Chapter XX: Phantom Dagger
Silver slumped his shoulders as he left the central fortress.
Behind him, Thunder Lord's icy stare followed his every step.
If looks could kill, he would never have survived leaving the room.
"..."
Without another word, he turned away from the luxurious VIP Teleportation Array and walked toward the ordinary one instead.
A faint smile crept onto his lips.
"Probably for the best."
The array hummed to life beneath his feet.
Ancient runes glowed one after another before a brilliant pillar of light swallowed him whole.
When Silver opened his eyes again, he found himself standing inside a massive teleportation station.
This was no longer the Barrens.
The station was located just beyond its borders, serving as one of the busiest transportation hubs connecting countless worlds.
People streamed through the halls without end.
Awakened carrying enormous weapons.
Merchants pushing floating carts filled with strange materials.
Adventurers in battered armor.
Even elegantly dressed nobles passed through with their guards.
Silver stood quietly for a moment.
Compared to Thunder Lord Shelter...
This place felt like an entirely different world.
High above, enormous holographic displays floated through the air.
They constantly shifted between advertisements, announcements and breaking news.
One headline immediately caught his attention.
Breaking News
Lord Marcus of the Iron Fortress has successfully conquered the Blood Abyss.
The image changed.
Another announcement appeared.
The Sacred Alliance welcomes two newly ascended Lords.
Another.
The ranking of the Hundred Young Lords has been updated.
Silver watched silently.
Lord...
The word seemed unimaginably distant.
People at that level were legends.
They commanded territories.
Ruled over cities.
Some even possessed enough strength to reshape landscapes with a single battle.
Compared to them...
He was barely an Awakened.
Yet instead of feeling discouraged, Silver smiled.
"One day..."
He didn't finish the thought.
There was no point making empty promises.
Only strength could prove ambition.
Leaving the station behind, Silver boarded a series of interstellar transports.
The journey lasted several days.
He crossed multiple star systems, transferred between space gates and visited planets whose names he couldn't even pronounce.
Each stop revealed something new.
Cities suspended in the sky.
Artificial moons.
Gigantic beasts used as transport.
Markets where creatures from different races traded peacefully.
The universe was far larger than the Barrens had ever allowed him to imagine.
Finally—
Planet Crystal Cloud.
The transport slowly descended toward an enormous city that shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Silver couldn't help staring through the window.
Everything sparkled.
Towering crystal buildings reflected the sky.
Wide streets gleamed like polished gemstones.
Even the trees possessed translucent leaves that glittered softly whenever the wind passed through them.
"It really is Crystal Cloud..."
After leaving the transport terminal, Silver spent nearly an hour asking for directions before finally arriving outside an enormous estate.
Elegant crystal walls surrounded the property.
Uniformed guards stood at every entrance.
The moment Silver approached, several of them stepped forward.
"Halt."
Their expressions were cold.
"What business do you have here?"
Silver scratched his head awkwardly.
"I... came to see someone."
"Name?"
"Christopher."
The guards frowned.
"Which Christopher?"
Silver hesitated.
"The... mutant?"
The guards exchanged glances.
"What relationship do you have with Master Christopher?"
"None."
"I just escorted him to Thunder Lord Shelter."
Their suspicion only deepened.
One guard folded his arms.
"Do you have proof?"
Silver remembered the small black box Christopher had given him.
"Oh."
He reached into his pocket.
"I almost forgot."
He carefully placed the small black box into the guard's hands.
The man's expression remained indifferent—
For exactly one second.
His pupils suddenly shrank.
The guards around him immediately leaned closer.
"What..."
The leader inspected the box carefully before taking a sharp breath.
He hurriedly returned it to Silver with both hands.
"Our apologies."
His attitude had changed completely.
"Please follow us."
Silver blinked.
"What exactly is inside this thing?"
No one answered.
The guards respectfully escorted him through the enormous estate.
Servants bowed as they passed.
Beautiful gardens surrounded crystal fountains.
The buildings themselves looked more like palaces than homes.
Silver tried not to stare too much.
He had never seen such luxury.
Eventually, they arrived before an elegant reception room.
"Please wait here."
The guards bowed before leaving.
The room itself was magnificent.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated polished marble floors.
Ancient paintings decorated the walls.
A tea set rested neatly upon a low table.
Silver sat down carefully.
The chair alone probably cost more than everything he owned.
A few minutes later, an elderly butler entered.
His posture was flawless.
"So, you are the young man sent by Master Christopher."
"I suppose."
The butler smiled politely.
"I have already informed him."
"He's coming?"
"He is on his way."
Silver nodded before leaning back in his chair.
His eyes wandered around the room.
Silence settled once again.
Almost absentmindedly, he took the small black box from his pocket.
No matter how closely he examined it...
It looked perfectly ordinary.
No runes.
No strange aura.
No hidden mechanisms.
Just an ordinary black box.
Yet everyone who saw it reacted as though it represented someone of extraordinary status.
"Just who are you, Christopher?"
Before he could think further—
Knock.
The door opened.
Christopher walked in wearing the same relaxed smile as always.
"You made good time."
Silver stood.
"I didn't exactly have much choice."
Christopher laughed.
"The journey wasn't too troublesome, I hope."
"I've certainly seen more of the world."
"Good."
Christopher nodded.
"Then our deal is complete."
He stepped toward a nearby cabinet and retrieved a long black case.
Placing it upon the table, he slowly opened it.
Silver's eyes widened.
Inside rested a dagger unlike anything he had ever seen.
Its blade shimmered with a ghostly silver light.
At certain angles...
It almost disappeared completely.
The edge was impossibly thin, while faint silver patterns flowed across the blade like moving mist.
Christopher lifted it gently.
"This is Phantom Dagger."
Silver accepted it with both hands.
The weapon was astonishingly light.
Almost weightless.
The instant he gripped its hilt, it felt as though it naturally belonged in his hand.
"It rewards precision," Christopher said
"But if your strike is true..."
He smiled.
"...few will even realize they've been cut."
Silver carefully sheathed the dagger at his waist.
It fit perfectly.
Christopher simply waved his hand.
"You've already earned it."