The Invader and The Competition

Kahn had barely escaped the wrath of the Empress by a hair's breadth. His ignorance of the hierarchy, which barred him from asking even simple questions due to his identity as the Shadow Disciple, had almost cost him his life.

Meanwhile, 700 kilometers away from the Aurelius city, another terrifying battle was unfolding.

The once-lush grassland and vast mountain range that spanned 250 kilometers in total perimeter were now a ruined and charred battlefield. Millions of creatures that had inhabited these lands for their entire lives lay lifeless, their bodies strewn across the desolate landscape. The devastation and smoke emanating from the battle had turned the sky black.

In the center of a 500-meter-wide crater stood a towering, two-kilometer-tall creature, its red and white body riddled with thousands of deep wounds. Glowing red tusks covered its massive physique, and three long, scaly tails extended from its bipedal form, giving it a distinct appearance.