Chapter - 95 Frostbyte's Office
Inside one of the Empire's command headquarters, Commander Frostbyte sat alone behind his massive wooden desk.
Stacks upon stacks of reports covered almost every inch of its surface. New documents continued to arrive every few minutes, carried in by soldiers before disappearing just as quietly.
Frostbyte let out a long, exhausted sigh as he signed another report.
"No one ever told me preparation war involved this much paperwork..."
He placed the finished document onto another growing pile before rubbing his temples.
Despite being one of the Empire's Best Commanders, and one of the highest-ranking authorities beneath the Grand Master himself, he somehow ended up handling most of the Empire's administration. Strategy reports, military deployments, supply requests, intelligence summaries, casualty lists—everything eventually found its way onto his desk.
Sometimes he wondered if the Grand Master had promoted him simply because he was the only one willing to do paperwork.
The others certainly weren't.
His position had become even more demanding after the so-called Factory Incident.
Officially, the Empire declared it an industrial accident.
In reality...
It had been a successful Resistance attack.
The truth had been buried immediately.
The Empire's reputation had to remain untarnished, especially in front of the countless kingdoms and factions watching their every move. More importantly, his superior—the Grand Master—despised weakness. As one of the Seven Heads governing the Empire's vast territories, any sign of failure reflected on all of them.
Frostbyte understood that better than anyone.
Another intelligence report slid across his desk.
He opened it without much expectation.
Possible sighting of Ryze — "Starlink Sniper."
He frowned.
Again.
Nearly every day someone claimed to have found the Resistance sniper. Most of the reports were fabricated by bounty hunters hoping to collect the enormous reward, while others came from opportunistic players attempting to fool the Empire for quick money.
Normally, he would have tossed the report aside.
Instead, another file arrived.
Then another.
His expression slowly changed.
"...Confirmed sightings."
Several independent scouting units had reported the same thing.
Ryze.
The Starlink Sniper.
Traveling west.
The routes matched.
The timing matched.
The witnesses were reliable.
"So... you've finally left your hiding place."
He unfolded a detailed military map and quietly traced the reported movements with his finger.
"The western region..."
His eyes narrowed.
"A Resistance outpost, perhaps?"
If Ryze truly was heading west, then there was a reason. She wasn't reckless enough to wander into Imperial territory without a destination.
Another knock came at the door.
A soldier entered and placed a sealed report on his desk.
"Commander."
Frostbyte broke the seal and quickly read through it.
His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.
Void Containment Status Report
Status: Stable.
No major aggression.
No breaches.
No abnormal activity.
The captured Void creature remained secured within Imperial custody.
"Good..."
At least one problem wasn't getting worse.
He closed the report before reaching for another.
His priorities were becoming increasingly clear.
The Empire's preparations for war had entered a new phase.
The first objective...
Capture Ryze.
The Resistance's infamous Starlink Sniper.
The second...
Locate and apprehend the mysterious veteran known only as Blaze.
A man with no records.
No history.
No identity.
A ghost who had somehow become one of the Empire's greatest concerns.
And finally...
SK.
"The Reaper..."
Frostbyte's eyes hardened.
Once one of the Empire's most loyal officers.
Now officially branded a traitor.
Three fugitives.
Three names.
And somehow...
All three paths continued to converge.
Frostbyte quietly leaned back in his chair.
For the first time in years...
He had the feeling that the Empire was no longer hunting a simple Resistance cell.
It was preparing for something far larger..