"Yes, all you have to do is wait. Everything will be ours."
Danny let out a sigh of relief, nodding gratefully at Victor.
He had been genuinely panicked for a mont.
If he hadn't managed to placate Kyle, he would have made a powerful enemy, and the nightmare of being robbed blind in Glory City might have repeated itself.
The three families and their retinues waited, the tension growing with each passing day.
Five days later, Danny's anxiety had reached a fever pitch.
His face was ashen, his hands trembling.
"Sothing's wrong. It's been too long. Cloudview County's attack was supposed to be a lightning strike. We should have heard of Blackwood's defeat by now."
As if to punctuate his words, a tremor shook the ground, drawing the attention of everyone present.
They turned their gazes towards the east, their eyes widening in alarm.
On the horizon, a dark shape was rising, blotting out the sky.
It stretched across the horizon like a ribbon of darkness, its distance impossible to gauge.
But there was no mistaking its nature.
Sothing massive was approaching, a vast army of Psychics and ability vessels.
"What... what is that?!"
Danny stared in disbelief, a cold dread gripping his heart.
...
Sunshine Mansion was divided into three border counties: Starlight County, Azure Cloud, and Maple Grove.
Azure Cloud lay nestled between the other two.
Cloudview County, within Azure Cloud, shared a long border with Starlight County but was separated from Cedar County by treacherous mountains and a wide, raging river.
Cedar County was a land of abundance, its resources coveted by the Druids.
But its natural defenses were formidable, requiring years, if not decades, to overco.
Blackwood had never considered Cedar County a threat, focusing their defenses on the more imdiate danger posed by the six Druid tribes.
Now, above the border between Sunshine Mansion and Cedar County, a vast fleet of ability vessels darkened the sky.
Psychics, their auras blazing with power, stood ready for battle.
At the forefront of the fleet, a magnificent vessel, its hull radiating the power of a top-grade ability weapon, led the charge.
It was the very vessel Blackwood had taken from Danny five years ago, but it had undergone a transformation.
No longer a gaudy symbol of wealth, it was now a sleek, deadly weapon of war.
Standing at the vessel's prow, his black robes billowing in the wind, was Edward, the Duke of Azure Cloud, a man who had long operated in the shadows.
"Duke Bryce," he said, his voice carrying across the distance, "welco to Cloudview County."
Beside him stood a young man, his features handso, his bearing noble.
But his eyes held the wisdom of a thousand years.
It was Bryce, the Duke of Cedar County.
His expression was a mixture of apprehension and grim determination.
He was a Duke, a descendant of the once-proud Phillips family, one of Sunshine Mansion's eight great Psychic families.
Cedar County had been their domain, their ancestral ho.
They had ruled it with an iron fist, their influence unchallenged.
But now, listening to Edward's words, knowing that Cedar County was to be absorbed into Cloudview County, just like Starlight County, he felt no resentnt, only a burning desire for revenge.
"Very well," he said, his voice steady.
"If it ans reclaiming our holand, then let Cedar County be renad. Let it beco part of Azure Cloud."
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the familiar landscape below.
He could sense the Druids gathering, their forces mobilizing to defend their stolen territory.
His voice rang out, filled with power and resolve.
"Today, the people of Cedar County return ho!"
"Azure Cloud stood firm against the Druids. We will follow their example. This battle..."
"Will end in victory!"
"Not another inch of Cedar County will be yielded!"
With a roar, he leaped from the vessel, his psychic energy erupting around him like a storm.
Behind him, the fleet of ability vessels descended, disgorging a wave of Cedar County Psychics, their swords gleaming, their eyes burning with righteous fury.
They charged towards their holand, their hearts filled with a single purpose: to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
...
High atop a snow-capped mountain, overlooking the ravaged landscape of Cedar County, Ethan watched the unfolding events with a satisfied smile.
Before him, the translucent interface displayed a ssage:
[Your descendant, Edward, has successfully brought the Cedar County Psychics back to their holand, diverting attention from the Starlight County campaign.]
[Special Event – Supporting Cedar County]
[After Joseph and Katie's initial attempts to persuade Duke Bryce to ally with Blackwood failed, Bryce faced increasing hostility in his new territory. Rumors spread, accusing the Phillips family of harboring ambitions to conquer their neighbors. Their situation grew increasingly precarious.]
[Blackwood, however, never gave up hope. Your descendants, starting with Nathan and Lucas, took turns trying to persuade Bryce. The more they persisted, the more suspicious Bryce beca, and the more precarious his situation grew. Finally, over a decade ago, Bryce agreed to a plan to retake Cedar County with Blackwood's help.]
[Your family, however, refused to simply restore Bryce to power. They demanded that Cedar County be renad Azure Cloud and that Bryce wait for the opportune mont to strike.]
Blackwood had never been content to simply react to their enemies' moves.
And today...
"The ti is right," Ethan murmured, his smile widening.
"Blackwood has been planning for this mont for years. It's ti to reveal our hand."
His ti in the ga world had given him a deep understanding of his family's history, their strategies, their unwavering determination.
He had witnessed their cunning, their willingness to take risks, their unwavering commitnt to protecting their own.
He had seen the "Millennial Bloodline Project," the "Support Cedar County Plan," and even Nathan's desperate gambit, a plan that had nearly cost him his life.
Blackwood never played defense.
From their humble beginnings as a small village, they had always been the aggressors.
Now, behind him, the combined might of Cloudview County stood ready for battle.
The leaders of the major factions were present: Black Tortoise's Leon Daoist, Ten Thousand Life Mountain's Immortal Master, Ghost Eye Demonic Gate's Ralph... and half of their disciples!
Years of constant warfare had tempered Cloudview County's factions, forging them into a formidable force.
Black Tortoise had gained another Competent Force expert.
Ralph, ever the pragmatist, had resorted to unorthodox thods, utilizing forbidden techniques to bolster his sect's strength.
The Ghost Eye Demonic Gate had beco the most powerful faction in Cloudview County, their thods whispered about in hushed tones but ultimately accepted as a necessary evil.
Even the Primordial Blood Tree, the object of so much envy and greed, had taken human form, standing tall and imposing amidst the assembled forces.
Blackwood Luna, Julian, Mary, Alia, the Lord of Frenzied Blood, Larry from the third generation... they weren't in Glory City, they weren't at the border, they weren't in Starlight County.
While all eyes were focused on the battles raging elsewhere, they had quietly assembled their forces and marched on Cedar County.
"Cedar County!" Julian roared, his booming laughter echoing across the mountaintop.
He hefted his massive hamr, his shaved head gleaming in the sunlight.
Those around him instinctively ducked, fearing the wrath of his mighty weapon.
The blacksmith, his muscles honed by years of tireless work, was practically giddy with excitent.
"Who needs that pathetic Starlight County? It's even poorer than Azure Cloud! This ti, Blackwood is going for the big prize!"
Yes, the big prize.
They had reached the Cedar County border undetected, a ghost army materializing from the shadows.
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