Time passed and a spatial warp deposited Damien, his parents, and Class F into the sprawling metropolis of brass, iron, and steam known as Ironforge.

Theron and Elizabeth, having been trapped in the suffocating darkness of the th Layer for sixteen years, stood in sheer disbelief. The city of gears had evolved into a technological marvel .

Sleek, mana-powered vehicles known as Phantom Type-s glided silently over the cobblestones, running on refined mana crystals and Dwarven engineering ,

Matte black Ironclad Exo-Suits, painted with gold trim and the twin hammers crest, patrolled the perimeters with heavy, mechanical steps .

"You built all of this?" Theron asked, looking at his son with a mixture of shock and profound pride.

"I provided the funding and the blueprints," Damien smiled beneath his silver half-mask. "The Dwarves provided the genius."

"Theron?!"

A booming voice, like grinding tectonic plates, echoed across the loading bay. King Durin the Sixth marched forward, his granite-grey eyes wide with absolute shock , . The King of Weapons dropped his massive warhammer, closing the distance to pull the King of Darkness into a bone-crushing embrace.

"You stubborn old ghost!" Durin roared, tears pricking his eyes. "I always told everyone that you were the only human who could drink me under the table ! I knew the Abyss couldn’t hold you!"

"It tried, Durin," Theron laughed, clapping the Dwarf King on the back. "But my son decided to drag me out."

Durin immediately shouted for his guards to bring out a cask of Magma Ale, the fiery Dwarven brew fermented in geothermal vents that caused minor burn damage to the throat .

Before the first cups could be poured, the space in the center of the room folded into a singularity . A silhouette stepped out of the spatial distortion, wearing a pristine black tailcoat and white gloves .

Alfred adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses . The th-Order Steward looked at Theron and Elizabeth, his usual stoic composure cracking as a rare, genuine smile touched his lips , .

"Welcome home, Master Theron. Mistress Elizabeth," Alfred bowed deeply, his voice thick with emotion. "I have kept the lights on until your return ."

Elizabeth stepped forward, pulling the impeccable butler into a warm hug. "You did more than keep the lights on, Alfred. You kept our family alive."

........

Location: Ironforge War Room

An hour later, the reunion transitioned into a council of war.

They gathered in the War Room, a chamber carved directly into the heart of the mountain with black obsidian walls veined with glowing magma . King Durin sat at the head of the massive stone table, with Prince Hephaestus at his side, wiping grease from his goggles , .

Damien stood at the center of the room, flanked by his most trusted generals. Barnaby, wearing robes of deep purple silk, nervously tapped his Golden Abacus ring, while Cipher stood perfectly still, blending into the shadows of the room , .

"The board is finally set," Damien announced, projecting a holographic map of Elias over the table .

He pointed to the northern territories. "Leona’s White Lion Army is fifty thousand strong, having successfully unified the Wolf and Bear tribes into the Beast Federation , . They are ready to march."

"In the shadows," Damien continued, gesturing to Lyra, who leaned against a pillar with her spectral grey skin and violet eyes , "the Valkyries stand ready. They are the elite guard born from the Void experiments, completely loyal and untraceable , ."

Alfred stepped forward, placing a marker on the Eastern Wastelands. "I have also reconnected with Elder Magnus. The Prince of Black Flame and the Hawk Faction have perfected their ’Mana-Breaking’ techniques and are awaiting the signal to strike , ."

Theron crossed his massive arms, a dangerous, predatory grin spreading across his face. "We have the numbers, the wealth, and the Dwarven Ironclads. Who is our first target?"

Damien’s mismatched eyes locked onto the map. He dragged his finger across the continent, bypassing the Central Empire entirely.

"Emperor Aurelius is currently tearing his own capital apart, desperate to find the terrorist ’Zero’ and declaring him an Enemy of Existence , . He is distracted, his economy is in ruins, and his soldiers are refusing to march ."

Damien pointed directly at the golden lands of the Dragon Empire.

"Which leaves the Second Prince and the Dragon Empire entirely exposed. They betrayed our family, conspired with the Void Cultists, and tried to erase the Voss name, We aren’t going to just reclaim our seat. We are going to take their throne."

At the far end of the room, Class F stood together. They were no longer the terrified, broken students who had enrolled at the Academy; they were battle-hardened soldiers who had survived hell .

Alaric hoisted the massive, dull grey mythril slab of The Anvil onto his broad shoulder , . Lukas flexed his hands, the black Magitech gauntlets humming with a lethal, concentrated blue plasma , . Elena adjusted the Photon Lens over her right eye, her emerald eyes cold and focused .

"We’re ready, Professor," Alaric grunted, the Titan’s Capacitor thumping rhythmically in his chest .

Damien looked at his students, his parents, and his vast, continent-spanning army.

A Bright light shining in his eyes

Even though reality told him that everything happening in front of him was indeed true, but he could hardly believe it

His parents were back, his forces spanned almost the whole continent, and now he was getting ready to conquer an empire

Ever since he was reborn in this world he had always been chasing at that thin thread for survival

Hopefully with this, even if it’s a little bit, his chances of survival somewhat increased

As now, not only did he want to survive, but he wanted to survive with everyone he loved and cared right beside him

"Never am I going to loose anyone again!" He muttered softly his heard thumping loudly with his excitement as he he knew that even in their weakened state the dragon empire wouldn’t be an easy opponent

And those crazy people, only God knows what they would pull on the brink of loss out desperation

However no matter what it was, Damien said he was ready!

Time to let the whole world know that both Zero and the Voss have return!