The final days leading up to the diplomatic mission were not spent in the quiet of a throne room, but in the frantic, productive pulse of the Imperial industrial zones. Riha knew that power was not just measured in the weight of a punch or the sharpness of a blade; it was measured in the flow of resources. If she was to meet Prince Helios, she would not go as a beggar or a simple warrior—she would go as the CEO of a rising superpower.
[The Secret of the Deep Veins]
On the first day of her administrative marathon, Riha descended into the Iron-Shadow Mines at the edge of the capital. With her Level 1 Peak Mental Power, she could sense the vibrations of the earth itself. She led a team of terrified but eager miners to a wall of jagged obsidian that had been dismissed as "barren" for centuries.
"Break it here," she commanded, pointing her Sovereign Staff at a specific fault line.
When the pickaxes struck, the wall didn't crumble; it peeled back to reveal a shimmering, iridescent ore that pulsed with a rhythmic indigo light. This was Umbral-Steel, a rare metal that only formed when the pressure of a mountain met the residue of a Black Hole's gravity.
"This metal doesn't just block physical attacks," Riha explained to her new head blacksmith, her voice echoing in the cavern. "It absorbs kinetic energy. I want every member of the Eclipse Guard outfitted with Umbral-Steel plating. Our defense must be as impenetrable as the void itself."
She didn't just leave it to the miners. She used her 75-ton physical strength to personally haul the first massive crates of the ore to the surface, showing her people that their Empress wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty for the sake of the Empire's protection.
[The Fragrance of the Abyss]
On the second day, Riha moved from the cold mines to the humid, misty Glass Gardens of the palace. While exploring the outer reaches of the Shadow Realm, her scouts had found a peculiar flower that only bloomed in total darkness—the Luna-Rose. It was a beautiful, pale-silver flower that smelled like vanilla and ozone.
But Riha's Earth-trained mind saw more than just a flower. She spent hours in the royal laboratory, crushing the petals and mixing them with the oils from the Soul-Sucking Staff's resonant crystals.
"Lyra, smell this," Riha said, handing a small crystal vial to her friend.
Lyra sniffed it and her silver eyes widened. "It's... it's intoxicating. It makes me feel calm, almost shielded."
"It's not just a perfume," Riha noted, a sharp glint in her eyes. "This scent is a natural repellent for the Chakra-Eating Insects of the Solari border. In the Sun-Bleached Wastes, mosquitoes are the size of birds and can drain a soldier's mana in minutes. We will export this as a luxury perfume to the Solari nobles, but for us, it will be the ultimate defensive tool. We create the cure, and we control the supply."
[The Spice of the Shadow]
By the third day, the "Sovereign's Trade Deal" was nearly complete. Riha had identified a species of mushroom—the Abyssal Truffle—and a pepper called the Shadow-Sting that grew in the sulfur vents of the southern volcanoes. On Earth, these would be worth millions; on Nexus, they were the key to a culinary monopoly.
She sat with Lyra in the Grand Hall, surrounded by crates of dried spices and vials of Luna-Rose essence. They were drafting the contracts that would be presented at the summit.
"We are offering them the spices and the perfumes in exchange for their high-quality Solar-Glass," Riha said, her pen moving across the parchment with mathematical precision. "The Solar-Glass will be used to reinforce our city's greenhouses. We will use their own technology to grow our food faster, while we make them dependent on our luxury goods. It's a velvet noose, Lyra."
[The Final Preparation]
On the morning of the departure, the courtyard of the Umbral Palace was a scene of organized chaos. Riha stood on the high balcony, watching as the Bermuda Puppets loaded the massive, armored carriages. Her luggage was not filled with dresses and jewels, but with scrolls of law, samples of Umbral-Steel, and cases of Crystal Gold.
She wore her "War-Wardrobe"—a combination of her regal black-and-red robes and the new Umbral-Steel bracers she had commissioned. Her hair was pulled back into a high, fierce ponytail, and her Sovereign Staff was strapped firmly to her back.
Mina approached her, holding a small traveling cloak. "Everything is ready, Majesty. The scouts have cleared the path to the border."
Riha looked at the horizon, where the purple sky of the Shadow Realm met the harsh, yellow glare of the Solari Dominion. She could feel the heat even from here.
"Lyra," Riha said, turning to her friend who was standing nearby with her younger brother. "The economy is in your hands. If the Solari merchants try to squeeze us while I'm at the summit, raise the price of the Shadow-Sting peppers by fifty percent. Make them feel the heat."
Lyra smiled, her silver eyes shining with pride. "Safe travels, Riha. Don't let that Prince get too close to your personal space."
"If he tries," Riha said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum that made the air shiver, "he'll find out exactly how much pressure a Black Hole can apply."
[The Departure]
Riha descended the stairs and climbed into her imperial chariot. It was a masterpiece of Shadow Realm engineering, pulled by six Night-Mares—beasts of pure shadow and muscle that could run across the air itself.
As the chariot lurched forward, followed by a column of fifty Bermuda Puppets and a hundred elite Eclipse Guards, the citizens of Umbralys lined the streets. They didn't just cheer; they stood in a solemn, powerful silence, their fists pressed to their hearts. They were seeing their Empress go to face the man who had tried to steal their daughters.
Riha didn't wave. She sat perfectly still, her violet eyes fixed on the border. Inside her, the Black Hole Core was spinning at a steady, hungry pace. She was bringing rare metals for their defense, perfumes for their senses, and spices for their tables—but she was also bringing the most dangerous weapon of all: herself.
The journey would take three days across the neutral "Grey-Wastes" before they reached the Radiant Gate of the Solari Dominion. For the first time, the "Last Successor" was stepping out of the darkness and into the sun.
"Watch out, Helios," she thought, the Blood Bead on her staff glowing a dark, ominous crimson. "The trade deal is just the beginning. By the time I'm done, you'll be paying me for the right to breathe."