A Journey That Changed The World

Archer watched as the man crumpled, lifeless, to the ground. ”Damn thieves,” he growled under his breath.

Just then, he sent out a wave of mana that washed over the landscape, only for him to sense several men and women lingering around. Without a second thought, he summoned his Shadow Creatures.

The army of darkness grabbed the intruders and pulled them into the shadows before bringing the struggling people to him. Archer watched as three women and five men appeared in front of him.

When the group glanced up, their eyes widened as his own glowed with malice. ”Why are you sneaking around my lover’s house, humans? Haven’t your government learned from previous encounters?”

They trembled as they saw him, causing Archer to chuckle while he continued speaking. ”No, in fact, you kicked out the one woman who held me back, now watch your country’s gold reserves vanish.”

Following that, he opened a Gate to Kentucky and stepped through, followed by the Shadow Creatures, who dragged the agents along with him. They appeared not far from Fort Knox, home to America’s gold reserves.

Just then, Agrippina appeared beside him. Archer glanced at the white-haired beauty who was glancing at the surrounding city in amazement. He shook his head and questioned. ”What brings you here, my love?”

The Elemental woman turned to him with a big smile. ”What is this strange place, husband? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

”It’s my old world,” he answered, glancing around at the surrounding people who paid no attention to them. ”It’s going to shit, look how depressed everyone looks.”

When the older woman looked around, she slowly nodded. ”Yes, they look glum, nothing like the Draconians who are always smiling and happy.”

After that, Archer summoned his wings, shocked the humans, and took off, creating a boom thanks to the force. Ari followed behind as the couple flew toward the heavily defended Fort Knox.

As they flew, she looked at him with a curious expression. ”What’s the plan, handsome?” she inquired.

”Taking this country’s gold to teach them a lesson for attacking me,” he answered just as explosions erupted from the grey building.

Archer cast Cosmic Shield that blocked the missiles that slammed into he barriers, prompting explosions to light up the sky. Following that, he waved his hand, and three Chull Guards appeared from a portal.

”Bring down that wall!” he exclaimed.

The monsters screeched before charging toward the thick grey walls as more soldiers opened fire on them. Archer watched as they raised their large claws, blocking the bullets that did nothing to their exoskeletons.

Seconds later, the Chull Guardians slammed into Fort Knox’s walls and destroyed them as he brought out the agents. When they came to, their eyes widened in shock as he began speaking. ”Now I will leave you lot alive to tell the new president what happened here.”

Archer vanished and appeared in front of the leader, grabbed him by the neck before scratching a capital A on the man’s forehead, warning the rest. ”This will be a reminder, if my women remain unharmed, then I won’t destroy the White House or take the rest of your gold reserves.”

When the struggling human felt his claw scratching his forehead, he started screaming as the three Chull Guardians battled with the soldiers, but were crushed when the monsters used their claws to decimate their ranks.

Following that, Ari turned to him, smiling. ”Looks like the creatures have broken through, husband. Should we go?”

Archer nodded in acknowledgment, his jaw tightening as they strode toward the chaos engulfing the once-quiet building. The air was thick with dread, pierced by the cries of onlookers who stood frozen in shock and terror.

Shadow Creatures seized the spectators, dragging them into the chaos with unnatural strength. The scene was horrific, the beast’s guttural snarls mingling with the desperate screams of their victims.

While walking, he noticed the burning wrecks of tanks that the Chull destroyed with ease, thanks to their bulky frames and deadly claws that crushed anything in their path. He was pleased and reminded himself to pamper Valariana when he got the chance.

Archer shook his head, a flicker of defiance in his eyes, and pressed onward, his boots crunching against the debris-strewn ground. At his side, Ari moved, her presence a bulwark against the danger closing in.

A handful of snipers, hidden in the shattered remnants of the surrounding structures, took opportunistic shots, their bullets slicing through the air with treacherous intent. But Ari, her elemental power crackling, raised a shimmering shield of raw mana.

The bullets struck the barrier and froze mid-flight, suspended as if caught in amber, before dropping harmlessly to the ground. Her violet eyes, glowing with an otherworldly intensity, snapped to the snipers’ concealed positions.

With a flick of her wrist, those spots erupted in explosions, bursts of flame, and force tearing through the air. The blasts sent shockwaves rippling outward, igniting panic among the already frantic crowd as screams rang out and bodies scattered in all directions.

Archer let out a low chuckle, unfazed by the chaos unfolding around him. He stepped through the splintered doorway of the building, its interior a maze of flickering shadows and overturned furniture.

Without breaking stride, he seized one of the cowering workers by the scruff of his shirt, yanking him up with a grip that brooked no resistance. The man’s eyes widened in terror, his stammered pleas lost in the din, as his steely gaze bore into him.

”Take me to the vaults or I’ll kill everyone in here,” he growled, causing the stranger to tremble in fear.

Archer noticed the name tag said Elias, who had sweat-slicked hair and trembling hands, stammered under the unrelenting grip. The workers eyes darted nervously between his steely glare and Ari’s glowing gaze, her elemental aura still crackling faintly from the chaos outside.

”Th-the vaults,” Elias choked out, his voice barely above a whisper. ”I-I can take you to the Fort Knox vaults. Just… please, don’t hurt me.”

He loosened his hold just enough to let the man breathe, but his expression remained hard as iron. ”Move,” he growled, shoving him forward. ”And no tricks, or I’ll feed you to monsters from your nightmares.”

Archer created a screen and showed it in the depths of the Nightmare Ant colony, where workers were dealing with his prisoners. When Elias saw this, his eyes widened. Elias nodded frantically, stumbling as he led the way through the ravaged interior of the building.

He noticed the air was thick with the scent of smoke and the distant echoes of panic still reverberating from the streets outside. Ari followed close behind, her senses sharp, her shield flickering faintly as she scanned for threats.

The snipers had been silenced, but her posture suggested she expected more trouble. They navigated a series of dimly lit corridors, the walls scarred with blast marks and littered with overturned chairs and shattered glass.

Elias fumbled with a ring of keys at a reinforced steel door, his hands shaking so badly he dropped them twice before managing to unlock it. The door groaned open, revealing a narrow stairwell descending into darkness.

”Down there,” Elias whispered, his voice quivering. ”The vaults are below. High-security. You’ll need… you’ll need codes.”

Archer’s lips curled into a humorless smirk. ”We’ll worry about that. Keep moving.”

The trio descended, the air growing cooler and heavier with each step. The stairwell opened into a vast hall, its walls lined with sleek, imposing steel panels that gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights.

At the chamber’s center stood the entrance to the Fort Knox vaults, a massive circular door, its surface etched with intricate locking mechanisms that looked more like a work of art than a barrier.

It loomed like a silent sentinel, unyielding and defiant. Elias hesitated, glancing back at Archer and Ari. ”This… this is it,” he said, his voice barely audible. ”The main vault. But I swear, I don’t know the codes. Only the overseers do, and they’re… they’re gone.”

”Don’t worry about that,” he answered, chuckling. ”Now watch, because you all are going to be witnesses for me, you’ll tell the new president everything you see here.”

When the group of humans heard this, they nodded like a bunch of chickens as he turned back to the vault door. The Elemental woman glanced at him with a knowing grin as her eyes gleamed.

Archer advanced toward the imposing metal door, its surface scarred and weathered from years of use. His fingers curled around the cold, sturdy handles, muscles tensing as he exerted his strength.

With a deep breath, he pulled, and to the astonishment of everyone present, the door quaked violently. The grating screech of tearing metal reverberated through the air, a cacophony of destruction that froze onlookers in place.

In one motion, Archer wrenched the massive door free from its hinges, the steel groaning in protest as it surrendered to his overwhelming power. Afterward, he sent the destroyed door back to the Item Box.