The climb back to the plateau was swifter than the descent. The Shadow-Stalker's Embrace armor seemed to thrum in sync with Elian's heartbeat, its lightweight bone-plates shifting as he moved, making him feel less like a boy and more like a predator.
As he crossed the shimmering veil of the protection barrier, the 9-Star Maid was already there, standing at the edge of the violet stone. She had her arms crossed over her pristine white apron, her silver eyes scanning him from head to toe.
"Well," she said, her voice a mixture of cold observation and a hint of something deeper. "I see you are stronger. You smell of death and high-grade ether. You managed to cross the first Star threshold in a single afternoon. Efficient, if a bit messy."
Elian opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a gloved hand.
"Do not celebrate yet, My Lord. There is a fallout to your 'victory.' By slaying a Beast Lord, you have created a power vacuum in the Obsidian Reach. The remaining Shadow Hounds will scatter, but they will be replaced. More beasts will be drawn to that ravine now, sensing the open territory. A new Lord will be born to claim it—and in the Realm, the successor is often more desperate and more vicious than the one that came before."
She stepped closer, her gaze sharpening. "I praise your courage; most new Lords would have cowered behind their walls for the full ten days. But I scold your recklessness. You lost two of your kin on your very first outing. A Lord's greatest resource isn't his Sigil, but the lives he commands. You spent them poorly today."
Elian didn't look away. He took in every word, the weight of his two fallen soldiers pressing against his conscience. "You're right," he said softly. "I was arrogant. I didn't respect the difficulty. Thank you for the advice—I won't make that mistake again."
The Maid paused, her silver eyes flickering with surprise at his humble response. She bowed slightly, a genuine gesture this time. "Go. Your warriors are in the facility. It is... functioning."
Elian walked toward the center of the plateau where the Grade-C Medical Facility had materialized. It was a sleek, low-slung building made of white ether-stone that seemed to pulse with a healing, rhythmic light. Inside, the two surviving warriors were submerged in glass tanks filled with a glowing green liquid.
He approached the console at the side of the tanks.
"Status," Elian whispered.
The interface flickered.
Unit 01: Kaelum. Status: Critical but Stabilizing. Severe armor breach.
Unit 02: Valen. Status: Moderate. Ether-depletion and bone fractures.
"Kaelum and Valen," Elian murmured, committing the names to memory. He placed his hand on the glass, watching the slow rise and fall of their chests. "Get better. I'm not losing anyone else."
Finally, he headed toward the back of the territory, where the Summoning Gate stood. It was no longer the simple stone arch it had been. When he pulled the Primordial Summoning Core from his storage, the Gate began to vibrate, its violet energy turning into a deep, celestial gold.
He hesitated, then pressed the Core into the center of the altar. The artifact dissolved, its energy liquidizing and flowing into the cracks of the Gate. A massive holographic screen erupted in front of him, breaking down the transformation.
[System Notification: Summoning Gate Upgraded]
New Status: Primordial Altar (Unique Tier)
Lowest summon possible 4-star, Loyalty of Territory 50 percent, Devoted to the Lord 80 percent, Special Abilities are none, soul synthesis is possible with soul fragments, synergy surrounding all summons have been found. 5 percent of the lords strength will be added to the strength of all summons.
Elian stood in awe. The "Unique" upgrade had completely removed the risk of pulling weak units. Every single soldier he summoned from this point on would be an Elite at minimum. But it was the Soul-Synthesis that made his heart leap—he could bring Kaelum and Valen's fallen brothers back once he gathered more fragments.
He looked at the golden gate, the reflection of the light dancing in his eyes. He was a 1-Star Lord with a 9-Star maid, a 13-Star soul, and a gate that could summon legends.
"Phase two starts now," he whispered.