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A strange story began to circulate in the world. In the distant East, there exists an empire known as the Great Qin.
Legend speaks of its emperor, Qin Yi, who defied the flow of time, awakening from a slumber that spanned over two thousand years. His goal is singular and boundless: to unify the entire world under one rule.
At first, it was dismissed as a rumor, folklore whispered between merchants and travelers. But it spread like wildfire, crossing borders and continents with unnerving speed.
Then, the world realized it was no mere tale. Panic took root in every capital, fear gripping kings and councils alike.
It has been three days since Qin Yi issued his decree of war.
Today, among the twenty-six nations bordering Great Qin, nations both mighty and small, a seismic shift occurred.
Some nations chose submission, their leaders publicly swearing fealty to Qin Yi and integrating their lands into the ever-growing empire. Others weren't given the chance. Their entire governmental and military systems were paralyzed overnight, seized by mysterious forces cloaked in shadow.
The world's leaders soon realized: this wasn't a negotiation, it was a conquest.
But even that wasn't the most shocking part.
To the north, among the so-called "great powers" that once looked down on Qin as a backward relic, chaos erupted.
Without warning, powerful individuals, Ability Users, wielders of supernatural strength and strange arts, began to emerge within their borders. They struck with precision, overwhelming the military with ease. Their identities unknown, their power unmatched, they shattered command structures in a single day.
By the time any defense could be organized, it was already too late. The regimes collapsed. In just five days, the Great Qin army marched in, sweeping across the great powers like a storm tearing through autumn leaves.
Those nations were absorbed into Qin's expanding dominion, without resistance.
The world stood stunned.
This was the same Great Qin that had once been mocked, dismissed as a fragile remnant of the past. And now? It had transformed into a dragon, awakened and enraged, devouring the beasts around it in a single gulp.
The speed. The scale. The sheer might of the empire... It defied all logic, plunging the world into fear.
Inside the Golden Luan Hall, under a ceiling gilded with celestial constellations and divine beasts, Qin Yi sat atop the Dragon Throne.
His expression was calm, almost amused, as he listened to the officials' reports. Then, a cold smile formed on his lips.
"A threat? They call the Great Qin a threat?"
He stood slowly, his eyes gazing into the horizon, as if the boundaries of the known world lay just beyond the palace walls.
"No… This is not a threat. This… is unification."
"Issue the order. The legions will continue their advance."
The hall, once empty in the early days of Qin Yi's return, now housed a full court of ministers, loyal servants carefully chosen to oversee this vast and rapidly growing empire.
And with a single command, the juggernaut that was the Great Qin surged forward again.
Each conquered land fed into Qin Yi's King's Strength, a mysterious force that strengthened not just his army, but his very being. Resources, people, weapons, everything was absorbed and swiftly repurposed. No time was wasted. No rebellions sparked. Under Qin Yi's rule, the minds of the people changed, as if drawn into a greater will beyond their comprehension.
His legions were tireless. Each new campaign brought more strength, more coordination, more precision. What would take decades for others to achieve, Qin accomplished in days.
And then, when the world thought he would pause, to consolidate, to govern, to rest, he took another step.
Not backward.
Forward.
"Is he insane?!"
"By the heavens, is he trying to swallow the entire Eastern Continent?"
"He's already taken the northern powers. Is he… targeting the south next?!"
The world had no answer. All it could do was watch, helplessly, as a legend long buried in time returned to reshape reality itself.
The world was stunned, unable to comprehend what was unfolding.
Never in history had an emperor acted with such brazen audacity. And yet, if the Dragon Emperor succeeded in this campaign, he would become the first ruler to extend his dominion across the entire Eastern Continent.
At that point, wherever sunlight reached, his banners would fly, a true Empire upon which the sun never sets.
Two days later, the unthinkable became reality: news arrived that the largest country in the southern reaches of the Eastern Continent had fallen. It had been conquered and seamlessly absorbed into the ever-expanding realm of Great Qin.
The world trembled.
Within the opulent Golden Hall, ministers looked up at the man on the Dragon Throne. Awe filled their hearts, and many wondered if they were still dreaming.
When had their army become so overwhelming? Conquering nations now seemed no more difficult than partaking in a meal.
In just over a week, Great Qin had become the largest empire on Earth by landmass. A feat others couldn't accomplish in centuries had been realized in mere days.
"Send orders to the frontline generals: no need to wait for further commands. Continue pressing forward, relentlessly," Qin Yi spoke with detached calm. "Only report back when we reach the edge of the continent."
Such earth-shattering news failed to stir even a flicker of emotion from him.
What a joke. With his King's Attributes, and more than three thousand elite Shinobi, if this was all he could manage, he might as well step down.
After all, a Starlight-tier civilization operated on an entirely different level from ordinary nations. It was a realm capable of planetary destruction, far beyond conventional power structures.
But elsewhere, across the sea on another continent, a major superpower could remain silent no longer.
"What's the status of the nuclear armament?" The President demanded sharply over a secure line. "It's already been a week! Why is it still not operational?!"
A general on the other end wiped cold sweat from his brow and replied,
"It's ready, Mr. President. We've been tied up dealing with layers of bureaucracy these past few days. But the weapon is primed."
The President didn't hesitate.
"Then launch it. If we delay any longer, the entire Eastern Continent will be under his rule."
The rumors swirling around Qin Yi, the so-called Dragon Emperor, and the meteoric rise of Great Qin had cast a long, dark shadow over the world. Fear infected every government, every army, every whispering strategist behind closed doors.
If Qin truly unified the continent, the psychological impact alone would topple regimes. No need for war, many would surrender outright in the face of such overwhelming force.
"Mr. President," came the voice over the line, "It's time to use the key."
"We've also given the weapon a codename… 'Black Dragon.'"
The President's eyes narrowed. Black Dragon. It was fitting, terrifyingly so.
"Yes… to kill the Black Dragon, we'll unleash one of our own."
With a solemn breath, the President placed a special briefcase on the desk before him. Slowly, he opened the lid, sweat forming on his forehead as he input the launch codes. His finger hovered for a brief moment, then pressed down.
Meanwhile, in a top-secret nuclear base on the Northern Continent,
"BOOM!"
A thunderous roar shattered the silence as a massive explosion erupted from the launch bay. A crimson beam of light surged skyward, piercing the clouds and screaming across the ocean like a divine spear.
Its destination?
The capital city of Great Qin.
The launch didn't go unnoticed. Millions across the Northern Continent turned their eyes skyward.
"An atomic missile!"
"We've launched a strike on Great Qin!"
"The tyrant will finally fall!"
Cheers erupted across cities as citizens rejoiced, believing salvation was at hand.
But deep within the Golden Luan Hall, Qin Yi's eyes snapped open.
And they gleamed with something ancient... and unimaginably powerful.
(End of Chapter)