"Yes, all you have to do is wait. Everything will be ours."


    Danny let out a sigh of relief, nodding gratefully at Victor.


    He had been genuinely panicked for a moment.


    If he hadn''t managed to cate Kyle, he would have made a powerful enemy, and the nightmare of being robbed blind in Glory City might have repeated itself.


    The three families and their retinues waited, the tension growing with each passing day.


    Five dayster, Danny''s anxiety had reached a fever pitch.


    His face was ashen, his hands trembling.


    "Something''s wrong. It''s been too long. Cloudview County''s attack was supposed to be a lightning strike. We should have heard of ckwood''s defeat by now."


    As if to punctuate his words, a tremor shook the ground, drawing the attention of everyone present.


    They turned their gazes towards the east, their eyes widening in rm.


    On the horizon, a dark shape was rising, blotting out the sky.


    It stretched across the horizon like a ribbon of darkness, its distance impossible to gauge.


    But there was no mistaking its nature.


    Something massive was approaching, a vast army of Psychics and ability vessels.


    "What... what is that?!"


    Danny stared in disbelief, a cold dread gripping his heart.


    ...


    Sunshine Mansion was divided into three border counties: Starlight County, Azure Cloud, and Maple Grove.


    Azure Cloudy nestled between the other two.


    Cloudview County, within Azure Cloud, shared a long border with Starlight County but was separated from Cedar County by treacherous mountains and a wide, raging river.


    Cedar County was and of abundance, its resources coveted by the Druids.


    But its natural defenses were formidable, requiring years, if not decades, to ovee.


    ckwood had never considered Cedar County a threat, focusing their defenses on the more immediate danger posed by the six Druid tribes.


    Now, above the border between Sunshine Mansion and Cedar County, a vast fleet of ability vessels darkened the sky.


    Psychics, their auras zing with power, stood ready for battle.


    At the forefront of the fleet, a magnificent vessel, its hull radiating the power of a top-grade ability weapon, led the charge.


    It was the very vessel ckwood had taken from Danny five years ago, but it had undergone a transformation.


    No longer a gaudy symbol of wealth, it was now a sleek, deadly weapon of war.


    Standing at the vessel''s prow, his ck robes billowing in the wind, was Edward, the Duke of Azure Cloud, a man who had long operated in the shadows.


    "Duke Bryce," he said, his voice carrying across the distance, "wee to Cloudview County."


    Beside him stood a young man, his features handsome, his bearing noble.


    But his eyes held the wisdom of a thousand years.


    It was Bryce, the Duke of Cedar County.


    His expression was a mixture of apprehension and grim determination.


    He was a Duke, a descendant of the once-proud Phillips family, one of Sunshine Mansion''s eight great Psychic families.


    Cedar County had been their domain, their ancestral home.


    They had ruled it with an iron fist, their influence unchallenged.


    But now, listening to Edward''s words, knowing that Cedar County was to be absorbed into Cloudview County, just like Starlight County, he felt no resentment, only a burning desire for revenge.


    "Very well," he said, his voice steady.


    "If it means reiming our homnd, then let Cedar County be renamed. Let it be part of Azure Cloud."


    He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the familiarndscape below.


    He could sense the Druids gathering, their forces mobilizing to defend their stolen territory.


    His voice rang out, filled with power and resolve.


    "Today, the people of Cedar County return home!"


    "Azure Cloud stood firm against the Druids. We will follow their example. This battle..."


    "Will end in victory!"


    "Not another inch of Cedar County will be yielded!"


    With a roar, he leaped from the vessel, his psychic energy erupting around him like a storm.


    Behind him, the fleet of ability vessels descended, disgorging a wave of Cedar County Psychics, their swords gleaming, their eyes burning with righteous fury.


    They charged towards their homnd, their hearts filled with a single purpose: to reim what was rightfully theirs.


    ...


    High atop a snow-capped mountain, overlooking the ravagedndscape of Cedar County, Ethan watched the unfolding events with a satisfied smile.


    Before him, the translucent interface disyed a message:


    [Your descendant, Edward, has sessfully brought the Cedar County Psychics back to their homnd, diverting attention from the Starlight County campaign.]


    [Special Event – Supporting Cedar County]


    [After Joseph and Katie''s initial attempts to persuade Duke Bryce to ally with ckwood failed, Bryce faced increasing hostility in his new territory. Rumors spread, using the Phillips family of harboring ambitions to conquer their neighbors. Their situation grew increasingly precarious.]


    [ckwood, however, never gave up hope. Your descendants, starting with Nathan and Lucas, took turns trying to persuade Bryce. The more they persisted, the more suspicious Bryce became, and the more precarious his situation grew. Finally, over a decade ago, Bryce agreed to a n to retake Cedar County with ckwood''s help.]


    [Your family, however, refused to simply restore Bryce to power. They demanded that Cedar County be renamed Azure Cloud and that Bryce wait for the opportune moment to strike.]


    ckwood had never been content to simply react to their enemies'' moves.


    And today...


    "The time is right," Ethan murmured, his smile widening.


    "ckwood has been nning for this moment for years. It''s time to reveal our hand."


    His time in the game world had given him a deep understanding of his family''s history, their strategies, their unwavering determination.


    He had witnessed their cunning, their willingness to take risks, their unwaveringmitment to protecting their own.


    He had seen the "Millennial Bloodline Project," the "Support Cedar County n," and even Nathan''s desperate gambit, a n that had nearly cost him his life.


    ckwood never yed defense.


    From their humble beginnings as a small vige, they had always been the aggressors.


    Now, behind him, thebined might of Cloudview County stood ready for battle.


    The leaders of the major factions were present: ck Tortoise''s Leon Daoist, Ten Thousand Life Mountain''s Immortal Master, Ghost Eye Demonic Gate''s Ralph... and half of their disciples!


    Years of constant warfare had tempered Cloudview County''s factions, forging them into a formidable force.


    ck Tortoise had gained another Competent Force expert.


    Ralph, ever the pragmatist, had resorted to unorthodox methods, utilizing forbidden techniques to bolster his sect''s strength.


    The Ghost Eye Demonic Gate had be the most powerful faction in Cloudview County, their methods whispered about in hushed tones but ultimately epted as a necessary evil.


    Even the Primordial Blood Tree, the object of so much envy and greed, had taken human form, standing tall and imposing amidst the assembled forces.


    ckwood Luna, Julian, Mary, Amelia, the Lord of Frenzied Blood, Larry from the third generation... they weren''t in Glory City, they weren''t at the border, they weren''t in Starlight County.


    While all eyes were focused on the battles raging elsewhere, they had quietly assembled their forces and marched on Cedar County.


    "Cedar County!" Julian roared, his boomingughter echoing across the mountaintop.


    He hefted his massive hammer, his shaved head gleaming in the sunlight.


    Those around him instinctively ducked, fearing the wrath of his mighty weapon.


    The cksmith, his muscles honed by years of tireless work, was practically giddy with excitement.


    "Who needs that pathetic Starlight County? It''s even poorer than Azure Cloud! This time, ckwood is going for the big prize!"


    Yes, the big prize.


    They had reached the Cedar County border undetected, a ghost army materializing from the shadows.