Chapter 4: The Grave of the Fallen King
The Southern Border was a jagged wound on the map of the kingdom, a place where the sun always seemed filtered through a layer of gray ash. The Demon King's Tomb was not just a burial site; it was a physical manifestation of the "Final Boss" stage designed by the Sovereign.
In the original script, this tomb was meant to remain sealed for three more years. Kyle was supposed to enter it only after mastering the Holy Blade, turning the expedition into a glorious triumph.
By forcing the seal to crack now, the Sovereign was making a desperate gambit: If Alaric enters, he dies to a level-99 boss while he is still 'low-level.'
But the Sovereign forgot one thing. Alaric didn't have levels. He had Apex Mastery.
[ LOCATION: THE HOWLING ABYSS ]
Alaric stood at the edge of the massive stone seal, which was now leaking a thick, black miasma. Behind him stood a small, elite unit of Ravenstone guards and a very stubborn Princess Elena.
"You're insane," Elena said, her hand resting on the hilt of her rapier. "The Royal Mages said this place requires a holy blessing to enter. You're walking into a slaughterhouse."
"Blessings are just permissions granted by the Sovereign," Alaric said, looking at the massive stone doors. "I don't need permission to enter my own backyard."
[ Skill Detected: Barrier Decryption ]
[ Proficiency: MAX ]
[ Skill Evolved: Void-Gate Authority ]
Alaric didn't use a key. He simply walked up to the ancient, god-sealed doors and placed a palm against the cold stone. The runes glowed red, sensing an intruder, and prepared to incinerate him.
Instead, the runes turned purple. They shivered, recalculated, and then hissed as the massive doors—weighing hundreds of tons—slid open with a submissive groan.
"Follow me," Alaric said to his stunned group. "And don't touch the walls. They tend to eat the souls of those who still believe in fate."
[ THE DESCENT ]
The interior of the tomb was a labyrinth of shifting geometry. As they descended, the first wave of guardians appeared: The Ink-Stained Wraiths. These were creatures made of the same conceptual essence as the Fate-Stalker Alaric had tamed.
"Protect the Princess!" the Lead Guard shouted, drawing his sword.
"Stay back," Alaric commanded.
He didn't draw a weapon. He simply snapped his fingers.
[ UNIQUE SKILL: SCRIPT-WRITING ]
[ Action: Delete 'Aggression' ]
The Wraiths froze. Their glowing red eyes faded to a dull gray. They looked at each other, confused, and then simply dissolved into puddles of harmless ink.
Elena stared at the floor. "What... what did you just do? You didn't even use mana."
"I changed the 'context' of their existence," Alaric said casually. "They weren't 'monsters' anymore. They were just 'mistakes.'"
As they reached the heart of the tomb—the Throne of the Eternal Slumber—the air grew cold enough to crack bone. There, sitting on a throne of obsidian, was the Demon King's corpse. Even in death, his aura was enough to paralyze an S-Rank knight.
[ WARNING: SCRIPTED ENCOUNTER BEGINS ]
[ BOSS: THE HUSK OF THE CALAMITY ]
[ TRIGGER: THE HERO'S ARRIVAL... ]
[ ERROR: HERO NOT FOUND. ]
[ EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: FORCE EVOLUTION ]
The Sovereign was panicking. The corpse of the Demon King suddenly stood up. Its empty eye sockets ignited with a golden flame—the Sovereign's direct possession. It wasn't a Demon King anymore; it was an avatar of the Author.
"YOU... ARE... NOT... SUPPOSED... TO... BE... HERE," the corpse boomed, its voice sounding like tearing parchment.
"I get that a lot," Alaric said.
The Boss lunged. It moved faster than the eye could follow, its clawed hand aimed directly at Alaric's throat. This was a scripted kill-shot. It was programmed to never miss.
Alaric didn't move. He let the claw strike his chest.
CLANG.
The sound of metal hitting a divine shield echoed through the chamber. The claw didn't pierce Alaric's skin.
[ Skill Detected: Physical Damage Immunity ]
[ Proficiency: MAX ]
[ Skill Evolved: Indestructible Existence ]
"My turn," Alaric said.
He reached out and grabbed the Demon King's head.
[ UNIQUE SKILL: UNIVERSAL APEX MASTERY ]
[ Target: Demon King's Origin Core ]
[ Action: Extract and Master ]
A scream that shook the entire mountain erupted from the Boss. The golden light of the Sovereign was forcibly ripped out of the corpse and sucked into Alaric's palm. The "Absolute Evil" of the world was being processed, refined, and mastered in seconds.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ]
[ SKILL ACQUIRED: CALAMITY SOVEREIGNTY (MAX) ]
[ TITLE UPDATED: THE NEW LORD OF ABYSS ]
The corpse crumbled into dust. The dark miasma in the room didn't vanish—it rushed toward Alaric, swirling around him like a loyal cloak.
Alaric turned back to Elena. He was now draped in a mantle of shadows, his eyes burning with a cold, violet power that made the previous Alaric look like a ghost.
"The tomb is clear," Alaric said. He walked toward the throne and sat down. "Elena, come here."
The Princess approached, her legs trembling. She didn't know if she should kneel or run.
Alaric held out a hand. In it was a small, glowing orb of pure white light—the "Holy Blessing" the Hero was supposed to receive at the end of the book.
"The Sovereign wanted to give this to Kyle so he could 'protect' you," Alaric said, his voice echoing with power. "But I don't believe in protectors. I believe in partners."
He pressed the orb into Elena's chest.
[ SYSTEM LOG ]
[ REWRITING CHARACTER: ELENA AETHELGARD ]
[ REMOVING TAG: 'HEROINE' ]
[ ADDING TAG: 'GOD-QUEEN CANDIDATE' ]
Elena gasped as her own mana reserves exploded, her silver hair glowing with a divine radiance. She looked at her hands, feeling a power she never thought possible. She looked at Alaric, and for the first time, the "Script's" influence on her mind snapped completely. She saw him not as a villain, or a fiancé, but as a path to a world where she wasn't a puppet.
"What now?" she asked, her voice steady and fierce.
Alaric looked up at the ceiling of the tomb, as if looking through the mountain, through the sky, and directly at the "Sovereign" watching from above.
"Now," Alaric said, "we go to the Academy's graduation ball. I believe the Hero has a 'triumphant return' planned. It would be a shame to disappoint him.
[ UPDATED STATUS ]
Attribute New Value
Strength 250 (Transcendent)
Unique Skill Calamity Sovereignty
World Divergence 48% (STABLE COLLAPSE)