The air inside the Hall of the First Guard grew heavy, the red torches flickering violently as if bowing to an approaching storm. Outside, the sound of the Void-Iron doors being struck by a high-level cultivation technique echoed like a funeral bell.
BOOM.
The mountain itself seemed to groan. Cain sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, the ancient scroll of the [Seven Steps of the Sovereign] floating inches from his face. His eyes were closed, but his mind was a chaotic landscape of silver lightning and black ink as the System forcefully etched the Rank S pathways into his soul.
[Accelerated Learning: 85%... 92%...]
[Warning: Host's Mana Circuit is overheating. Intelligence stat is insufficient for Rank S processing!]
"System," Cain grunted, his voice vibrating with the strain. "Burn the remaining 2,000 EXP from the Guardian's kill. Force the synchronization. I don't have time for a 'safe' integration."
[EXP Burn Initiated.]
[Synchronization: 100%!]
[Skill Learned: Seven Steps of the Sovereign - Step 1: Flash-Void (Rank S).]
Cain's eyes snapped open. For a fleeting second, his pupils weren't slitted—they were replaced by a rotating gear of violet light.
Creeeeeak—BOOM!
The massive Void-Iron doors, which had stood for millennia, were finally blasted inward. A wave of emerald-green mana flooded the hall, instantly extinguishing half of the red torches. Walking through the settling dust was a man whose presence made the very air feel like it was made of lead.
The Third Elder, Thorne Malphas.
He was shorter than the other elders, but his body was corded with the lean muscle of a true martial artist. His eyes were cold, calculating, and filled with a murderous light that promised a slow death. Behind him stood six elite disciples, all Level 20 or higher.
[Enemy Identified: Third Elder (Level 35 - Spirit Core Realm)]
[Status: Enraged. Technique: 'Gale-Shatter Palm'.]
"So," Malphas said, his voice a low, dangerous silk. "The little rat found a bigger hole to hide in. I must admit, Cain, your luck is impressive. To survive the Ashen Woods and reach this place... it's almost a shame I have to kill you."
Cain stood up slowly, his movements fluid and relaxed. He didn't reach for his bone dagger. He didn't call his Weaver. He simply looked at the Third Elder as if the man were an interesting specimen of a dying species.
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Malphas," Cain said. "And as for the shame... you should save that for the Thorne Clan's ancestors. They would be disgusted to see what a coward you've become."
The disciples gasped, drawing their swords in unison. "You dare speak to the Elder that way?!"
Malphas raised a hand, silencing them. A cruel smile touched his lips. "Words are the only weapon a weakling has. Since you love the sound of your own voice so much, I'll make sure to cut your tongue out last."
In a blur of green movement, Malphas vanished.
He was a Level 35 Spirit Core master. To the eyes of a normal Level 18, he was invisible. He appeared directly in front of Cain, his hand glowing with a concentrated emerald light—the Gale-Shatter Palm.
"Die."
The palm struck Cain's chest with the force of a falling star. The sound of the impact shattered the stone floor beneath them, sending a shockwave that blew the disciples back ten feet.
Elena screamed from the corner, her heart stopping.
But there was no blood. There was no sound of breaking ribs.
Malphas's eyes widened. His hand had passed right through Cain's chest. The "Cain" in front of him began to flicker like a dying candle, turning into a hollow shell of violet smoke.
[Skill Triggered: Flash-Void Step.]
[Shadow Clone Manifested. Host has moved 5 meters.]
"Too slow," a voice whispered from behind Malphas's left ear.
The Elder spun, his instincts screaming. He threw a blind backhand, but again, he hit nothing but air. Cain was no longer moving like a human; he was stepping through the gaps in the air itself, leaving behind "After-Images" that confused the Elder's senses.
"What is this technique?" Malphas roared, his calm mask finally cracking. "This isn't Thorne Clan footwork! This is... ancient!"
"It's the end of your era," Cain said.
He appeared ten feet away, his hand raised.
"Monarch's Command: Weaver's Web!"
From the shadows of the pillars, the Frost-Void Weaver lunged. It didn't attack the Elder directly; it spat a massive net of shadow silk that draped over the disciples. The Level 20 warriors found themselves pinned to the ground, the shadow silk draining their mana before they could even cast a spell.
[Disciples Entrapped.]
[Mana Siphoned: +300.]
"You monster!" Malphas screamed. He ignored the disciples, realizing now that Cain was a threat he couldn't take lightly. He clapped his hands together, and the green mana around him transformed into hundreds of tiny, rotating wind-blades. "I'll shred this entire hall to dust! Let's see you dodge the wind itself!"
"Gale-Shatter Domain!"
The wind blades expanded in a sphere of destruction. The statues of the ancient warriors were sliced into pebbles. The pillars began to crumble.
Cain stood in the center of the storm. He didn't use the Flash-Void Step again. Instead, he reached into his inventory and pulled out the [Fragment of the First Seal].
"System," Cain commanded, his eyes glowing with a terrifying violet light. "Synthesize the Seal Fragment with the 'Glacial Aegis'. I don't need to dodge the wind... I need to freeze it."
[Synthesis Probability: 40%.]
[Warning: High Risk of Backfire!]
"Do it."
[Success!]
[Temporary Skill Created: 'Sovereign's Stillness'.]
As the wind blades reached Cain's skin, he didn't move. He simply exhaled.
A wave of absolute, primordial cold erupted from his body. It wasn't ice; it was the concept of stillness. The emerald wind blades didn't shatter—they stopped. They hung in the air, frozen in time, their green glow turning a dull, lifeless grey.
Malphas froze, his mouth hanging open. "You... you stopped my Domain? No... that's impossible! You're only Level 18!"
"Levels are for those who play by the rules, Malphas," Cain said, walking toward the Elder through the field of frozen wind-blades. He reached out and touched one, and it crumbled into dust. "I am the one who makes them."
Cain appeared in front of Malphas, his hand closing around the Elder's throat before the man could react. The Void-Eater bloodline roared to life, more powerful than it had ever been.
[Gluttony's Touch: Full Extraction!]
"Wait—Cain! I can give you the Clan leadership! I can give you—"
The Elder's words turned into a gurgle. The emerald mana of a Level 35 master began to pour into Cain like a river. It was too much, too fast. Cain's skin began to crack, violet light leaking from the fissures.
[Massive EXP Gained: +25,000!]
[Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!]
[Current Level: 23]
[Class Feature Unlocked: 'Monarch's Throne' — Gain a permanent stat boost based on the highest-level soul you have consumed.]
Malphas withered in seconds, becoming a grey husk that turned to ash in Cain's grip.
Cain stood in the silent hall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He felt a power so immense it was painful. He looked at the six disciples still trapped in the shadow silk. They were sobbing, begging for mercy.
Cain turned his gaze toward them, his slitted eyes devoid of any human emotion.
"Elena," Cain said, his voice echoing with the power of a Level 23 Monarch. "Close your eyes. I need to finish the harvest."
[New Quest: The Throne of Bones.]
•
Objective: Erase the Thorne Clan from existence.
•
Reward: Evolution of the 'Void-Eater' Bloodline.