The immense silence of the royal palace was a sanctuary of stone, a place Antares had known only through the memory of his sickness. As the hour of the great assembly neared, he deliberately excused himself from the final preparations, seeking a private space. He needed to connect with the ghost of his past reign before confronting the reality of his present one.
His feet led him to an inconspicuous ironwood door, hidden away from the grand offices. Pushing it open, he stepped into a private study, filled with the scent of aged parchment and long-dead ambition. It was his late father, Alexis's, personal retreat. Antares sat at the heavy obsidian desk, the weight of his predecessor's reign a palpable presence.
He looked down at the golden bracelet on his left wrist—the compressed form of the 3-star artifact. He needed to fully grasp its history and its strength.
"System," Antares commanded mentally, "display the final analysis report for Helios' Grip."
The familiar blue screen materialized, displaying arcane script that crackled with power.
[DING! ARTIFACT ANALYSIS REPORT: HELIOS' GRIP]
[Rank: ★★★ (3-Star Ancient Artifact)]
[Source: Crafted by the Arch-smith Volcanus, gifted to the Ant God, Antarion, and passed down through the bloodline.]
[Status: Submitted and Bound (Permanent)]
[Primary Function: Solar Core Channeling: Allows the host to channel and manipulate intense fire/solar mana. Grants high passive resistance to heat and fire damage. The host can manifest and control a concentrated plasma blast, designated Solar Burst (Cooldown: 1 hour).]
[New Function: Solar Absorption: The artifact can actively absorb any intense heat or fire-based energy (including direct sunlight, lava, or high-level fire mana) to rapidly generate and store power. This stored power can be instantly converted into mana or physical energy for the host.]
[Secondary Function: Strength Augmentation: Permanently enhances the host's physical strength and mana pool by 20%.]
[New Perk: Due to the assimilation of a 3-Star artifact, the host's current rank has been upgraded from Trainee Knight to apprentice Knight.]
A rush of cold, calculating satisfaction washed over Antares. The artifact's lineage was divine, and its Solar Absorption feature was a life-saver underground. The raging braziers in the throne room would not just be for light; they would be his silent, constant source of power.
Ian entered shortly after, his posture rigid with apprehension. "Your Majesty, all the major clan leaders are present. They are waiting in the Grand Hall."
"Good. Tell me about them one last time, Ian. I want to understand the visual and political differences I will be facing."
Ian eagerly launched into the details. "The clans are a fascinating mix, Your Majesty. While the Royal Line and the First Class Antmen—like yourself and your personal guards—have the more traditional brown or tanned skin, the clans are different. Their mixed bloodlines grant them unique aesthetics and powers."
Ian detailed the lineages that defined the tribe's most powerful families:
Lord Yajin Ashfang (The Warrior Clan): "The Ashfang blood is blended with a powerful Orc bloodline. This grants them immense size and formidable physical power. Their base skin color is a distinct red, which often darkens with age. Lord Yajin himself is easily recognized by his thick features, long, silver-white hair, and fierce, golden eyes. They are the warriors and protectors of the tribe."
Lord Kael Tharvok(Tharvok Clan—The Craftsmen): "The Tharvok have deep ties to the ancient Dwarf-Ant race. Lord Kael is significantly shorter and stockier, with skin the color of polished bronze. Their blood grants them incredible durability and an affinity for earth and fire magic, crucial for their metalworking.
* Lady Sira (Serthyn Clan—The Resource Managers): "Her lineage is tied to the scholarly and graceful Forest Ant people. Lady Sira is taller and more slender, with soft, dark brown skin and fine black hair.
* Lord Velas (Arcanis Clan—The Scholars of Mana): "This clan's power comes from a blend with an ancient Elf bloodline. Lord Velas is ethereal: his skin is pale, almost translucent, his hair is pure white and unbound, and his eyes are a deep purple. This grants them a devastating talent for pure Mana manipulation. They are tribe that hold knowledge on mana cultivation."
"Their desires are their chains, Ian," Antares concluded. "Now, the Arcanis Clan. Their demand will be access to knowledge." He paused then continued "They crave the forbidden lore of the first Ant Kings, which has been sealed in the royal library since your father's death,Lord Alexis.they have been demanding to access the lore for several generations now but they have always been denied."
Antares dismissed Ian, he was not sure if granting access to the history of the first ant Kings was a good idea, and moments later, Zarah entered. She was radiant in her deep red gown, but her face was etched with worry.
"I am ready, my King," she said, walking toward him. "But I am concerned."
Antares took her hands. "It is not the clan leaders' loyalty you fear, is it? You know all Antmen are instinctively loyal to the Crown and Queen."
Zarah shook her head, her gaze earnest. "It is not their loyalty, Antares. It is the cost to you. You survived a five-year coma and mana pollution that nearly destroyed your mind. Now, you are challenging the political structure in the span of a single week."
She squeezed his hands, her voice desperate. "The sheer physical and emotional stress of this pace is too much! I fear you will collapse and fall back into that terrible darkness. My King, please, slow down."
Antares's heart softened. He released her hands and manifested a partial Primordial Ant Physique. His brown skin gained a subtle, polished crimson sheen, and his eyes glowed with fierce, controlled power.
"The boy I was would break, Zarah. But the Ant King is here to stay."
He let the aura recede. "I must be swift. If I give them time to adjust, they will find the weakness they seek. I will demand submission now, while the shock of my awakening still holds them in place. The sooner I secure my throne, the sooner I can truly rest, with you, my love."
He kissed her fiercely. "Wait for me in my chamber. I am securing our future now."
Antares stood before the massive, polished stone doors of the Grand Hall. The golden bracelet on his wrist felt warm, a silent reservoir of captured fire. Levi and Eli stood like twin columns of strength. He inhaled deeply, tasting the pine smoke already wafting from the hall.
Yajin Ashfang: redemption.Lord Velas: knowledge. Securing the loyalty of the first two main clans was essential, if he had it the rest would follow.
Antares nodded to Levi. The guard struck the door, the resounding slam shattering the tense silence.
The colossal doors swung open.
Antares walked forward, his eyes sweeping over the vast assembly. He saw the red-skinned, Orc-blooded Yajin Ashfang; the bronze-skinned Lord Kael; the dark-skinned, ethereal Lady Sira; and the pale, purple-eyed Lord Velas—all power, all ambition, all waiting to judge him.
He ascended the steps, and sat upon the ancestral throne. He met Yajin Ashfang's fierce golden eyes, and his voice boomed through the hall, a final, undeniable statement.
"I called you here," Antares declared, "because the time for waiting is over. I am Antares Antis and I am your King."