Inside the city walls, Lord Budi''s subordinates carried out their duties with full dedication.


    They ensured that the evacuated citizens gathered in one ce for thorough checks, making sure no one was in a critical condition. Every step they took was filled with caution as they examined every anxious face, ensuring no one was left unattended.


    In one corner of the city, a soldier from Budi''s forces was tending to an elderly man who sat withbored breaths. The soldier''s hands swiftly opened a healing potion, pouring it gently into the old man''s mouth.


    The moment the healing liquid flowed in, the pale color on the man''s face gradually faded, and his breathing steadied. He lifted his head, offering a weak but grateful smile to the soldier who had helped him.


    "Thank you, young man," the old man said with a voice that sounded stronger than before.


    The soldier only nodded, then stood and faced the crowd in front of him.


    "Next!" he shouted, his voice echoing amid themotion.


    A middle-aged woman raised her hand and stepped forward. Her steps were hesitant, but her gaze was filled with hope. As she stood before the soldier, she froze while the soldier gently checked her pulse, touching her wrist with both care and precision.


    After ensuring her condition was stable, he pulled two potions of different colors from the small pouch at his waist.


    "Here, drink these. They''ll help restore your energy," he said as he handed over the potions.


    The woman epted the bottles with both hands, drinking them one by one.


    "Thank you, Sir," she whispered with a hoarse but sincere voice, a faint smile forming on her lips. She then walked away slowly, giving space for others who had begun moving forward.


    And so, the medical team stationed there worked tirelessly, examining each citizen, ensuring that no one was overlooked. Yet, behind their routine tasks, their eyes remained vignt, scanning for signs of enemy spies who might be hiding among the refugees.


    Not far from the city center, in a spacious open area, several people stood gazing at a towering structure 100 meters tall.


    The tower looked solid, with a futuristic design andrge ck holes spread along its shaft. Soft white lights flickered around it, resembling tiny stars spinning around the tower like fireflies in the night.


    This was the Gctic Fortress, the most expensive and powerful defensive tower owned by Lein. It was not just an ordinary tower—it was a symbol of power, capable of projecting fear even toward beings above the Master level.


    Creating something like this required immense strength, which even Lein could not achieve. However, thanks to his duplication ability, he had easily acquired the Gctic Fortress, and now he had hundreds of thousands of simr devices at his disposal.


    (Gctic Fortress)


    A tower where countless stars gather, spreading star energy to all corners of the realm.


    - Type: Territory Artifact


    - Grade: Heaven


    - Essence: 176,900


    - Abilities: (Star Protection), (Star Shot), (Star Breath), (Star Army).


    Near the tower, a soldier reported to his team leader, "Everything is ready, Sir." His voice was filled with certainty, indicating that everything had been arranged properly.


    The team leader took out amunication device, a small gadget disying a list of power essence usage requests. Thousands of requests were piling up in the queue, each needing approval from the centralmand. Yet, the list moved quickly, with approvals granted before being reced by new ones.


    Power essence was a rare currency that could not be essed carelessly. Its use was restricted to team captains and auxiliary forces, requiring permission from the central government. The centralmand referred to the government of the City of Life, and the one in charge of this war effort was Nita, the head of the government.


    "Alright, it''s approved. Activate *Star Protection*," the captain ordered the soldier standing near the tower.


    The soldier nodded obediently and operated the Gctic Fortress''s status panel. With steady fingers, he selected the *Star Protection* ability from the list of options disyed.


    [Activating Star Protection consumes 100 power essence per day. Are you sure?]


    "Yes."


    A wave of white light immediately radiated from the tower, moving swiftly and spreading in all directions. It glided gracefully, cutting through the air and enveloping the city with warmth and tranquility.


    Within seconds, the wave had reached the city walls, spreading across the ind where Budi and his troops were stationed. The ind was now wrapped in a transparent glow, radiating both gentleness and strength.


    The captain observed for a moment to ensure the protection was fully active. "Alright… you two stay here. The rest of you, follow me to assist Lord Budi," he instructed the two soldiers standing by the tower. He quickly turned around, followed by the other soldiers, heading to the front lines outside the city, where the battle was still ongoing.


    ***


    City Hall, City of Life - Indonesia Ind


    Nita, who was currently sitting behind the leader''s desk, observed the holographic panel projected from hermunication tablet.


    On the holographic board, a map with many floating inds appeared, along with several icons providing specific details.


    At the top of the report was the title "Battle Report." The page Nita was currently reading disyed the map of the divine sky realm along with the inds within it.


    Of course, the positions of the inds on the map were estimated by scientists skilled in geography. The map''s current view was zoomed out, showing all the floating inds within the divine sky realm.


    Many inds on the map were marked with different colors. The most dominant color was green, indicating the ind was secure. Green upied 90% of the map area on the holographic board.


    A secure ind meant it was already protected by the *Star Protection* skill from the Gctic Fortress. Additionally, lightning towers were required to eliminate any foreign invaders within seconds of emerging from the portal.


    The next color was yellow, indicating inds currently engaged in battles and receiving assistance from the World Market Trade Alliance—such as the ind where Budi and his soldiers were stationed.


    The yellow-colored inds were the most talked about on social media due to the ongoing battles, which were broadcast to the public. Yellow upied about 8% of the entire map.


    Lastly, there was the red color. Inds marked in red were unexplored territories currently under attack by foreign invaders.


    "Good, almost done..." Nita whispered with a sigh of relief.


    She was the one who decided to use the Gctic Fortress to protect each ind. She had also established cooperation with top alliance leaders to secure protection from the World Market Trade Alliance.


    "Brother? Why is it taking so long?" Nita murmured to herself.


    Though Nita made many decisions, she always sought Lein''s opinion before taking major actions. Lein was undoubtedly aware of everything she did. Even so, Nita still missed her brother, as they hadn''t met in person since the foreign invasion began.


    Nita closed the battle report hologram in front of her and swiveled her chair to face therge window behind her. Outside, the night view was illuminated by white lights lining the streets, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere.


    "So beautiful," Nita whispered with a small smile.


    She recalled the days when she and Lein first arrived in the divine sky realm. Back then, it was just the two of them on thisrge ind. Every night, they would camp outside, roast venison, and enjoy the cool night breeze together.


    Ring... ring...


    Her phone rang, disying a photo of a beautiful woman in a white dress. The name "Laras" appeared on the screen.


    Nita grabbed hermunication tablet and quickly answered the call. Laras''s soft, cheerful voice came through the speaker.


    "Hello, Nita! How are you?" Laras asked, her tone slightly concerned.


    A small smile appeared on Nita''s face at the sound of her friend''s voice. "Hi, Sis Laras. I''m fine, just checking some reports," she replied casually.


    Laras chuckled softly. "Haha, you seem very busy. How about we go out for dinner tonight?"


    Nita''s expression instantly brightened at the invitation. She eagerly nodded and said, "Let''s do it! I''ll be there soon, Sis."


    "Great! I also invited Elen and Hana to join us," Laras added cheerfully.


    "Perfect! I''ll take a shower first," Nita said, smiling.


    "See you soon," Laras responded.


    "See you," Nita replied.


    She ended the call and sat still for a moment. "Yay!" she cheered, raising both arms in the air. She then stood up and jumped a few times, her face glowing with happiness.


    "Calm down... I hope Brother can finish his business tonight," Nita whispered, trying topose herself after the brief excitement.


    She then walked out of her office, heading toward the exit. Nita nned to shower and get ready for her dinner with Laras and her friends.


    Meanwhile, in a very spacious room, Laras was lying down, ying with her cellphone. She wore a wide, excited smile. "Yosh... Nita cane," she said happily.


    "Hm... where would be a good ce to eat?" Laras murmured, pressing her index finger to her lips, thinking hard. She wanted to find a special ce for them so that tonight would feel even more memorable.