The room had just begun to settle after Raen's declaration about Arkbound Aerospace when his system chimed again.
System Notification:Unlock Mastery Skill: Space and Starship EngineeringCost: 10,000,000 LuxConfirm?
Raen's eyes narrowed.His pulse ticked.He didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
A flash.
His vision blurred for a moment—then the flood came. Knowledge. Equations. Starship frame design. Propulsion theory. Atmospheric entry tolerances. High-efficiency solar conversion. Manufacturing for zero-gravity environments.
His hands clenched the edge of the table.
It took everything not to collapse under the weight of the sudden understanding—but he held it together.
At that moment, Nyra gasped from across the room. "Guys! Turn on the stream—now."
Korin spun the central holo to face the wall. The screen burst to life with a news channel feed—headline glowing bold:
"Arkbound Breaks Records – Baron Vrax's City Completed in 45 Days"
Clips played across the feed: drone shots of the new city. Towering blocks. Gleaming roads. Bot units working in perfect rhythm. Interview segments from amazed onlookers. Then a sudden jump in the stream—
"Breaking: Government announces massive off-grid city project on uninhabited land."
A press conference flickered to life. An official stood on a dusty plateau with a massive map spread behind her.
"Due to population congestion, we are developing a new city in Sector 9. This is unused, government-owned territory, disconnected from any current settlement. We're accepting open construction bids. We want the best in speed, reliability, and innovation."
The camera zoomed out. Wide, empty terrain. Untouched. Raw. Isolated.
Raen's eyes blazed.
"This is it," he said. "That land. That's where we'll build Arkbound Aerospace."
The room turned to him again, stunned.
Nyra's brow furrowed. "You want to... what?"
Kael's voice was half-whisper. "You want to pitch against the government's own builders?"
Raen's voice was calm and razor-sharp. "No. I want to win the bid. And if we don't get it—"
He glanced around the room.
"We go independent. We start building anyway. The bots will speak louder than any deal."
Nyra stared at him, then broke into a grin. "So either we take the government project… or we force the world to watch as we create something even bigger."
Raen nodded. "Exactly."
Kael stood. "You want us to draft the proposal?"
"Yes," Raen said. "Kael, you take lead on build planning. Nyra, handle strategy and pitch. Make sure our numbers and timelines scare the rest of the bidders."
Nyra already had her tablet open. "We'll make it impossible to ignore."
Raen's voice dropped lower, quieter.
"If they give us the land—we build their city. And our future."
"If they don't…"
He looked at all of them.
"Then we show them what Arkbound really is."