. As if in slow motion, a small glass bottle tipped over, rolling across the wooden surface before tumbling to the floor with an unnerving clink. It shattered upon impact, the sound sharp against the low hum of the tower's energy conduits. Vibrant blue liquid seeped from the broken glass, spreading across the polished stone and pooling around the table's leg.

Searanox clicked his tongue in annoyance and pulled the rest of the gear from the storage ring. Each item emerged with a pale blue flash, creating a stuttering light show across the hall. The growing pile had no organization, items clattering together as they materialized.

Clara took a hesitant step forward, her eyes wide at the sheer volume of valuables spilling onto the table. She stepped up beside him, instinctively smoothing her uniform to calm her racing heart. The scattered items defied immediate categorization—some mundane, others shimmering with otherworldly light.

"My Lord, what are all these things?" she whispered over the clinking metal and rustling fabric.

He placed the next ring on his finger and casually emptied its contents onto the table. "That's your job to find out. You will sort, count, and document them." His tone was matter-of-fact, as if assigning the most basic clerical task rather than entrusting her with the spoils of conquest.

With a soft sigh, he scanned the disorganized collection. "It's too small."

"Too small? Is there more?" she asked in disbelief, eyeing the cluttered surface where items were already spilling onto the floor.

Searanox nodded. "Yes. Thirteen more rings."

Clara gulped audibly. "Thirteen more," she exhaled, her face paling as she calculated the impossibility of the task.

He pushed a few items aside and placed a dark leather pouch on the cleared space. It settled with a soft thud and a faint jingle. He turned toward her, his gaze unwavering.

"Place a ring on your finger and will your thoughts to look into it. You will know what is inside. Then, take it out by simply wanting it out." He handed her a simple silver ring.

Her fingers trembled as she took it. She studied the unornamented band, then slid it over her ring finger. Clara watched in fascination as the metal, initially too large, shimmered and contracted seamlessly to fit her perfectly. "It shrank," she whispered.

Searanox inhaled deeply. "Always the same reaction. Yes, it shrinks." His finite patience made her heart race. "Focus your thoughts to look into it. You should know what is inside, then you focus on one item and take it out by simply wanting it out of the ring.

Clara closed her eyes and willed a book to appear. In a flash of blue light, a small leather-bound tome materialized in her hand. Her eyes sparkled with amazement as she ran her fingers over the embossed title. It was a manual for Imperial scouts, written in an unrecognizable language she somehow understood through the System.

While Clara marveled at the technology, Searanox placed one of the larger rings on his finger. With a mental command, he dumped its contents onto the floor behind them. Armor, weapons, pouches of coins, and personal effects scattered across the stone with a deafening clatter. He held the two rings belonging to Kandora and the scout captain, Latrum, and stepped closer, placing a heavy hand on Clara's shoulder.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"You will be done by nightfall," he said softly, breaking through her reverie.

"Nightfall? Today?" Her hazel eyes widened with panic. The table was overflowing, and now the floor was covered too.

Searanox tilted her chin up with a finger. He leaned in close, giving her a soft kiss that lingered. "If you finish by nightfall, I'll consider what you were thinking about earlier," he murmured, his warm breath making her tremble.

The crimson flush returned, spreading down her neck. "I will, my Lord," she whispered.

He gave her backside a gentle pat before turning away from the overwhelming pile. "If you need me, you may contact Iris." He vanished in a flash of violet light, leaving her alone with the monumental task.

Reappearing in the atrium, he moved toward the entrance before stopping abruptly. He turned back, his boots scraping against the polished granite as he returned to the node stone at the center of the room. The smooth stone pulsed with blue energy.

He brought up the City menu. His mind navigated the translucent overlay with practiced precision, bypassing resource management and citizen welfare to reach the drone section. The list of available models and their statuses filled his vision.

Searanox's gaze drifted to a second window displaying the total number of active drones. Out of a maximum twenty, only five were operational. Two were Agri-Cultivator drones, already making slow, methodical passes over the fields outside the city walls. Their mechanical arms tilled the nutrient-enriched soil with a precision no human could match.

The other three were remnants of his initial test summon during the city's founding. One Autonomous Sentinel drone maintained a silent vigil over the atrium's entrance, its single blue optical lens sweeping methodically. A Logi-Hauler drone sat parked in a alcove, and a single Pursuer-Scout drone patrolled the city's outer perimeter, gliding silently in stealth mode above the black granite walls.

`They destroyed my Bulwark and Strike drones, but that was only because there were just three of them. The Empire's scouting party caught me unprepared. But next time they are in for my full capabilities. I have more than enough TP and space to ensure that it won't happen again.`

Four distinct pale blue flashes illuminated the atrium as he summoned four Bulwark drones simultaneously. They materialized with a soft hum, their dark grey, disk-shaped chassis rising toward the ceiling. Each drone took position, ready to swarm out if need be. Their glowing blue power conduits pulsing in unison with the tower's energy. The hexagonal patterns of their barriers shimmered briefly before going inert.

`In an hour I'll summon the next batch. I won't leave my city undefended. Not again.`

The memory of the recent invasion burned in his mind, a reminder of how quickly fortune could turn. He closed the menu and headed toward the arched exit. As he stepped outside, the sterile air of the tower gave way to the fresher atmosphere of the High City, which hummed with the subtle vibration of magitech energy permeating every corner of Androxis.

Searanox arrived at Zibnak's store, only to find the translucent barrier blocking the entrance once again. This time, his enhanced senses caught the faint energy distortion before he walked face-first into it. He stopped short, observing the shimmer. The shop lights were mostly off, casting the interior in deep shadow where occasional sparks of magic flickered. Neither Zibnak nor Mim were inside.

`What a shame. Then off to the dungeon we go.`

A Travel Drone appeared beside him in a flash of blue light, its streamlined chassis reflecting the morning sun. Searanox mounted it, and before he was fully seated, the drone accelerated into the air, streaking toward the distant dungeon spire that pierced the skyline like a black needle.

He ran into someone unexpected at the dungeon spire. As the drone descended, Searanox spotted a figure standing in the vast hall leading to the entrance. Rayan leaned against the cold stone wall, his simple clothing slightly rumpled. The city administrator shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his distant eyes focused on some point beyond the threshold.

Searanox approached, his steps echoing in the cavernous space. He gave Rayan a questioning look, noting the administrator's abrupt surprise.

"You look like you were called and forgotten."