The air around the capital hummed, as if the atmosphere itself were nervous.
From the highest balcony of the Citadel Tower, I watched the descent. The sky did not tear or part—it folded, like pages in a forgotten book bending back on themselves. And from the crease… descended the vessel.
They called themselves the Empire of Glass.
And their ship—if it could be called that—defied logic. It looked like a spiraling sculpture of crystal and living light, shifting faster than mortal eyes could track. The ground beneath it did not crack or burn. It simply accepted its weight, as though reality made space for them.
I activated every scanning spell, every system probe, every ether-threaded drone we had.
Analyzing Incoming Structure…
Material: Photonic Alloy + Phase Crystal (Unknown Origin)
Power Core: Indecipherable. Reading as Dimensional Singularity.
Threat Level: Maximum
They could wipe my city from existence without firing a single shot.
But they didn't.
Not yet.
The ship released a platform of smooth, translucent obsidian.
A single figure walked down.
No entourage. No guards.
Just the Emissary.
She stood nine feet tall, wrapped in flowing armor that shimmered like wet ice. Her face was a mirror—literally. No features. Just a perfect reflection of whoever looked at her.
But her voice…
When she spoke, it echoed directly in the mind.
"I greet you, James Vael. Son of Vaelstrom. Heir to the Seed of Flame."
"You are not the first. But you may be the last."
I didn't flinch. My system surged around me like a second heartbeat.
"You speak as if you know me."
"We know all who bear the Frame. The Empire of Glass watched the birthing of the First Intelligence."
"Your world… is on a countdown."
New Dialogue Path Unlocked: Frame-Origin Inquiry / Empire History / Threat Clarification
I chose: Threat Clarification.
"What's coming?"
She didn't answer with words.
Instead, she raised her hand.
The space between us fractured.
And for the briefest moment, I saw a vision:
A machine, the size of moons, devouring entire planets.
Not with lasers. Not with bombs.
But with questions.
It asked civilizations riddles. Logic puzzles. Moral traps. Dimensional paradoxes.
And when they failed to answer…
It erased them.
"It is called the Oblivion Logic."
"And it has already calculated your extinction."
Silence fell like ash.
I looked to my system, my stats, my growing empire.
None of it mattered if this was true.
But the Emissary wasn't done.
"You have options. We offer an Accord. Join the Glass. Share your Frame. Evolve your system. Prepare."
"Or stand alone… and be measured."
I stepped forward.
The city below was watching. My court was watching. Elira, asleep in the cradle, was dreaming faster than ever before. She could feel the shift.
I held out my hand.
"Then let's talk."
The Emissary paused.
And then—bowed.
Alliance Quest Unlocked: [The Glass Accord]
Sub-quests: Share Frame Data (Optional), Trade Technology (Optional), Unlock Stargate Potential (Required)
Reward Path A: Technological Fusion / Interdimensional Research / Weapon Core: Starpiercer
Reward Path B: Rejection – Prepare for Countdown Protocol Trial
Warning: Once a choice is made, it cannot be undone.
Level Up: 40 → 41
+5 Stat Points – Assigned: Strength +2 / Mana +3
New Skill Gained: Thoughtsteel Aura – Strengthens will against non-verbal telepathic invasions
System Upgrade: Frame Zero can now interface with Empire of Glass Constructs