When Zestia came inside the Council Hall after clearing the outside sentinels, she saw the undead bodies of the commanders and Island Lord Grakal.

​And Neo—he sat on the throne while the remaining five commanders kneeled before him with cowardice.

​She had to admit, Neo truly looked like a ruler. His grace, his charm, and his aura all matched the setting perfectly. Her face flushed as she imagined something she shouldn’t.

​Nonetheless, she cleared her throat before appearing beside Neo.

​"Neo, you have finally conquered the island. So, what’s the next plan?" she asked.

​Neo gazed at the newly turned undeads and the commanders trembling in fear.

​"I need domination," he said in an authoritative voice. "From today, this island will be on full lockdown. No one is allowed to come here, nor anyone can export energy stones without my permission. And every single piece of energy stone will belong to the Empire."

​Zestia nodded. "I get it. But I am curious, what is your Empire’s name? You haven’t told me that yet."

Neo contemplated the question. He couldn’t use Sovereign as their identities needed to be kept apart.

Seeing him deeply immersed in thought, Zestia took a step closer to the throne.

​"What about the Zenith Empire?" she suggested.

He looked at her as she continued,

"You said you sought to reach the absolute peak of the cosmos and establish a new order. Zenith means the highest point, the ultimate summit. It represents exactly what you are chasing."

​Neo smiled faintly with approval.

​"The Zenith Empire. It is perfect. From this day forward, the conquest of the stars begins under the banner of Zenith Empire."

With the name of the Zenith Empire officially declared, Neo wasted no time in reshaping the hierarchy of his newly conquered territory. He sat upright on the bone throne, his crimson eyes sweeping over the five trembling commanders of the Red Tribe.

​"Listen closely. The old ways of this island are dead. Grakal is gone. From this moment on, Zestia is your supreme overseer. She speaks with my absolute authority. If she commands you to swim into a boiling volcano, you will ask her how deep."

​The five burly mermen slammed their foreheads against the cracked stone floor in complete submission. They had seen his terrifying demonic form and his merciless power. Defiance was simply not an option.

​"We obey the Zenith Empire! We obey Lady Zestia!" they chanted in unison.

​Zestia stood tall beside the throne.

Neo had elevated her status. She wasn’t just sheltered girl from Aizenberg family anymore, she was now the shadow of a man who was destined to break rules.

​Within the next few hours, the entire island underwent a massive transformation. Under Neo’s strict orders, the remaining warriors of the Red Tribe were disarmed and gathered in the central plaza.

Soon after, the surviving members of the Blue Tribe were brought in from their hidden settlements.

​The atmosphere in the plaza was incredibly tense at first. The young Blue Tribe merman who had been tortured earlier that day stood at the front of his people, his wounds freshly bandaged.

He glared at the Red Tribe warriors, expecting another brutal clash.

​However, Neo stepped out onto the grand balcony of the Council Hall, overlooking the vast sea of aquatic humanoids.

The presence of his undead vanguard, standing like silent, menacing statues along the perimeter, instantly quelled any thoughts of rebellion.

Neo announced then:

​"People of the ocean, the age of senseless tribal warfare ends today. The Red Tribe and the Blue Tribe no longer exist. You are all now unified under one banner. You are citizens of the Zenith Empire."

​The blue and red mermen were shocked.

​Neo continued with a tone that was both strict and surprisingly benevolent.

"There will be no more torture, no more raiding, and no more starvation. You will work together. You will rebuild this island together. In return for your loyalty and your labor, my empire will provide you with absolute protection. No sea beast or foreign invader will ever harm you again."

​For a long moment, the plaza was dead silent.

Then, the young Blue Tribe merman fell to his knees, thick tears of overwhelming relief streaming down his face.

​"Thank you, Lord Neo! Thank you for saving us!"

​His cry broke the heavy dam of tension.

The Blue Tribe members cheered, their voices echoing joyfully into the night sky.

Seeing the genuine mercy of their new conqueror, the Red Tribe warriors let out heavy sighs of relief. They had fully expected to be executed for their previous crimes.

Overcome with gratitude for this unexpected second chance, they bowed deeply toward the balcony.

​Before long, an unprecedented scene unfolded in the central plaza. The bitter enemies who had spilled each other’s blood just hours ago began to converse and embrace. Blue and Red mermen shared their rations, helping to treat each other’s wounds in a shared celebration of their newfound peace.

Joyful songs of the ocean filled the air, completely washing away the bloody history of the island.

​[System Notification: Faction Unification Successful.]

​[Territory Acquired: Ocean Vanguard Island.]

​[Overall Loyalty of the Island Inhabitants has reached 70%.]

​As the days turned into weeks, the island thrived under the absolute banner of the Zenith Empire. The mermen lived happily and peacefully as their old hatreds entirely forgotten.

Working side by side, they dove into the deep underwater trenches.

Utilizing their combined elemental affinities, they safely extracted hundreds of Mana stones.

​Every evening, massive crates glowing with pure, blue energy were delivered directly to the Council Hall, fueling Neo’s grand ambition.

The first stepping stone was firmly in his grasp, and his path to conquering the stars had finally opened.

However, in the distant Dark-Moon Empire, another figure with white hair and and radiant armour also vowed to rule the stars.

In the Infinite Cosmos, when these two would collide, the myria beings would watch with unblinking eyes.

Because the age of Domination had begun.