That evening at 6:00 PM, on World 46 (Iron-Shield Garrison World)—the last major military fortress planet guarding the road to Blood-Moon Monarch’s capital.
Inside the cold, drafty central drill ground of the planetary garrison, two hundred thousand armored soldiers stood in neat ranks in the freezing sleet, their stomachs growling so loudly it sounded like a pack of hungry wolves.
Up on the wooden command stage stood Blood-Moon Monarch’s special royal paymaster, Lord Toad-Belly, surrounded by twenty chests of dull, gray Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Beside the stage stood the four Planetary Garrison Commanders of Worlds 46, 47, 48, and 49, led by General Tie-Shan (Rank 7 Peak)—who happened to be a distant cousin of Dry-Well Kingdom’s own General Tie Zhan.
“Soldiers of the Four Outer Worlds!” Paymaster Toad-Belly shouted in a shrill voice, holding up a pouch of gray pebbles. “His Majesty the Blood-Moon Monarch knows you have worked hard guarding the border against Pei Xuan’s potato vines! Even though our Royal Treasury is a bit tight today, His Majesty has generously sent down three months of back pay! Every soldier gets two Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Step forward and thank His Majesty for his grace!”
Dead silence fell over the freezing drill ground.
