Kael emerged from his dimension with a profound sigh, like a man surfacing after too long in deep waters. To the outside world, only a few hours had passed since he had retired to his room. To his perception, entire days had been spent in relentless battle against the Goblin Villages and overseeing crucial upgrades in his realm.
While his four builders worked tirelessly on the Dark Barracks and the majestic Barbarian King altar, he had dedicated most of that subjective time to the Clan Capital Mountain. The thrill of seeing the new district take shape still echoed in his chest. The Barbarian Camp wasn't just another expansion—it was a statement of power, a robust territory carved from living rock that immediately strengthened all his defenses and exponentially increased his military capacity.
Seeing the construction completed, Kael felt a wave of satisfaction. Four new units joined the Capital army, each more impressive than the last. The Super Barbarians were amplified versions of his common warriors, with more defined muscles under the crude leather straps crossing their broad torsos. Their wild hair seemed even longer, and their eyes glowed with a more concentrated, lethal fury. A Squad of Stealth Archers, composed of five specialists in coordinated attacks, now answered his call, moving like shadows in their purple cloaks. A Horde of Minions—small, sleek creatures armed with sharp tools—proved perfect for raiding and destroying resources with frightening speed. And the imposing Battle Ram, operated by two common barbarians sheltered inside, promised devastation against any gates or fortifications.
But the true crown jewel of the new district revealed itself when Kael summoned the Super Giant. The creature that appeared before him was a colossally evolved version of the Boxer Giant. Its fists were encased in huge, spiked iron knuckles that gleamed, and a wide champion's belt—a gold band ornamented with symbols of victory—cinched its colossal waist. Every movement of the Super Giant carried a weight of unquestionable authority, a presence that dominated any battlefield.
Now, back in the real world, Kael had to lean on the bed for a moment as his temporal perception readjusted. The silence of the room felt almost oppressive after the days of constant battle and construction in his realm. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, feeling his consciousness gradually reintegrate into the normal flow of time. When he finally felt stable enough, he stood and headed for the door.
He almost immediately encountered Ororo in the hallway. Her white eyes assessed him with that sharp perception that always surprised him. "Kael? Are you alright?" she asked, her voice laden with genuine concern. "You look... like you've been in another world."
He rubbed his face, trying to dispel the last remnants of the mental fog. "In a way, I have," he admitted, his smile still carrying the fatigue of battles fought but also the satisfaction of victories won. "It felt like days in there. But every minute was worth it." His eyes shone with anticipation. "The main upgrades are complete—the Dark Barracks are operational, the Barbarian King awaits only my call, and the Capital..." he paused dramatically, "has expanded beyond what I imagined."
Ororo tilted her head, curiosity mixed with admiration in her gaze. "And what does that mean, exactly?"
"It means," he said, his smile widening, "that I'm dying to test some new things. Many new things."
At that moment, Kitty Pryde's contagious laughter and Rogue's more restrained footsteps echoed down the hall. Spotting the couple, Kitty quickened her pace, her face lit with natural curiosity.
"Hey! Where are you two off to with those secret-plan faces?"
"Kael is going to run some tests in the Danger Room," Ororo explained, her gaze still fixed on Kael's face as if trying to decipher the secrets he carried.
"Tests? New troops?" Kitty's excitement was so palpable it almost leaped from her. "Can I watch? Please? I promise I won't get in the way!"
Rogue shrugged with her characteristic apparent indifference, but Kael noticed the flicker of interest in her eyes. "Suppose it's more interesting than hangin' around here listenin' to Logan's tall tales," she commented, trying to disguise her own interest.
Kael laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. "Come on then. But don't say I didn't warn you when things start flying and exploding all over the place."
The small group formed an impromptu procession to the Danger Room. As Kael entered the main circular chamber, smelling the familiar ozone in the air, the women headed to the elevated glassed-in control room. Through the soundproof glass, he could see them settling in front of the consoles filled with holographic screens and glowing controls.
Alone in the vast training space, Kael closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the familiar energies of his power pulsing in his veins. He decided to start with the new Arena acquisitions, the ones he had awaited so eagerly.
"Let's start with the infantry," he whispered to himself.
With a fluid gesture of his hand, a group of Royal Recruits materialized in perfect formation. They were visibly different from the common barbarians—more organized, disciplined, their robust shields locking into a cohesive defensive wall even before he gave the order. Kael activated one of the room's standard training robots. When the low-impact lasers hit the shields, they glowed with an intense magenta energy, absorbing the impact without even trembling.
"Interesting," he murmured, mentally assessing the tactical possibilities. "An efficient mobile barrier. Could be useful for protecting allies in risky situations."
Next came the turn of the Royal Giant. The air seemed to bend upon itself moments before the colossal creature appeared with a dull noise that made the floor tremble. The cannon attached to its arm was as impressive a weapon as Kael had imagined—almost the size of a small car. With a guttural roar that echoed through the room, the Royal Giant aimed at a metal test structure fifty meters away. The BOOM that followed was deafening, even with the room's acoustic protection. The structure didn't just collapse—it was vaporized by the projectile of pure energy, leaving only a glowing smudge in the air for a few seconds.
"Exactly as I imagined," Kael commented, satisfied. "A walking war tank with heavy artillery power."
The next tests brought the Hogs. First, the common version—pink, frenetic hogs that launched into an uncontrolled charge, throwing training robots aside like toys. Then, Kael channeled more Elixir and summoned the evolved version. These were visibly larger, but the real difference was on their backs—a pair of rustic leather wings that transformed them into Flying Hogs. They launched into the air with surprising agility, covering the distance to their targets in seconds before diving onto the crowd of simulated enemies with an impact that proved even more devastating. Kael noted that against a single target, the concentrated power of their dive was particularly overwhelming.
However, the true surprise among the Arena troops came with the Three Musketeers. They appeared in perfect triangular formation, back-to-back, instantly creating a defensive perimeter. As expected, their marksmanship was supernatural—each musket shot hit the "heart" of a distant robot with surgical precision. But then, Kael decided to test them beyond expectations, ordering a group of melee robots to approach. To his surprise and immense satisfaction, the Musketeers didn't retreat an inch. With choreographed movements that seemed almost a martial dance, they spun their muskets, and gleaming steel bayonets—not energy, but solid steel—extended from the barrels. The transformation was impressive: from elite sharpshooters to relentless warriors in close combat, stabbing, slashing, and blocking with a lethal efficiency that far exceeded his initial estimates.
To conclude the Arena troop demonstration, Kael summoned the Two Princes. The amount of Elixir required was significant, but the result was worth every drop. Two knights in full armor, mounted on equally armored steeds, materialized side by side. One wielded a long lance that seemed capable of piercing anything, the other a heavy mace that promised total destruction. The princes exchanged a brief glance of understanding before, with a synchronized war cry that sent shivers down Kael's spine, they began their charge. The sound of their metallic hooves against the room's floor was like a rolling thunder that seemed to shake the very walls. Their charge proved to be a spectacle of pure destruction—everything in their path was ravaged in a perfect straight line. Robots were impaled, crushed, or simply tossed aside by the brute force of the impact. The concentrated power of their coordinated advance was simply terrifying.
Satisfied with the Arena tests, Kael moved on to the Clan Capital troops. The Battle Ram proved as efficient as expected, smashing test barricades with rhythmic, precise blows. The Squad of Stealth Archers moved like true ghosts across the simulated battlefield, eliminating priority targets with a silent, deadly precision that made Kael mentally note their potential for infiltration missions.
But it was the two new additions from the Barbarian Camp that truly stole the show. The Super Barbarians demonstrated they weren't merely larger versions of the common barbarians. Their fury was more focused, their blows more calculated and devastating. They worked in perfect synchrony, surrounding and demolishing groups of enemies with a brutal efficiency that made the common barbarians seem like mere amateurs in comparison.
And then came the moment to test the Super Giant. When Kael summoned it, the entire room seemed to tremble with its appearance. The evolved version of the Boxer Giant was a truly intimidating sight. Its spiked iron knuckles glittered under the room's lights, and the wide champion's belt around its waist seemed to tell stories of countless battles won. The first blow it struck against a test target was so violently powerful that metal shards flew across the room, forcing even Kael to instinctively shield himself.
In the control room, the women had gradually stopped paying attention to the more routine tests, engaged in an animated conversation about the preparations for the evening's meeting. It was then that Kael decided to end the session with what he had carefully saved for last.
A deep, ancestral roar echoed through every inch of the Danger Room as the Dragon materialized in all its glory. The six-meter-long creature with an approximately eight-meter wingspan executed an elegant turn in the air, circling Kael before landing gracefully before him. Its purple scales shone like precious gems under the artificial lights, and the radiant heat from its body filled the air with an almost palpable energy.
"Ororo," Kael spoke into the intercom, his voice echoing slightly in the vast room, "could you generate some more resistant targets for it?"
As soon as the maximum-level training robots emerged from the platforms, the Dragon tilted its head back and released a jet of yellow flame—not magenta energy, but actual, intense fire. The robots, designed to be far more resistant than any ordinary human, didn't just burn; they were incinerated, turning into glowing particles that hung in the air for a moment before disappearing completely. Kael made quick mental calculations: that magical fire could melt Iron Man's old armor in mere seconds. Any Sentinel that dared face it would be destroyed instantly. When the remaining robots tried to counterattack, their weapons proved completely useless against the dragon's scales, which seemed absolutely impenetrable to anything humans could create.
Finishing the tests and mentally ordering all troops back to their respective camps, Kael joined the women in the control room. Kitty's eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape, visibly impressed beyond what her words could express. "That was... I don't even have words. Incredible doesn't begin to describe it!"
Rogue, usually so reserved, seemed genuinely impressed. "I've seen a lot in these halls, but that... that's different from anything."
Ororo smiled, her gaze understanding the full significance behind those demonstrations. "Every day that passes," she said softly, her hand finding Kael's, "you show us that we haven't yet seen even a fraction of your full potential."
Kael nodded, his gaze drifting for a moment to the now-empty training room. His troops, both familiar and new, continued to surprise him, and the power he now commanded was growing on a scale even he could scarcely fully comprehend. As they headed for the cafeteria, with Kitty still chattering excitedly about what she had witnessed, Kael knew, with a certainty that came from the core of his being, that they were closer than ever to realizing the dream of a truly free mutant nation.