Infinite Wealth System: Crazy Tasks, Insane Rewards!-Chapter 209: The Shield Has Broken

The Sovereign Protocols’ army stood waiting beyond the gray fields of Nexus. Thousands of soldiers lined the ground, all armed in their mech suits and ready to move once the shield fell.

The dark sky above them was restless. Thick clouds swirled, trembling with distant flashes, but no one dared to look away from the horizon.

They were trained for this. They were born for this. And now, they waited for the call.

At the center of the field stood Kael, the man who had become the face of their fire. His voice thundered through the metal plain, strong enough to cut through the cold air.

"Tell me!" Kael shouted, pacing before them. "What are you afraid of?!"

"Nothing, sir!" The soldiers roared back.

Kael grinned, that wild grin that made his eyes look like fire itself.

"You’re damn right! Fear is for the weak! And weakness..." He paused and slammed his fist against his chest. "Weakness does not exist in the Sovereign Protocols!"

The soldiers beat their chests and echoed his words like a drum. "No weakness! No fear!"

Kael laughed loudly, walking among them.

"When that shield breaks, when the false world opens its gates, I want them to see us! I want them to remember that it was we who took the first step into their dying world. That it was we who lit the fire again!"

The crowd roared louder. Some lifted their weapons high. Others began stomping on the metallic ground, shaking it. The air was alive with energy, with madness, pride, and hate all mixed together.

Kael raised his arms again. "You are not soldiers anymore. You are the voice of vengeance! You are the hand that will bring order to chaos. You are the Sovereign flame!"

The chanting grew so loud that even the sky seemed to tremble with it. "SOVEREIGN! SOVEREIGN! SOVEREIGN!"

Kael smiled, proud of what he saw. "Now go sharpen your minds and clean your hearts. We will march soon."

The crowd broke into smaller groups, still chanting and laughing, still burning with the fire Kael had put inside them.

...

Meanwhile, in a entirely different scene, Royce stood beside Esta in a dim corridor. Her eyes were fixed on the small glass window that looked out to the shield, glowing faintly in the distance like a second sun.

"It’s almost time," Esta said softly. "The shield is already shaking. The sensors have been ringing all day."

Royce looked at her face.

Tired, worried, but trying to be strong.

"Yes I know," he muttered.

She nodded. "Once it cracks, we’ll have a straight path down. You and the rest of the soldiers will leave within hours."

Royce could hear the unease in her voice. She wasn’t ready to lose anyone, not him especially.

He had to step closer and touched her hand gently.

"Hey," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Trust the plan. You’ll be fine."

Esta looked at him, her lips pressed together. "You think it’ll really work?"

"It has to," Royce said. "When the shield breaks, chaos will hit the outer rings first. You won’t be safe here for long. That’s why I want you to come over to Earth."

He reached into his coat and brought out a small metal key with glowing blue patterns across it.

The portal key.

The exact one he had collected from the Commander he killed.

"In three days," he said, pressing it into her palm. "Take this and get out of Nexus. Go through the portal. It’ll led you straight to Earth. Wherever it takes you, I’ll find you."

Her fingers trembled around the key. "Royce..."

He smiled weakly. "You’ll be fine. I promise. But if you don’t show up after three days... I’ll have to come for you myself."

Esta shook her head quickly, tears threatening to form. "No, don’t. Don’t come looking for me. If I get caught, that’s my fault. You just make sure the mission works."

"Esta..."

"No." She held his hand tightly. "Promise me you won’t do something stupid."

He stared at her for a while, then nodded slowly.

"Fine. I’ll try."

"That’s not a promise," she said, her voice cracking a little.

Royce chuckled softly, then leaned in close. "Be careful, alright?"

She nodded, her eyes soft.

"You too."

For a moment, silence fell between them as they couldn’t say any more words. Then she stepped forward, and before either of them could think twice, their lips met. It was slow, desperate, and quiet.

A promise without words.

When they pulled apart, Royce looked at her one last time, then turned away.

"Stay safe, Esta."

She didn’t reply, only watched him walk away down the narrow hallway until he disappeared beyond the corner. The sound of soldiers shouting in the distance slowly took over the silence.

Royce made his way to the outer camp, where thousands of soldiers now gathered in formation. The mech units stood behind them... Black, heavy, and humming with power. Kael stood on the platform, hands on his hips, grinning as Royce approached.

"Ah, the quiet one shows up," Kael teased. "You ready for the party?"

Royce hesitated before giving a noticeable faint nod that held nothing but hatred and yes, more hatred. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"That’s the spirit! Don’t worry, Royce. When this is over, we’ll drink on the ashes of the old world," Kael gave a loud laugh and said.

Royce said nothing. He only looked ahead at the wide horizon where the faint glow of the shield shimmered. He could feel the vibration under his feet, the static in the air.

It was greatly weakening.

Kael turned back to the soldiers. "Everyone! Eyes front!"

The crowd straightened instantly. The noise fell silent. All that remained was the echo of metal boots and the low hum of machinery.

A tall figure emerged from behind the platform. The Grandmaster, the one who had created them, shaped them, and turned them into weapons. His presence alone silenced everyone completely. He looked over the army with calm, sharp eyes.

"Great soldiers of Nexus," the Grandmaster began, his voice steady, deep. "The time has come."

The soldiers all bowed their heads slightly, but Royce didn’t move.

"For years," the Grandmaster continued, "we have watched the world below grow weak, corrupt, and lost. For years, we have prepared to bring balance. Now, the moment is almost here."

He paused and looked at Kael and Royce...

The Chosens.

"I will not be leading you this time," he said firmly. "The Chosens will command this mission. They have been trained for this since the beginning. You will follow their lead, and you will win."

Kael grinned and slammed his fist across his chest. "We won’t fail you, Master."

The Grandmaster nodded. "I know you won’t. The victory will be ours. And when the dust settles, a new world will rise from the old."

The soldiers roared again. "VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!"

The noise echoed across the metallic plains, reaching up into the clouds.

Royce lowered his gaze and scoffed slightly.

’Victory... I doubt it. You have no idea who Jayden is.’

The Grandmaster turned and walked away, his shiny blue suit glimmering under the two suns.

It was then that Kael jumped down from the platform and joined Royce.

"The Grandmaster believes in us," Kael said, grinning. "And soon, everyone else will too."

Royce didn’t respond. He just kept his eyes fixed on the sky. The air was trembling again, even stronger this time.

And then, it happened.

A low rumble rolled through the clouds. The faint blue line that stretched across the horizon cracked, like glass breaking under pressure.

The ground shook.

Alarms began to wail across the base.

A commander ran toward Kael and Royce, his face lit up with excitement.

"It’s time!" He shouted. "The Shield has finally broken!"

For a second, everything went quiet.

Even the soldiers stopped moving. Then Kael raised his arm high and yelled, his voice echoing across the army.

"Now let’s go revive the fallen world!"

The soldiers roared. Engines flared. The massive mechs powered up, glowing red through the mist. The air filled with sound, metal grinding, boots pounding, and hearts racing.

And as the great doors of Nexus opened wide, the Sovereign Protocols army began their march.

Royce stood still for a moment, watching them move like a flood of steel and fire. He clenched his fists and whispered to himself.

"Esta... Please make it out alive."

He didn’t want to lose the love of his life.