The scout's voice was trembling as he delivered his report to the council chamber. The stone-walled hall was filled with anxious faces—leaders, tacticians, survivors with hardened eyes who had endured far too much.
But nothing prepared them for this.
"A… an island fortress. They called it Sanctuary Isle. They… they annihilated a coastal ruin in minutes. Warships, drones, weapons I've never seen before. A submarine that moved like a phantom. And—" the scout swallowed hard, "—an army of iron-bound dead that walked as if commanded by one man."
Murmurs erupted immediately. Some voices broke into panic. Others into anger.
"Impossible…" one of the generals muttered. "No safehold has that kind of power."
"They must have found something!" a guild leader slammed her fist on the table. "A relic! Or a dungeon that no one else reached—"
"No," the scout cut in, eyes wide. "It wasn't luck. It was him. A man. He commanded everything. Even the ships obeyed him. The sky lit up with fire at his word."
The room fell into silence. A suffocating realization spread like plague.
If such a man existed… then Sanctuary Isle wasn't just a safehold.It was a sovereign power.
And every other stronghold in the world was a mere shadow by comparison.
"Pray," whispered the old priest of the Bastion, his voice hoarse, "that he is an ally. For if he decides otherwise… no fortress will withstand him."
Far across the sea, Kane stood on the balcony of his war room, the sea breeze carrying faint smoke from the earlier bombardment. The world outside debated, panicked, and prayed. But here, Kane's focus was elsewhere.
He finally willed the system window to open.
[ Status Window – Kane Wylder ]
Level: 60
Profession: Warlord (Tier II)
Free Stat Points: 600
Natural Growth & Profession Boost (from +30 levels): +570 across all stats
Strength: 247 + 570 = 817
Agility: 222 + 570 = 792
Endurance: 235 + 570 = 805
Perception: 209 + 570 = 779
Intelligence: 206 + 570 = 776
Kane exhaled, stunned. The sheer weight of growth from the Blood Moon had nearly doubled him in every aspect. And yet… he still had 600 free points to shape as he desired.
He didn't hesitate long. Kane had seen how deadly his berserk state could become—how easily his rage could spiral into collateral disaster. He needed balance. He needed resilience. And he needed control.
Free Stat Allocation (600 points):
Strength: +150
Agility: +100
Endurance: +150
Perception: +100
Intelligence: +100
Final Status (Level 60):
Strength: 967
Agility: 892
Endurance: 955
Perception: 879
Intelligence: 876
Kane stared at the numbers. They weren't just high—they were monstrous. His physical prowess alone was enough to shatter walls with a flick of his arm. His mind, sharper and steadier than ever, gave him the ability to strategize while juggling thousands of factors in real time.
This wasn't growth.This was evolution.
He clenched his fist. The air around him shivered faintly with pressure, as if the world itself was acknowledging the monster he had become.
Yet Kane's eyes softened when he glanced back inside the room.
Reina had fallen asleep on the sofa again, curled up with a blanket. Lena and Maya sat near her, pretending to read reports but dozing off, their loyalty never wavering.
Kane exhaled slowly.
For them… for this island… for every survivor who had chosen to follow him…
He would wield this power.
Not as a tyrant.
But as their shield.
Kane closed his status window, still absorbing the enormity of his growth. But the system wasn't finished with him yet.
[ Notice: You have acquired 6 Skill Points from leveling. ][ Bonus Reward: 1 Skill Point granted from Blood Moon First Place Achievement. ]
Total Available Skill Points: 7
Kane's eyes widened. Seven points. That was more than enough to change the very foundation of his fighting style.
But before he could spend them, another system prompt chimed across the island.
[ System Notice to All Survivors of Sanctuary Isle: ][ Congratulations! All survivors have reached Level 60 or higher. ][ Profession Advancement Unlocked. Survivors will evolve into their next-tier class. ]
The wave of growth struck the island like a holy tide.
In the greenhouse, Lena gasped as mana whirled around her. The title of High Mage she bore shattered like old glass, reforming into something greater—Archmage of Verdant Flame. Her mastery over elemental conjuring deepened, roots and fire dancing at her fingertips with lethal grace.
In the docks, the former sharpshooters and scouts of the militia evolved into Marksman Rangers, their senses sharper, their arrows or bullets guided by preternatural precision.
In the watchtowers, the heavy gunners found their strength doubled, professions shifting into Juggernaut Guardians, able to withstand the recoil of even the deadliest artillery.
And across every building—blacksmiths, farmers, engineers, drone techs—professions climbed to Tier II and Tier III specializations, productivity surging like never before.
The island itself seemed to hum with a new energy.
But Kane knew his choice would set the tone for everything. He called up his Skill Tree Interface.
Command Tree (Warlord Specialization): Focused on army synergy, large-scale tactics, summons, and leadership buffs.
Physical Tree: Pure combat growth—strength, speed, endurance, weapon mastery.
Magic Tree: Mana growth, regeneration, magical offense, and support abilities.
Kane had seven choices to make. He already knew his path.
1. Iron Will of the Warlord (Passive)
Effect: All allies within 500 meters gain +20% resistance to fear, confusion, and mental effects.
Secondary: Summons under Kane gain +15% combat efficiency.
Cost: None (Passive).
Cooldown: Always active.
2. Dominion Tactics (Active)
Effect: Kane can instantly synchronize up to 500 units into a Unified Strike Formation, increasing their damage output by +25% for 60 seconds.
Cooldown: 10 minutes.
3. Titan's Grasp (Active)
Effect: Kane channels his monstrous strength into a single strike or grab, ignoring 40% of enemy defenses.
Cooldown: 90 seconds.
4. Berserker's Core (Passive)
Effect: When Kane's HP falls below 40%, Strength and Endurance increase by +30% for 45 seconds.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
5. Phantom Rush (Active)
Effect: Instantly dash up to 40 meters, dealing 150% weapon damage to all enemies in the path.
Cooldown: 60 seconds.
6. Arcane Nexus (Passive)
Effect: +25% maximum Mana, +30% Mana regeneration rate.
Always active.
7. Cataclysm Bolt (Active)
Effect: Condenses mana into a destructive bolt of raw arcane energy.
Damage: 350% of Intelligence as pure arcane damage.
Range: 800 meters.
Cooldown: 3 minutes.
The skills locked into place one by one, and Kane could feel their weight settling into his body and mind.
Iron Will spread outward instantly, and the entire island felt steadier—like a command presence they couldn't explain but knew was there. Soldiers stood straighter, farmers felt less fatigue, and even the younger survivors carried themselves with newfound resolve.
Dominion Tactics lit up in his mind like a glowing sigil—an ability not just to lead, but to command armies as if they were one body.
The physical skills throbbed with raw potential. Titan's Grasp promised absolute authority over any foe that thought itself untouchable. Berserker's Core simmered like a dormant volcano, ready to unleash hell if Kane ever came close to breaking. Phantom Rush whispered mobility, lethality, and sudden terror for anyone foolish enough to underestimate him.
And then came the magic.
Arcane Nexus settled in like a second heartbeat, mana flowing freely through his veins. For the first time, Kane felt his body and magic harmonize, as if they had always belonged together. And Cataclysm Bolt… that was not a spell. That was artillery. A spell meant to obliterate fortresses, not just enemies.
Kane closed the menu, chest heaving slightly. He had chosen well.
But when he looked across the island—the glow of survivors completing their profession evolutions, the upgraded fortress defenses humming with power, the warships Vanguard and Stormbreaker docked and gleaming with menace—he realized something.
Sanctuary Isle was no longer just a safehold.It was now an empire waiting to be unleashed.
The warm breeze carried the scent of saltwater across Sanctuary Isle, but it could not mask the tension crackling in the air. Kane stood at the highest point of the cliff, overlooking the docks where Vanguard, Stormbreaker, and Erebus bobbed with deadly stillness, their gleaming hulls reflecting the late afternoon sun.
Behind him, the highest-level survivors of his island gathered, forming a formidable line: Lena and Maya with new magical weapons fused with their evolved professions, Elysia holding Reina carefully in her arms—her small body enveloped in the same calm aura that now radiated from every top-tier survivor. Every one of them had reached Level 60, and with profession evolutions complete, their presence alone radiated authority and raw power.
Kane turned to face his army. His voice carried over the island like a steel bell.
"Everyone. The island is strong, our population is growing, and the world beyond has yet to see the full potential of Sanctuary Isle. Today, we will prepare for expansion. More land, more resources, more space for living, agriculture, and training. If we grow, we survive. If we survive, we dominate."
He gestured toward the horizon. "We'll merge nearby islands using the system's Merge ability. Every new territory will become a stepping stone to ensure our population and defenses scale with our growth."
Unseen by Kane and his team, three scouts and two appraisers from the nearest safehold had arrived. The scouts crouched along the mainland shore, binoculars trained on Sanctuary Isle, while the appraisers held their records, comparing data in stunned silence.
They had expected a fortified safehold, but nothing could have prepared them for the level 60 survivors standing in formation with Kane at the forefront. Even from the shore, the aura of power was tangible.
"He… he's Level 60?" one appraiser whispered, voice shaking.
The others could only nod, eyes wide as they calculated his stats from the magical signature radiating off him.
Kane's Stats:
Strength: 967
Agility: 892
Endurance: 955
Perception: 879
Intelligence: 876
They had seen legends in battle simulations and reports, but no one—no one—had ever reached such heights. The warships and submarine docked neatly at the pier seemed like extensions of his will, ready to fire at a moment's notice, while Elysia and Reina in Kane's midst added a surreal touch to the assembly.
The mainland observers instinctively stepped back, fear and awe gnawing at their hearts.
"This… this is impossible," muttered one of the scouts. "If that is one person's command, our calculations for survival are meaningless."
The other appraisers murmured in agreement. Their data sheets were almost comical in the face of reality: no previous record approached these numbers, and the power radiating from the island suggested that any attempt at engagement would be suicidal.
Kane turned back to his team, unaware of the observers. Elysia gently adjusted Reina in her arms, noticing her small rise and fall with each breath. The toys, robot, and rabbit lined up behind the survivors, already scaling their combat formations as Kane's commands flowed through their linked consciousness.
He raised a hand, calling attention to a cluster of smaller islands in the near distance. "These islands will be our first expansion. Scout drones, map the terrain. Fighters, magicians, and Ironbound Legion—prepare for immediate deployment. We will secure territory, establish production points, and begin agriculture immediately."
The team moved with perfect coordination. The scout drones zipped across the water, relaying precise terrain data, while survivors with high mana and weaponry prepared for deployment. Elysia carried Reina to a vantage point, her protective instinct ensuring that even the youngest survivor remained untouched.
Meanwhile, the warships and Erebus were configured for rapid deployment, able to deliver troops, artillery, or supplies to any nearby territory. The Ironbound Legion—hundreds of reinforced undead constructs—stood poised at Kane's command.
The sight from the mainland only grew more terrifying. The observers could not hide the panic rising in their hearts. Sanctuary Isle was no longer just a safehold—it was a fortress, an army, and a kingdom all rolled into one.
One appraiser finally spoke, voice trembling, "They… they aren't just strong. They're on a scale we've never seen before. If they move, everything in their path… dies."
Kane observed the small islands, calculating resources, growth potential, and defensive positioning. Every step had to be precise. Expansion was not just about survival—it was about preparing for the next Blood Moon, for global threats, and for eventual dominance.
His hand brushed against the Blood Moon Relic Bracelet, dormant but humming faintly with latent energy. He did not need to activate it yet—the system would guide him when the time was right—but its presence reminded him that the island was not only his fortress—it was a weapon.
He surveyed his team once more. Lena, Maya, Elysia, the toys, robot, rabbit, and all Level 60 survivors—every one ready, every one capable of unimaginable feats.
And beyond the horizon, the mainland observers were still frozen, watching a force they could barely comprehend.
Kane spoke quietly, more to himself than anyone else:"Let's show the world what Sanctuary Isle is truly capable of."
The wind carried his words across the water, but to the mainland scouts, it was already too late. They had seen the impossible.