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The Imperial System: Architect of an Empire

Chapter 62: The Village in Flames · Nov 04, 2026

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Chapter List (352)

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51 Chapter 51: The Eleven Dragons 2026-11-04
52 Chapter 52: Rank 2026-11-04
53 Chapter 53: The City Beyond the Palace 2026-11-04
54 Chapter 54: The Price of Peace 2026-11-04
55 Chapter 55: The Forgotten District 2026-11-04
56 Chapter 56: The Seven Pillars 2026-11-04
57 Chapter 57: A Vision Before the Throne 2026-11-04
58 Chapter 58: The Emperor’s Decree 2026-11-04
59 Chapter 59: The Weight of a Name 2026-11-04
60 Chapter 60: The Emperor’s Eyes 2026-11-04
61 Chapter 61: Eye of the Empire 2026-11-04
62 Chapter 62: The Village in Flames 2026-11-04
63 Chapter 63: The First Display of Imperial Blood 2026-11-04
64 Chapter 64: A Prince Worth Following 2026-11-04
65 Chapter 65: Echoes of the First Emperor 2026-11-04
66 Chapter 66: Eyes Begin to See 2026-11-04
67 Chapter 67: The Forgotten Fortress 2026-11-04
68 Chapter 68: The Heir Apparent 2026-11-04
69 Chapter 69: The Guardian of Ironridge 2026-11-04
70 Chapter 70: The Last Warden 2026-11-04
71 Chapter 71: The Weight of an Oath 2026-11-04
72 Chapter 72: A Prince’s Duty 2026-11-04
73 Chapter 73: Beneath the Empire 2026-11-04
74 Chapter 74: The Hall of Guardians 2026-11-04
75 Chapter 75: The Answer of a King 2026-11-04
76 Chapter 76: The Trial of the First Guardian 2026-11-04
77 Chapter 77: Night Awakens 2026-11-04
78 Chapter 78: The Guardian’s Recognition 2026-11-04
79 Chapter 79: The Dragon’s Heart 2026-11-04
80 Chapter 80: Return of the Black Dragons 2026-11-04
81 Chapter 81: The Black Dragon Company 2026-11-04
82 Chapter 82: The First Court After Ironridge 2026-11-04
83 Chapter 83: Before the Expedition 2026-11-04
84 Chapter 84: The Imperial Expedition Corps 2026-11-04
85 Chapter 85: Divided by Blood 2026-11-04
86 Chapter 86: The Mountain That Roared 2026-11-04
87 Chapter 87: The Enemy in the Dark 2026-11-04
88 Chapter 88: Beneath the Crimson Highlands 2026-11-04
89 Chapter 89: The Last Prisoner 2026-11-04
90 Chapter 90: The Mountain Begins to Break 2026-11-04
91 Chapter 91: The Road Back 2026-11-04
92 Chapter 92: The Long Road Home 2026-11-04
93 Chapter 93: The Shadow on the Road 2026-11-04
94 Chapter 94: The Forest That Moved 2026-11-04
95 Chapter 95: The Beast of the Elderwood 2026-11-04
96 Chapter 96: The Beast Beneath the Lake 2026-11-04
97 Chapter 97: The Hunters of the Western Road 2026-11-04
98 Chapter 98: The Price of the Road 2026-11-04
99 Chapter 99: The Road Home 2026-11-04
100 Chapter 100: The Children of the Emperor 2026-11-04

The thunder of hooves echoed across the countryside.

Fifty riders dressed in black surged forward like a wave.

Their dragon banners snapped violently in the wind.

Dust rose behind them.

No one spoke.

There was no need.

The smoke growing larger on the horizon told them everything.

Kael rode at the front.

Walter kept pace on his right.

Leon is on his left.

Behind them...

Darius, Iris, Grom, Hugo, and the rest of the Black Dragons maintained perfect formation.

Commander Severus Kane had noticed it earlier.

For a newly formed unit...

Their discipline rivaled veteran companies.

The young woman who had asked for help pointed ahead.

”There!”

”Our village!”

The peaceful farmland suddenly ended.

A wall of thick black smoke climbed into the sky.

The smell hit them first.

Burning wood.

Burning grain.

Burning flesh.

Walter’s smile disappeared.

”...Damn.”

Kael’s expression hardened.

”Increase speed.”

The horses surged forward.

Ashfall Village

The first thing Kael saw was the gate.

Or rather...

What remained of it.

The wooden walls had been smashed inward.

Not burned.

Broken.

As though something enormous had simply walked through them.

Dead livestock littered the fields.

Homes burned uncontrollably.

Villagers screamed as they ran through the streets.

Some carried children.

Others desperately tried to put out the flames.

Then...

Kael saw them.

”Wolves?”

Walter muttered.

Leon shook his head.

”No.”

”Those aren’t ordinary wolves.”

Standing nearly the size of horses...

Their bodies were covered in black fur.

Red veins pulsed beneath their skin.

Their eyes glowed crimson.

Foam dripped from their mouths.

Instead of hunting...

They slaughtered everything in sight.

The system appeared.

Monster Identified: Bloodfang Dire Wolf

Threat Level:

C+

Normally Found:

Northern Wildlands

Current Location:

Impossible

Status:

Corrupted

Warning:

Extreme aggression.

Kael frowned.

”Corrupted?”

”What does that mean?”

There wasn’t time to ask.

One of the wolves lunged toward a little girl frozen in the middle of the road.

Her mother screamed.

”NO!”

Kael moved.

Ice exploded beneath his feet.

CRACK!

An icy path shot across the ground.

Before anyone could blink...

He appeared between the wolf and the child.

CLANG!

His sword met the wolf’s claws.

The impact shook the street.

The beast growled.

Its strength surprised him.

Walter charged next.

His shield slammed into the monster’s ribs.

BOOM!

The creature crashed through a stone wall.

”Move the civilians!”

Walter roared.

”Now!”

The Black Dragons Fight

Darius immediately took command.

”Third Squad!”

”Secure the eastern road!”

”Fourth Squad!”

”Protect the wells!”

”Archers!”

”High ground!”

”Don’t waste arrows!”

The soldiers moved instantly.

No confusion.

No panic.

Months of Kael’s training finally showed their value.

Leon sprinted across the rooftops.

Three wolves leaped after him.

He smiled.

”Wrong choice.”

His sword flashed.

SHING!

One wolf fell.

Then another.

The third barely landed before Leon’s blade pierced its throat.

Nearby...

Iris disappeared into the smoke.

Moments later...

A wolf collapsed with a dagger buried in its eye.

Then another.

No one ever saw her attack.

Grom’s Leadership

On the western side of the village...

Several civilians had become trapped inside a burning barn.

The roof was beginning to collapse.

Without hesitation...

Grom rushed inside.

”Chief!”

One soldier shouted.

”It’s going to fall!”

Grom ignored him.

He lifted an entire support beam onto his shoulder.

The old goblin gritted his teeth.

”Get them out!”

Children rushed past him.

Then an elderly farmer.

Then two women.

Only after everyone escaped...

Did Grom leap through the doorway?

A heartbeat later...

The barn collapsed.

Walter laughed loudly.

”Old man!”

”You still got it!”

Grom simply smiled.

”I’ve carried heavier.”

Something Isn’t Right

Kael cut down another Bloodfang.

Yet...

Something bothered him.

The wolves ignored food.

Ignored livestock.

Ignored each other.

They attacked only people.

The system responded.

Behavior Analysis

Abnormal.

Natural predators prioritize survival.

These creatures prioritize destruction.

Probability of external influence:

82%.

”Someone is controlling them.”

The alpha appears.

The ground suddenly trembled.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the forest.

One.

Two.

Three.

The remaining wolves stopped fighting.

Every single one turned toward the tree line.

Then...

They lowered their heads.

Walter swallowed.

”...That’s never a good sign.”

The trees exploded apart.

A monster twice the size of the others stepped into the village.

Nearly four meters tall.

Its black fur looked like armor.

Massive scars covered its body.

Two broken horns protruded from its skull.

Its eyes...

Burned with crimson mana.

The villagers froze.

Some fell to their knees.

Others simply stared.

The system flashed bright red.

Monster Identified: Bloodfang Alpha

Threat Level:

B+

Current Condition:

Corrupted

Warning:

Highly intelligent.

Another notification appeared immediately.

Boss Monster Encounter

Objective Updated:

Defeat the Alpha.

Protect the Village.

The Alpha looked directly at Kael.

Then...

To everyone’s surprise...

It spoke.

Its voice was rough.

Broken.

As if forcing human words through an animal throat.

”...Leave...”

The battlefield froze.

Walter blinked.

”...Did...”

”...did that thing just talk?”

The Alpha growled again.

Its eyes flickered.

For just a brief moment...

The madness disappeared.

Pain replaced it.

”...Run...”

It slammed its own head against the ground.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

As though fighting something inside itself.

Kael’s eyes widened.

”It’s resisting...”

Then...

A black symbol suddenly appeared on the Alpha’s forehead.

A twisted rune.

Dark mana erupted from it.

The Alpha let out a horrifying roar.

Its brief moment of clarity vanished.

Its crimson eyes became completely black.

The system alarm blared.

Unknown Magic Detected

Curse Classification:

Forbidden Magic

Source:

Unknown

Recommendation:

Destroy the curse to save the host.

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

This was no ordinary monster attack.

Someone...

Somewhere...

Had turned living creatures into weapons.

And if they could do it to monsters...

What was stopping them from doing it to people?

He took one step forward.

Ice gathered beneath his feet.

Light mana flickered around his body.

Deep within his veins...

His blood responded to his will.

For the first time since receiving the system...

Kael prepared to fight with all three of his powers.

The Black Dragons instinctively stepped back.

They knew that look.

Their commander was no longer preparing to win.

He was preparing to end the battle.

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