Part 1: The Power Leap
Two weeks had passed since the Ice Crown was placed on Seraphina's head. The atmosphere at Skull Rock was no longer that of a desperate refuge, but of a garrison ready for war. The air, heavy with Qi and new hopes, vibrated with discipline and nerves.
The Clan Buff: Blood Harmony saturated the cave. The Qi was so dense that the purple and blue mist could almost be cut with a knife. The young disciples, once pale and malnourished, now trained with a ferocity bordering on obsession.
Samael walked through the Training Pavilion, his presence radiating respect and tension. He observed the 300 clan members. Xylia shouted at them, relentless, while Elowen recorded results and Cedric adjusted formations. There was no room for weakness.
Near the entrance, Elowen Morningstar checked the warriors' vitality. Her copper hair glowed under the torches, and her anxious eyes never stopped moving.
"Absorption rate: 98%," she murmured, jotting it down on her tablet. "Even the children reached Qi Sea Stage 3. The Medicine King's Cauldron is… miraculous."
In the center of the field, Elder Gaius bellowed:
"Turtle formation!"
"Too slow!" Xylia interjected, her tone as sharp as a whip. Her presence was like a cutting winter.
"If you advance your foot one more centimeter, your defense collapses. Repeat!"
Samael allowed himself a breath of both pride and concern. He looked at the Golden Generation—Kael, the twins, Cedric, Elowen, Xylia—and raised his head:
"They are the future. But will they be enough when the real storm arrives?"
Eris, panting at the edge of the field, sat next to Violeta, who offered her water.
"Don't you ever get tired?" Eris asked, half laughing, half complaining.
Violeta barely smiled.
"I will—when no one is hunting us."
Kael, on the other side, clenched his fists, eyes fixed on the black armor waiting as a prize.
"Next time I face a Valois elder... I won't fail."
Part 2: The Shadow Report
Samael withdrew to his private office. In the shadows, Cedric was already waiting, tension drawn on his jaw.
"Patriarch. The Valois have started to move. Jareth's disappearance didn't go unnoticed. They've sent three Bloodhounds into the desert."
Cedric raised his hand, formation threads glowing around his fingers.
"They're Stage 6 Transcendence trackers, experts in detecting blood. If they find Jareth's resonance here, the base will be exposed."
Samael pondered a moment.
"Any pattern in their routes?"
"Yes. They're approaching from the west. They killed two major beasts just to cover their advance. They don't underestimate the threat."
Samael looked to the darkest corner.
"Malak."
The Reaper emerged silently, his chains floating like anxious serpents.
"Patriarch," he whispered, the air growing colder.
"Take ten specters. Cedric will give you the location. I don't want them to die easily. I want them to feel as if the desert itself is devouring them. Let their final message be pure terror."
Malak nodded and vanished, dragging darkness with him.
Cedric swallowed.
"Aren't you afraid such a brutal trap will attract more attention?"
Samael smiled at him, coldly.
"I prefer to be the monster under the bed. If the Valois tremble at my name, they'll think twice before coming after my sisters."
[System (for Samael only): Each time the clan advances, the attention of higher-ranked enemies intensifies. Potential danger: increasing.]
Part 3: The Empress on the Throne
While Samael plotted defenses, Seraphina ruled the interior. Seated on her cold stone throne, she listened to Elder Valeria.
"Lady Seraphina, our beast meat reserves are low."
"Send Marcus hunting, but no one is to cross the matrix. I'll reinforce their weapons with frost myself. No more lives lost to recklessness."
Valeria bowed and left. Seraphina sighed, rubbing her temples. Memories of the Spatial Throne still haunted her, but now they gave her hunger for power, not fear.
Xylia entered, her armor gleaming.
"The disciples are progressing, but some still hesitate."
Seraphina nodded.
"You must forge them like a sword. Only those who withstand the sharpening deserve to stay."
They exchanged a warrior's glance.
Part 4: First Contact
Five kilometers from Skull Rock, three men in bloodstained robes tracked the sand with bone compasses.
"Jareth's signature ends here," grunted the leader, scar over his eye. "As if his blood had been ripped from the world."
The second, uneasy, murmured:
"Captain, the air here… it's too cold. I can't even hear the wind."
The third, the youngest, trembled.
"I feel… as if something is watching us from below."
The sand beneath their feet turned liquid.
"Ambush!" the captain shouted, drawing his weapon.
But there was no one to face. From the folds of the dunes, a hundred purple eyes opened. Specters rose like living smoke, surrounding the trackers. The cold was so intense their bones cracked within their flesh.
Malak descended from the sky, his scythe darkening the moon.
"The Sovereign has decreed judgment," he whispered.
The Stage 6 trackers tried to unleash Qi, but Malak's Stage 9 pressure suffocated them. Chains trapped them, and specters drained their Qi while feeding on their fear. The captain's last mental transmission was a howl of pure terror.
In the distance, a Valois leader felt the psychic echo of the massacre and his skin crawled.
"What kind of monsters hunt in this desert…?" he whispered, clutching his family pendant.
[System (for Samael only): Defensive Mission Complete. Reward: 500 Clan Luck points + Military Supplies Chest.
Warning: Valois high command has been alerted. The Protector may act.]
Part 5: The Treasure of the Fallen
Hours later, Malak returned, throwing three dried corpses and identity plates at Samael's feet.
Samael opened the reward chest: 100 black dragon scale armors (Low Earth Grade).
"Kael," he called, voice like contained thunder.
Kael appeared instantly, taking a deep breath.
"Patriarch?"
"Distribute this among the top fifty warriors. We're not playing at hiding anymore. The Valois will send more, and worse. Get ready"—he lowered his voice—"Tomorrow you lead the first offensive mission. Are you ready?"
Kael swallowed. A mix of fear and pride tensed his face.
"Yes, Patriarch. I won't fail."
Samael held his gaze, reading his soul.
"Remember: glory belongs to those who survive and those who return for their own."
Cedric approached, gray eyes calculating probabilities.
"The enemy has a spirit stone mine two days from here. My calculations indicate it's vulnerable. If we take it, we can fund expansion and buy allies on the black market."
Samael smiled, cruel and determined. He looked toward the cave exit, where the night smelled of promise and gunpowder.
"Perfect. The Morningstar clan needs 'external financing.' Get ready for the hunt.
Tomorrow, we raid the heart of the Valois."
In his mind, the System whispered only to him:
[Transition event: The clan has gone from prey to predator.
New destiny routes open. Will you dominate the desert… or attract the gaze of even greater monsters?]
Part 6: Cliffhanger
That night, while the warriors tried on the new armor and the twins reviewed escape routes, Samael went alone to the edge of Skull Rock. He looked out over the desert, feeling the weight of all the lives under his protection.
"Will I be able to take them to the end… or am I just delaying the inevitable?"
A cold breeze carried the echo of a distant roar, as if something very ancient stirred beneath the sand.
Samael clenched his fists.
"Let them all come. The Morningstar clan no longer hides."
End of Chapter 19