Chapter 4: The Royal Hunt and the Shadow's Veil
The massive explosion from the Frost Manor had painted the night sky in a haunting shade of obsidian and crimson. Kai stood at the edge of the shattered balcony, his breath turning into mist. In his hand, the combined [System Fragment] pulsed with a rhythmic, dark light.
[Merge Progress: 12%... 25%...]
[Status: Evolution in Progress. Passive Stats doubled for 10 minutes!]
"Only ten minutes," Kai hissed. His new Level 10 senses were screaming. He could hear the heavy gallop of armored horses from miles away. The Royal Guards of Valtoria weren't just soldiers; they were elite mana-users, and they were coming for the 'Anomaly'.
[Warning: Royal Mage Detection Field Active!]
[Distance: 2 Kilometers and Closing.]
Kai didn't waste another second. He looked down from the three-story balcony. Normally, this jump would break a man's legs. But Kai wasn't just a man anymore.
"Void Step!"
He didn't jump; he flickered. One moment he was on the balcony, the next he was a blur of shadow mid-air, and then he landed silently on the cobblestone path below, his knees absorbing the impact with unnatural grace.
[Skill Used: Void Step (Rank S)]
[Mana: 210/250]
He sprinted toward the manor's outer wall. Behind him, he heard the frantic shouts of the remaining Frost Manor guards, but they were too afraid to get close to the man who had just erased their Young Master.
As Kai reached the perimeter, a sudden wall of blue fire erupted in front of him.
"Halt, criminal!" a booming voice echoed.
Three Royal Scouts on winged beasts (Griffins) descended from the sky. Each scout was Level 15, armed with enchanted spears that glowed with a piercing light.
"By order of the King, surrender your soul for extraction!" the lead scout commanded, leveling his spear at Kai's heart.
Kai's lips curled into a predatory smile. "Extraction? You're a few centuries too late for that."
[Unique Skill Activated: Monarch's Pressure (Rank A)]
An invisible wave of absolute dominance exploded from Kai. The Griffins, highly sensitive to spiritual power, shrieked in terror. Their wings folded as they crashed to the ground, unable to withstand the aura of a Primordial entity.
The scouts were thrown off, their formation shattered. Kai didn't wait for them to recover. He blurred forward, his shadow blade appearing in his hand. Slash. Slash. Slash.
[You have killed 3 Royal Scouts (Level 15)!]
[3,000 EXP Gained!]
[Soul Devourer Activated: Absorbing Elite Essences...]
[Level Up! You are now Level 11.]
[Strength +5, Agility +8, Intelligence +4 gained.]
The sensation of devouring elite souls was like drinking pure fire. Kai felt his muscles vibrating with power. But the warning on his screen turned a deep, blood-red.
[DANGER! Level 40 Royal Commander detected within 500 meters!]
A massive golden arrow, crackling with holy lightning, streaked through the air. It was aimed with deadly precision. Kai used [Void Step] at the last possible millisecond, the arrow exploding where he had stood a heartbeat ago, leaving a crater five feet deep.
"So, the rat has some tricks," a cold, metallic voice rang out.
Standing on the manor's main gate was a man in golden plate armor, a massive ivory bow in his hand. [Commander Valerius - Level 40 Holy Archer].
Kai's heart hammered against his ribs. A 30-level difference. Even with his Ancient Soul, a direct hit would turn him into ash.
"System! Any way out?" Kai shouted in his mind.
[Emergency Protocol: Shadow Realm Evasion.]
Requirement: Devour the mana core of a nearby magical beast.
Target Located: The lead Griffin is still alive.
Kai looked at the fallen Griffin struggling to get up. He used [Void Step] again, appearing next to the beast. Before Commander Valerius could notch another arrow, Kai plunged his hand into the Griffin's chest.
"I'm sorry, beast," Kai muttered. "But I have a world to burn."
[Soul Devourer: Mana Core Extracted!]
[Special Skill Unlocked: 'Shadow Cloak' (Temporary).]
As Valerius released three arrows simultaneously, Kai didn't dodge. He stood still as the shadows around him rose like a tidal wave, wrapping around him in a dark cocoon. The holy arrows struck the cocoon and simply... vanished, neutralized by the void energy.
"What?!" Valerius gasped, his composure breaking. "That's forbidden magic!"
Inside the cloak, Kai felt his mana draining rapidly. [Mana: 40/250]. He had to move NOW.
He turned toward the Forbidden Forest—a place where the Kingdom's laws didn't reach, filled with monsters that even the Royal Guards feared. With one final burst of speed, boosted by his evolution, Kai became a streak of black light.
He cleared the manor's walls and plunged into the dense, dark treeline of the forest just as a rain of golden arrows illuminated the night behind him.
[Escape Successful!]
[Reward Granted: 2,000 EXP, Skill Book: 'Echo of the Void'.]
[Current Level: 12.]
Kai didn't stop running until he was deep within the ancient trees, where the sunlight never touched the floor. He collapsed against a glowing purple mushroom, his lungs burning, his body trembling from the massive energy discharge.
[Merge Progress: 100%.]
[The Primordial Devourer is now Whole.]
[New Feature Unlocked: 'Monarch's Sanctuary' (Sub-space).]
As Kai closed his eyes to rest, a soft, feminine voice—different from the cold System voice—echoed in his mind.
"So... you are the one who woke me up? Let's see if you're worthy of holding my throne, little king."
Kai's eyes snapped open, but he wasn't in the forest anymore. He was standing in a vast, empty throne room made of stars, and sitting on the throne was a woman made of pure shadow.