Recap:
Kael Vire has crafted the Crown of the Hollow Flame, marking his rise as a genuine Sovereign. The Hollow Court is starting to take shape, but now Kael is gearing up to challenge the System Guild's influence by launching a surprise attack on a high-value convoy carrying Class-D System Crystals along Redhook Lane. If he pulls this off, Kael could expand his territory—and make some serious enemies among the elite.
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The night in Draewyn was thick with the stench of ozone and decay.
Redhook Lane wound through the outer industrial sector like a scar—cluttered with rusted debris.
Perfect.
Kael crouched on a scaffold above the lane, with Elric beside him, looking anxious.
"They're coming," the boy murmured.
From the far end of the lane, armored vehicles rolled into sight—part arcane, part mechanical.
[Enemy Forces Detected: 2x Tier II Enforcers, 1x Guild Handler, 4x Shield Drones]
Convoy Strength: Medium-Heavy
Payload: Class-D Crystals (24 Units)
Stealth Approach Recommended: 29% chance of direct success.
Kael's hand moved deliberately to his waist.
He didn't pull out a sword.
Instead, he retrieved a vial.
Inside: a dark liquid.
Ash dissolved in Sovereign flame.
He took a drink.
[Skill Triggered: Sovereign Path - Phantom Pulse]
Effect: For 30 seconds, leave behind afterimages with delayed movement trails. Increases dodging chance and make Enemy confuse.
Kael leaped.
His body flickered into shadows, landing soundlessly in the middle of the convoy.
Time seemed to freeze.
Then, chaos erupted.
An enforcer yelled.
The drones pivoted and aimed—but Kael's afterimages danced like phantoms.
Kael struck the handler first—a sharp elbow to the neck, followed by a burst of flame.
The man fall with convulsion.
Elric triggered the trap.
Dozens of salvaged shock mines exploded beneath the rear transport.
Flames roared.
Joran emerged from the shadows—silent and fierce—slamming a drone into the ground with a thud.
Kael stood ready to face the final enforcer, a veteran in a white mask, brandishing a Tier-II energy scythe.
"You're not Sovereign," the man said, his voice icy.
Kael raised his hand, and his crown of flames flickered to life.
"Not yet." They collided.
Scythe met whip, flame met steel.
The enforcer was quick, but Kael was born of Sovereign blood. With a surge of determination, Kael activated his Domain.
[Hollow Domain: Market of Bones – Expanded Radius Reached]
New Effect: Enemies inside domain suffer -10% Defense and Willpower. +20% Fear buildup.
The enforcer faltered.
That was all Kael needed.
He drove the whip into the man's gut, and shadows erupted around them.
The enforcer dropped to one knee.
"I'll... report this," he gasped.
Kael leaned closer.
"No," he replied softly.
"You won't." And with that, he ended it.
[Mission Complete: Strike the Serpent's Tail – Success]
Loot Acquired: Class-D System Crystals (21 Units)
Territory Claim Token (1) gained.
Domain Upgrade Available: Hollow Court can now evolve to Tier II.
Kael returned to the Hollow Market, bringing with him the remnants of the convoy and a message written in blood: "The Abandoned Take Back What You Stole."
That night, he placed the Claim Token at the heart of the market, pressing it into the old fountain's foundation.
[Hollow Court Upgraded: Tier II Achieved]
New Features Unlocked:
- Construct: Throne of Silence
- Ability: Passive Bonded Regeneration
- Influence Range: +1 Sector
But the strike didn't go unnoticed.
High above, in the tower of the System Lords, alarms blared across crystal mirrors. A female Lord draped in black silk rose slowly, her eyes glinting like glass.
"He's not a rat," she murmured.
"He's a spark."
"And sparks," replied the golden one, "set cities ablaze."
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End of Chapter 7