The destruction of the Herald had left a permanent scar in the fabric of reality. Outside the Sovereign Emporium, the sky over Casablanca was no longer blue; it was a bruised purple, flickering with static. The "Architects" were no longer hiding their presence. The world knew the gods were angry.
Inside the tower, Omar stood before his new forge. The [Divine Gold Plates] he had stripped from the Herald were melting down, but they didn't turn into liquid—they turned into a glowing, celestial honey.
"Kaelen," Omar called out. "Bring me the 'Eye of the Architect'."
The Ghost Knight handed him the glowing orb. Omar didn't hesitate; he dropped the Eye into the molten gold. A scream, silent but soul-piercing, echoed through the shop.
[Synthesis Success: 'The Eye of Truth' Helmets (Quantity: 10).]
[Description: Allows any Hunter to see the weak points in the Architects' geometry and resist Void-Pressure.]
"These are for the Elite Squad," Omar said, his face etched with exhaustion. "Laila, is the Council here?"
Laila stepped out from the shadows, now wearing a new suit of leather infused with Void-Silk. She looked sharper, more dangerous. "They're waiting in the Great Hall. Director Marouane brought the S-Rankers from across Africa and Europe. They're terrified, Omar. They saw what you did to the Herald."
Omar walked into the Hall. Around a massive obsidian table sat the most powerful humans on Earth. There was General Vance from the US, Yuki the Blade-Mistress from Japan, and Marouane.
"You're late, Merchant," General Vance growled, his hand on his holster. "The world is falling apart. Portals are opening in the middle of cities, and our weapons are doing nothing. Tell us you have more than just fancy talk."
Omar didn't say a word. He walked to the center of the table and placed one of the 'Eye of Truth' helmets down.
"This helmet," Omar began, his voice calm but commanding, "will let your men kill things that shouldn't be killable. But it won't be enough. The Architects aren't sending monsters anymore; they're sending 'Erasers'. Legions of Heralds."
"And what's the price?" Yuki asked, her eyes narrowed. "You always have a price."
Omar leaned forward, his hands on the table. "The price is Humanity's Sovereignty. From today, the Hunter's Council doesn't answer to any government. You answer to the Emporium. I provide the tech, the mana, and the strategy. In exchange, I want the 'Core' of every Portal you close."
"You want to own the world's energy?" Marouane gasped.
"I want to build a weapon big enough to shoot a hole into the Architects' realm," Omar countered. "We aren't going to defend Earth. We're going to invade them."
The room went silent. The idea was insane. A human merchant planning an invasion of the gods.
Suddenly, the floor shook. A holographic screen—now powered by Omar's own magic—manifested in the air.
[Alert: Massive Mana-Signature detected above the Atlantic Ocean.]
[The 'Great Reset' has begun.]
Through the windows of the skyscraper, they could see it. A massive, golden pyramid was descending from the clouds, miles wide, casting a shadow over the entire city of Casablanca. It was a World-Harvester.
"They're here early," Omar said, grabbing his spear. "Marouane, get your men to the coast. Yuki, take the air. Laila, you're with me."
"Where are we going?" Laila asked.
Omar looked at the golden pyramid. "To the roof. I've been a merchant long enough. It's time to show them that on Earth, we don't pay taxes to gods... we make them pay for the air they breathe."
Omar stepped onto the balcony, the wind howling around him. He felt the connection to his shop—his power source. He raised his hand, and the Infinite Realm Emporium didn't just stay a building; it began to shift, its obsidian walls extending into the sky, forming a massive cannon made of black wood and divine gold.
"Target locked," Omar whispered. "Let's see how much a God's ship is worth in scrap metal."