Dragon Monarch System
chapter-718

"Finally, it's done." Aditya looked at the curved sword in his hand.

"I hope this works; otherwise, all of our hard work will be wasted." Riya sat on a chair and watched the neon green sword in Aditya's hand.

"Our hard work won't be wasted since the things we learned while making this artifact will be with us even if this sword fails." Julia was speaking from experience. Even the Goddess of Alchemy sometimes failed in her experiments.

Failing in her experiments did not mean that she had wasted her time. Even though she had failed, she had gained valuable experience and information. Using this information, she can make sure to avoid making the same mistake that she made in her first attempt.

"No, we have succeeded," Aditya said while staring at the glowing sword in his hand.

He was sure of it since he had read the sword's description. It was a weapon made to find out 'Duplicates'.

Whenever he inserted his Mana, or someone inserted their Mana inside this artifact, this sword would release a neon green light wave. This light wave could easily cover the entire Azure City. A green neon light will surround all the Duplicates in the city. Their auras will slightly change from the rest to make them stand out from the crowd.

With this change in their Auras, the Duplicates can be easily found in the crowd.

The sword has a curved, glowing blade with a dark handle matching the blade's color. The sword was glowing in neon green. Its silver guard loops elegantly around the hilt, creating a refined look. The blade appeared to be very smooth and was almost liquid-like.

The sword was a Mid-4-star artifact. The sole function of this artifact is to find the Duplicates in the City. The Runes that was drawn on this sword was imbued with Riya's magic. Riya and Alicia helped Aditya come up with a unique Rune Circuit that released the green neon light wave every 5 seconds when filled with Mana. The artifact can also be used using Mana stones as an energy source.

"Now it's time to test it out. I will be back shortly." Saying that Aditya left.

Once Aditya left, both girls sat on the girls and then looked at each other.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" Julia asked. It wasn't that she was feeling hungry, which wasn't possible since she was a high-ranking cultivator. She can go without eating for months if needed. But Alicia wanted to take a small break, and she felt that Riya also needed this break as well.

"Sure…..!!" Riya did not refuse. After working together for the past few days, they have gotten even closer now.

"So, what would you like to eat?" Julia asked Riya as they left the laboratory behind.

"Maybe some noodles." Alicia didn't sound sure of what she wanted.

"What about you?"

"I will get some snacks. Maybe I will ask the head chef to make a shawarma." Shawarma was a popular dish that originated from The Dry Savanna Continent around a few hundred years ago. Nowadays, this dish can be found in almost every big city.

"I want one too…..!!"

Scene Change______

It was early in the morning. Anyone could tell that the atmosphere of the City wasn't right. The City was missing something. Instead of witnessing joyful smiles, there was an unsettling air of fear and tension in the atmosphere. The streets were empty. Unless absolutely necessary, people were staying home with their families since they knew there were some enemies in this City and were living among them.

Aditya observed all of these changes as he flew above the City.

As he used the Neon green sword, he was stunned by the number of Duplicates that were in the Capital.

"I never expected the number to be this high." Aditya now wondered if one of the duplicates also caused Azure City's marketplace explosion.

Aditya landed on top of the southern wall. Just a few seconds later, Amber and Nathan silently appeared behind Aditya. "Your Majesty....!!" Both of them were on their one knee behind Aditya. "You, there are Voidfigures in this City. They have a very distinct Aura, and a green neon light surrounds their bodies. Make sure no one is able to escape." Aditya said without turning around. "Understood.....!!" The next second, both generals disappeared. Aditya also disappeared from the southern walls. A few minutes later, Amber and Nathan ordered their division's soldiers to hunt all the Voidfigures hiding in the city. Carrying their division captain's orders, all the soldiers quickly spread all over Azure City. At first, the people were confused as to why the soldiers were attacking but then quickly realized that these ordinary people living among them were Voidfigures. Realizing this, no one tried to stop the soldiers. In fact, the crowd even helped the Imperial Soldiers by showing them the directions of the Voidfigures that they had seen hiding. Meanwhile, Aditya went to the neighboring Cities. The Emperor took the artifact to every single Major City of the Istarin Empire. Aditya would mark all the Voidfigures in one city using the Neon green sword before leaving everything to the City Lord of that city. The Process was repeated for 4 hours and 39 minutes until there weren't any Voidfigures left hiding in any Istarin Cities. Once Aditya was done, the only thing he felt was relief. Now, he no longer has to worry about Voidfigures infiltrating his cities. There was no need to fear any Voidfigures infiltrating the Dragon Palace. "Now, I can finally focus on other important things."

Aditya entered his office to find Spencer and Watson. Watson and Prime Minister Spencer were already discussing the best plan for the Istarin Empire while looking at a big map. The map showed all the Empire's lands on each continent. They were figuring out from which direction the enemies might attack.

"Your Majesty, you have returned....!!!" Watson and Spencer were relieved to see Aditya. Because this was the first time the Empire was in such a situation. Normally, Aditya would have been discussing their plans but he was busy inventing a way to eradicate all the Voidfigures hiding in the Empire. Now that he has returned, the Empire can decide what to do first.

Aditya sat on his chair while Watson and Spencer stood while facing him. "Sit down, first." This was going to be a long talk so it was better for them to sit down. As they took their seats, Aditya looked at the map of the Eastern region. Green lines on the map highlighted the borders of the Istarin Empire. The map was very detailed. It showed every city, town, and village in the eastern region. No one else on this continent had such a detailed map of the eastern region as the Istarin Empire did. Everything was marked precisely. Even the recently formed towns and villages, those only 8 to 12 months old, were on the map. Every 6 to 8 months, a survey team from the Shadow Guardian Division updated the map.

The map also featured natural landmarks. One such landmark was the Evershifting Stream, a river that started in the Nyland Kingdom. The river flowed through the Zulux Dynasty before reaching the Istarin Kingdom and then joined the sea. The Nyland Kingdom and the Zulux Dynasty were now part of the Istarin Empire. The map included forests, mountains, trade routes, and key military outposts, making it a valuable tool for planning and defense.

Before we think about others, let's first deal with the Thera Kingdom." Aditya pointed at the small, irregularly square-shaped kingdom surrounded by the Istarin Empire on the map.

"Others could use the Thera Kingdom to launch an attack. Using the teleportation arrays, bringing other empires' troops to the Thera Kingdom would be very easy. Maybe some of their troops have already arrived there."

"We must at least seal all the teleportation arrays in the Thera Kingdom." The capital of the Istarin Empire wasn't far from Thera Kingdom. If forces from all the other empires arrived at the Thera Kingdom, they could attack the Istarin Empire from all directions. Since the kingdom is located inside the Istarin Empire, this is a very urgent matter.

"I agree," Prime Minister Spencer nodded. Even before Aditya came to his office, he and Watson had been discussing this. They couldn't let the Thera Kingdom attack them first. Whoever took the first action would win this fight.

"If the Thera Kingdom attacks first, it could be disastrous. They could cut off our supply lines and create chaos within our borders," Watson added, looking concerned.

"We must act quickly," Aditya said firmly. "Sealing the teleportation arrays will slow them down and give us time to strengthen our defenses."

Spencer added, "We should also increase our surveillance around the Thera Kingdom. Make sure no enemy troops can sneak in."

Aditya nodded, "Yes, and we need to prepare our forces for a swift response. We can't afford to be caught off guard."

"Next, we must deal with the Storm Isle Dynasty," Aditya said. The Storm Isle Dynasty posed a similar threat as the Thera Kingdom, though not as severe. Still, it was a danger because it was located so close to the Istarin Empire. The Storm Isle Dynasty had island territories in the northeast of the mainland. The other islands nearby belonged to the Istarin Empire.

Before, both parties maintained a peaceful relationship, but now, that wasn't certain anymore. Their main territory was also an island in the northwest tip of the eastern region.

"Suppressing the Storm Isle Dynasty shouldn't be much of a problem. Letting General Amber take care of this situation would be enough," Watson said. He wasn't that worried about the Storm Isle Dynasty. He was more concerned about the Thera Kingdom.

"I agree. Sending General Amber is the best choice," Aditya nodded.

"Then send someone to inform Amber of this. I want the entire Storm Isle Dynasty suppressed within 24 hours," Aditya ordered coldly.

The Storm Isle Dynasty's proximity to the Istarin Empire made it a potential threat. Their territories bordered the Empire in two places, increasing the risk of coordinated attacks. If the Storm Isle Dynasty decided to turn hostile, they could easily disrupt trade routes and launch surprise assaults on the Empire's coastal cities.

"We can't afford to take any chances," Spencer added. "Their islands in the northeast are too close to our mainland. We must secure those areas quickly."

"Yes," Aditya agreed. "And their main territory in the northwest tip is a strategic location. If they ally with our enemies, they could provide a base for attacks."

"General Amber is more than capable," Watson reassured. "She will secure the islands and ensure they pose no threat."

Aditya nodded, "Good. Make sure she understands the urgency. We need this handled swiftly and efficiently."

Spencer looked at the map, tracing the potential paths of enemy movements. "By securing the Storm Isle Dynasty quickly, we can prevent them from joining forces with other hostile groups. It will also send a strong message to any other potential threats."

Aditya's expression hardened. "Let them know we will not tolerate any threats to our Empire. Our people must be protected at all costs."

"And as for the rest, let's proceed as planned before." Watson and Spencer nodded their heads. ----------------