GLOBAL AWAKENING: My 10,000x Exp Multiplier-Chapter 54: []The Ryker Vanguard, Forging an Army

The penthouse of the Sovereign Bank was bathed in the warm light of the late afternoon.

Vahn Ryker sat at the head of the heavy glass dining table. His holographic interface was glowing brightly in front of him.

The incident in the plaza had proven a critical point. The White City could not rely entirely on Vahn acting as a deterrent.

A single man could not govern a population of five thousand while simultaneously preparing to wage war against a galactic empire.

He needed structure. He needed an army!

"Things are calming down out there," Hana reported.

She casually swiped through her datapad.

She sat on the velvet sofa with her legs crossed. She was entirely in her element as the Logistics Anchor of the Faction.

"Director Vance’s little stunt actually worked in our favor. The former elites are too exhausted to scheme, and the civilians have formed volunteer militia squads to patrol the inner sectors."

"Volunteer militias sound good until the fighting starts," Vahn observed without looking up from his code. "No real training, no proper weapons, no one to follow. If the Demon Duke launches a concentrated siege against the dome, a militia will break in less than three minutes."

Vahn closed his interface and looked across the table.

Sia Vance stood at attention. Her massive obsidian kite shield was resting against her leg. She wore simple black tactical gear, and her silver eyes locked onto Vahn with strong devotion.

Beside her, Aria sat quietly. Her Crimson Lotus Vestments shimmered softly and her hands were wrapped around a cup of tea.

Vahn closed his interface and looked across the table. His voice became deeply earnest.

"The Faction cannot exist merely as a title," he said. "We are building the Ryker Vanguard."

Sia’s posture tightened instantly. A fierce spark of pride ignited in her eyes. "Awaiting orders, Commander."

"Sia, I have a bigger role for you," Vahn said. He stood up and walked around the table, stopping in front of the silver haired knight.

"I want you to take command of the volunteer militias and the surrendered corporate elites. Break their bad habits. Teach them how to hold a line. You will forge them into a real fighting force."

"Consider it done," Sia said firmly. Her eyes burned with quiet determination.

Vahn turned to Aria. The Priestess looked up at him with her emerald eyes wide and attentive.

"Aria. You are the Prime Healer," Vahn continued. His tone softened slightly as the scent of cherry blossoms drifted over him.

"The Vanguard will inevitably take damage. I need you to organize a medical corps. Find every player with a supportive class and train them in triage logistics. You are the heart of this city. Keep it beating."

Aria stood up quickly. Her breath caught slightly at the raw trust in his eyes. He wasn’t calculating her usefulness. He was relying on her humanity.

"I won’t let you down, Vahn. I will build a network that can sustain the entire perimeter."

"I know you will," Vahn smiled genuinely. "But an army requires infrastructure. And currently, they are fighting with rusted iron."

He walked over to the shattered windows and looked down at the sprawling military courtyard they had established near the southern boundary.

Over five hundred men and women were gathered there. They were practicing basic combat drills with the scrap metal they had scavenged.

"System," Vahn commanded softly.

[System Permissions]

↳ Access Faction Permissions

↳ Target: Mass Armory Distribution

↳ Initiate systemic upgrade

He didn’t just spawn weapons out of thin air. He accessed the massive stockpile of Gold tier gear he had converted back in the plaza and pulled the data directly from his Void Weaver Vault.

Down in the courtyard, a blinding flash of golden light washed over the training recruits!

The rusted swords in their hands violently mutated. They expanded into flawlessly forged broadswords with runic inscriptions. Their heavy clothing morphed into uniform sets of Silver tier kinetic armor bearing the Hourglass crest of the Ryker Faction.

The recruits gasped loudly. They stared at their hands in absolute awe as their power levels artificially skyrocketed!

"Gear is merely a tool," Vahn murmured. He raised his hand to the glass. "They need a foundation."

He tapped deeply into his own administrator code.

[System Command]

↳ Link Faction roster

↳ Share passive modifiers

↳ Distribute Architect’s Blessing to all active Vanguard members

Another wave of light pulsed through the dome. The 500 recruits suddenly stood taller, and the lingering fatigue vanished from their muscles entirely.

Vahn had just shared a fraction of his localized health regeneration and environmental immunity with his entire army. They weren’t gods, but they were no longer fragile mortals either.

"Vahn," Sia breathed heavily. She watched the transformation from the window. "You just outfitted an entire battalion with endgame gear and passive buffs in less than ten seconds. It would take a corporate guild five years to fund an army like that."

"I don’t have five years, Sia," Vahn replied. "I barely have a month."

Before the recruits could even process their new strength, a horrific screech echoed from the wasteland outside the dome!

A massive spatial rift tore open in the sky. From the corrupted red vortex, a Level 45 Siege Beast dropped onto the asphalt.

It resembled a colossal mutated snapping turtle. Its shell was composed of jagged obsidian spikes that radiated a toxic purple miasma. It locked its glowing eyes onto the southern boundary of the White City and began a slow earth shaking charge.

Vahn didn’t move. He didn’t draw his dagger. He simply crossed his arms and looked at Sia.

"Your army has a target, Commander Vance," Vahn said softly. "Show me what they can do."

Sia didn’t hesitate at all. She practically leapt off the balcony!

She used her heavy boots to slide down the side of the bank’s architecture and landed perfectly in the center of the courtyard. She drew her short sword and slammed it against her Mythic shield. The sound echoed like a gunshot!

"Vanguard! Form the line!" Sia roared. Her voice carried the absolute and terrifying authority she had learned from Vahn.

The five hundred recruits did not panic. Empowered by their new gear and the Faction buffs, they snapped into a flawless shield wall. Their golden weapons hummed with kinetic energy.

The Siege Beast slammed into the dome. Its massive weight caused the barrier to violently ripple.

"Drop the localized shield! Let it through!" Sia commanded.

Vahn smiled. He tapped his interface and opened a small breach in the Hourglass perimeter.

The beast surged inside. It roared as it prepared to crush the tiny humans. But it was met with a perfectly coordinated barrage of kinetic redirection.

Sia led the charge. Her obsidian shield absorbed the beast’s momentum and fired it back in a concentrated wave of thermal plasma. The recruits followed her lead. They moved with mechanical precision, and their strikes rapidly destroyed the armor plating of the beast.

Within sixty seconds, the Level 45 boss shattered into a geyser of blue pixels. The Vanguard hadn’t suffered a single casualty!

Vahn watched from the penthouse. A deep sense of satisfaction settled in his chest.

He wasn’t fighting alone anymore. The lifeboat was fully operational, and the crew was armed to the teeth.

"They are magnificent," Aria whispered. She stood close enough to Vahn that her shoulder pressed against his arm.

"They are ready," Vahn said. He looked down at his Priestess. "And they are ours."