April 18, 2020.
While Ankit deepened his seclusion and the clones advanced their crafts, the world outside Dark Haven Fortress plunged into true chaos.
Aquatic beasts surged from the oceans in endless waves, not just harassing India's coasts but assaulting every shoreline on Earth.
From Norfica beaches to Empire of the rising sun harbors, from Brasilian Amazon deltas to Antipodia's reefs—schools of mutated fish, serpents, and crustaceans swarmed inland through rivers and sewers.
They weren't overwhelmingly strong individually—most equivalent to Stage 1 Substage 1–2 human cultivators, vulnerable to Magic Energy weapons or missile strikes—but their sheer numbers overwhelmed. Billions of them, driven by primal survival, flooded cities, disrupted supply lines, and forced mass evacuations.
Why the invasion? Ankit's earlier scans had hinted at it, and now global scientists confirmed: the deep oceans teemed with far stronger predators—Stage 1 Substage 3 leviathans and emerging Stage 2 behemoths, bloodthirsty alphas that devoured weaker kin. The smaller beasts fled to land for survival, turning human territories into their desperate refuge.
Nations shifted to full war footing. The Freedom Union, mid-offensive against India, abruptly halted—recalling fleets and troops to defend their own coasts.
Even the Great Dulu Federation diverted resources, their vast land borders now secondary to tidal threats.
Amid the frenzy, a seismic revelation circulated through intelligence channels and leaked to global media: satellites detected an unprecedented Magic Energy concentration on the Astruo Continent—the frozen wasteland at Earth's southern pole.
Previously a barren ice sheet where human survival was near-impossible, Astruo had always been ignored—no resources worth the extreme cold, blizzards, or isolation. But Magic Energy changed everything. The surge had amplified its glacial powers, creating essence-infused storms and auroras.
No nation had ever claimed Astruo. Now, every one scrambled.
India dispatched elite special forces and Magic Energy–equipped divisions, spearheaded by advanced drones. The Freedom Union and Great Dulu Federation launched massive expeditions—submarines piercing ice shelves, air drops braving polar vortices. Xing Nation, ever opportunistic, mobilized stealth fleets loaded with Xuan Breathing practitioners and new Magic Energy weapons.
Smaller countries begged alliances.
Major powers formed blocs for strength:
- India's Alliance: Joined with the Eurasian Union (vast northern empires with hardy troops), Helvetica Union (precision tech specialists), and Gallia Dominion (elite naval and aerial forces). Mordan sealed the pact with ironclad terms: unbreakable unity, shared profits and losses based on contribution. Resources from Astruo—Magic energy crystals, frozen artifacts, or whatever lay beneath—would be divided proportionally.
Mordan exhaled in quiet relief. The future was a fog: aquatic beasts were just the start. Cultivators like Xin Xuan foreshadowed superhumans reshaping borders. Alliances were shields against uncertainty.
Freedom Union had already struck—open enemies.
Xing Nation? Unpredictable vipers, always eyeing India's ancient heritage, super weapons, and now the enigmatic Yutsa Valley (rumored as a dungeon or secret realm). With Magic Energy blooming, India's allure only grew.
- Freedom Union's Bloc: Allied with the Fakish Nation (fierce border warriors), Great Dulu Federation (industrial titans), and a swarm of small nations for cannon fodder and logistics.
- Xing Nation's Coalition: Partnered with the Nile Federation (desert-hardened tacticians), Zagros Federation (resource-rich mountain powers), and Petrosia Union (energy barons with vast fleets).
Dozens of lesser alliances formed—scrambling for scraps—but these three titans dominated.
Expeditions raced south through treacherous seas, battling rogue waves of beasts en route. Satellites beamed footage of frozen wastelands cracking under magic energy pressure, auroras dancing like living formations.
Humanity's first global scramble for Magic Energy supremacy had begun.
Meanwhile, Dark Haven Fortress, main hall.
The family gathered around the large tv screen, news feeds streaming live from dozens of global channels. Satellite footage showed large number of fleets converging on Astruo's icy shores.
Commentators spoke breathlessly of "the greatest resource rush in human history."
Kamal leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Who do you think gets it in the end? Any guesses?"
Sanya, perched on the arm of the couch with Rudra curled in her lap, answered immediately. "Obviously India! We've got the strongest alliance and the best weapons!"
Neelam nodded in agreement.
Kamal turned to the Heart clone, who stood quietly near the window, gazing at the night sky. "What about you? Your opinion?"
The Heart clone met his father's gaze, voice calm and measured. "No nation will get it."