The cold wind of Northern Port howled through the craggy cliffs, slamming against the concrete bunker hidden beneath the old lighthouse. The region, once considered barren and forgotten, was now about to be the birthplace of a new storm.
Inside, deep underground, a light flickered on after ten long years.
Seven metal pods lined the curved walls of the chamber, each one humming with energy, sealed in layers of ancient spiritual runes and technology even the world's best scientists couldn't replicate. They weren't coffins. They weren't cages. They were time capsules—sealed legacies of a forgotten era.
Laga stood in the center, alone.
The stone ring he picked earlier now glowed faintly on his finger, resonating with the pods.
He exhaled slowly. "Wake up, my shadows."
---
Ten Years Ago – The Black Temple, Eastern Wastes
The world watched as Laga disbanded a unit of warriors that had terrified underground nations and toppled rogue kingdoms. The Hidden Seven, as they were called, had vanished without a trace.
Most thought they were dead.
But they were only sleeping—sealed by Laga himself after a final mission, because their existence was too dangerous to the balance of the world.
Each of them had been trained in a different field.
Kai – Weapon Forging and Battlefield Strategy.
June – Tracking, Assassination, Poison Mastery.
Ray – Beast Taming and Raw Destruction.
Tom – Espionage and Intelligence Weaving.
Mei – Illusions, Spiritual Binding, Soul Reading.
Dren – Elemental Mastery, the Living Flame.
Cole – Defensive Arrays, Barriers, and Unbreakable Lines.
Each of them could lead armies.
Each of them owed everything to one man.
---
Back in the chamber, the pods hissed one by one.
Steam gushed out.
Laga's eyes didn't blink. Not even once.
The first to step out was Kai.
He looked older, more tired, but the second his feet touched the ground and his eyes met Laga's, he dropped to one knee.
"Master."
Laga nodded. "You've slept long enough."
The second was June.
Her silver hair cascaded down her back like liquid moonlight. Her eyes were sharp as ever.
"Which target?" she asked instantly, skipping any greeting.
Laga smiled faintly. "You'll know soon."
The others emerged one by one, each showing no confusion, no panic. They knew this day would come. They had trained for this revival. Their bond with Laga was not one of loyalty—it was one of purpose. They didn't follow him because they owed him. They followed him because in a world full of kings, only he understood war.
---
Meanwhile – In a luxury villa in Central City
Mara leaned over a map with red and gold markings, laying out enemy faction movements, financial data leaks, and cultivator activity spikes.
Across from her sat Laga's secretary, Anna.
Still in her black suit, glasses gleaming under the light, she traced her finger along a line of encrypted messages intercepted from underground organizations.
"They're preparing something big," Anna said.
Mara nodded. "And they think he's still 'Sanda', the quiet employee in an empty cubicle."
Anna smiled. "They don't realize Sanda isn't even his second name."
A moment passed.
Anna's expression softened. "But… I worry. The Hidden Seven returning… it means this war is real now."
Mara looked her in the eye. "It was always real. Now it's just visible."
---
At East Delta Recovery Facility
Zed lay in a healing pod, eyes shut, body being repaired using a blend of alchemical nanotech and spiritual medicine—only accessible through the secret vaults of Laga's empire.
But even unconscious, his mind wandered.
He remembered the masked man.
He remembered the energy he'd felt—dark, ancient, hateful.
And he remembered Laga's calm voice.
"You've done enough."
The words burned into his soul.
He clenched his fist.
"No, Master… I haven't done anything yet."
---
That Night – Outside the Aureon Group Headquarters
A man stood in a shadowed alleyway, wearing a delivery uniform.
No one paid attention to him.
He wasn't supposed to be there.
And the message he sent wasn't supposed to reach anyone.
But it did.
It arrived on the phone of an old man in a remote mountainside monastery.
The old man opened it.
His hands trembled.
His lips parted.
"...Laga… is moving."
---
Back in the chamber
The Hidden Seven were now fully awake.
Laga stood before them, arms crossed behind his back.
"I'm not your Master anymore," he said.
They looked up, shocked.
"I'm your brother now. This fight isn't about loyalty. It's about inheritance."
Kai frowned. "Master—"
"No," Laga interrupted. "This world is decaying. You know it. I know it. The surface is full of false kings, and the underworld is ruled by cowards hiding in shadows. I gave them time. I gave them silence. And they returned it with betrayal."
He looked at each of them, fire burning in his eyes.
"They've harmed my disciples. They've tried to touch my people. And now…"
He took a deep breath.
"They want to open the Gate."
Mei froze. "The forbidden one?"
Laga nodded. "They found fragments. They're trying to rebuild the key."
Ray's knuckles cracked. "Then let's erase them before they get close."
Tom stepped forward. "Give the order."
Laga walked toward the central terminal and activated a world map.
Red dots blinked.
Each one marked a hostile faction leader, hidden cultivator sect, or rogue laboratory involved in the Gate project.
"I want silence," he said. "No noise. No blood trails. Erase their footprints before the Gate opens."
June smiled faintly. "I've missed this."
Laga looked at them, eyes calm.
"Let the world sleep in peace… a little longer."