[Neo-Atlantis - The Royal Gardens]
The Tsunami was gone. The sun was shining. And the smell of death had been replaced by the smell of Wagyu Beef.
"People of Neo-Atlantis!" Alex stood on the floating stage, holding a glass of champagne that cost $50,000 a bottle. "You stared death in the face today. And you didn't blink."
Two million citizens, gathered in the massive central park and watching via holograms, cheered. They worshipped him.
"Dawn," Alex ordered. "Open the System Store. Category: Culinary Supremacy."
Item: The Feast of Olympus (S-Rank Buffet). Cost: $1 Billion.
Item: Vintage Wine: The 1907 Heidsieck (Shipwrecked). Cost: $200 Million.
Item: Celestial Fireworks (Holographic). Cost: $500 Million.
"Buy it all," Alex grinned. "Tonight, nobody pays. Tonight, we feast."
[The Flex]
SNAP.
Teleportation portals opened all over the city. Massive banquet tables appeared in the streets, groaning under the weight of food. But this wasn't normal food.
The Steak: Golden Tomahawk Steaks, grilled to perfection by robotic chefs.
The Seafood: Blue Lobsters the size of dogs, caught minutes ago in the Atlantic.
The Dessert: Chocolate fountains flowing with melted Swiss truffles.
A construction worker, who had been ready to die an hour ago, picked up a lobster tail. He took a bite. He started crying. "It tastes like... victory."
[The VIP Section]
In the Royal Palace, the elite were gathered. Dr. Aris (the Nobel Scientist) was drunk on ancient wine. Luna was wearing a dress made of "Liquid Starlight" (Item Cost: $10 Million). She looked less like an assassin and more like a queen.
"Master," Luna walked up to Alex. "The perimeter is secure. The Praetorians are patrolling. You can relax."
Alex looked at her. He looked at his city, glowing in the night. "I don't relax, Luna. I reload."
But he smiled. He took a sip of his wine. "But for tonight... let the music play."
[The World Reacts]
On CNN, the anchors were stunned. "We are seeing live footage from Neo-Atlantis. While the rest of the world is suffering from inflation and food shortages, King Alex is feeding his people... is that gold dust on the sushi?"
In New York, a man watching the news threw his microwave dinner at the TV. "Why am I paying taxes here?!" he screamed. "I'm moving to the island!"
[The Shadow]
While the fireworks exploded—creating dragons and phoenixes in the sky—a small, unmarked boat approached the foggy southern coast of the island. It didn't show up on radar. It was made of wood. Zero metal. Zero electronics.
A single figure stepped off the boat. She was wearing a red cloak. She carried a small, ornate wooden box.
She walked past the Praetorians. They didn't react. Why? Because she didn't have a heartbeat.
She walked toward the Palace.