The atmosphere in Lord Valerius's ballroom didn't just turn cold; it turned stagnant. The vibrant music of the violins had been cut short by the sheer weight of Voros's arrival. The Abyssal Sentinel stood near the entrance, his shadow stretching across the white marble floor like a spreading oil slick, blocking the only exit.
Lord Valerius, his golden chalice trembling in his hand, looked at Arain. The boy stood in the center of the room, his black suit absorbing the light of the enchanted chandeliers. He looked small, yet he dominated the space as if he were the only physical entity in a world of ghosts.
"A-Arain..." Valerius stammered, his voice cracking. "This is an outrage! You were sent to the North to reflect on your failures, not to bring... monsters into a peaceful gathering of the South!"
Arain tilted his head slightly, a lock of dark hair falling over his violet eyes. "失败 (Failure)? Is that what you call it, Cousin? I call it a rebirth. You, on the other hand, look exactly the same—bloated with the gold you stole from my mother's estate."
A ripple of whispers went through the gathered nobles. Some reaching for their wands, others looking for a way to escape.
"Guard!" Valerius shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Arain. "Captain Marcus! Kill this brat and his puppet! I will pay triple your salary for their heads!"
Captain Marcus, a B-Rank Knight with a reputation for brutality, stepped forward. He unsheathed a heavy claymore that glowed with a dull, yellow earth-mana. "Step aside, kid. I don't like killing children, but the Lord's gold talks louder than my conscience."
Arain didn't reach for a weapon. He didn't even flinch. "Voros, stay back. This one is mine."
The Sentinel bowed his head and vanished into the shadows, leaving only the sound of his grinding breath.
Captain Marcus roared, lunging forward with a speed that blurred his form. His claymore came down in a vertical arc, intended to split Arain in two. The impact shattered the marble floor, sending dust and debris everywhere.
The nobles cheered for a split second—until the dust cleared.
Arain was standing two inches away from the blade. He hadn't dodged; he had simply moved within the rhythm of the knight's intent. In his hand, a jagged, translucent shard of darkness had appeared.
[Item Active: The Void-Eater's Shard.]
[Passive Activated: Soul Siphon.]
"Your mana is loud, Captain," Arain whispered. "But it's hollow."
Before Marcus could pull his sword back, Arain tapped the side of the blade with the Shard.
Cling!
The sound wasn't that of metal hitting metal. It was the sound of glass breaking. The golden earth-mana surrounding the claymore was sucked into the Shard instantly. The heavy sword became nothing more than a rusted piece of iron. Marcus gasped, feeling a sudden, agonizing void in his chest as his internal mana was forcibly drained.
"What... what did you do?" Marcus choked out, falling to his knees.
"I took the noise away," Arain said. He didn't kill the captain. He simply kicked him aside like a piece of refuse.
Arain turned his gaze back to Valerius. The Lord was now frantically casting a defensive spell. A shimmering golden dome erupted around him—the 'Luxmore Sun-Shield', a high-tier defense known for being impenetrable to anything below an A-Rank attack.
"Stay back!" Valerius yelled, his face purple with exertion. "You can't touch me! This shield is fueled by the manor's mana-core! You're just a brat with a trick knife!"
Arain walked toward the golden dome, his footsteps rhythmic and calm. He didn't look like he was going to attack. He looked like he was going for a stroll.
"Volume II: Sovereign's Authority – Event Horizon."
The Void-Eater's Shard began to vibrate, its violet vein pulsing with a hungry light. Arain didn't stab the shield. He simply walked through it.
The moment the Shard touched the golden mana, the shield didn't break—it dissolved. Arain stepped inside the dome, standing inches away from the terrified Lord Valerius. The golden light flickered and died, leaving the room in a dim, eerie purple glow.
"Impossible..." Valerius whispered, his chalice falling and shattering on the floor. "The Sun-Shield... it's an absolute defense..."
"Nothing is absolute in the face of the Abyss, Cousin," Arain said, his hand reaching out to grab Valerius's silk collar. "Now, let's talk about the debt. You spent ten years living in luxury while my mother suffered in that cold wing of the palace. Every coin you spent was a day of her life."
Arain's eyes turned a deep, swirling red.
[System Notification: Target 'Lord Valerius' is in a state of 'Soul Terror'.]
[Quest Update: Consume the Essence of the Noble?]
"No," Arain whispered to the system. "Not yet. I want him to see his empire fall first."
Arain turned to the crowd of nobles, who were now paralyzed by a mixture of fear and the [Sovereign's Pressure] radiating from him.
"From this day forward," Arain's voice boomed, amplified by his mana, "Grey-Harbor belongs to the North. Any of you who wish to keep your titles, your gold, and your lives will report to the North Estate within three days to swear fealty. If you do not... Voros will find you."
As if on cue, the Sentinel reappeared, his scythe glowing with the souls of the guards he had silenced in the hallways.
Lord Valerius fell to his knees, sobbing. "Please... Arain... I'm family..."
"Family?" Arain looked down at him with a coldness that made the air freeze. "In my world, family is just a target you haven't hit yet."
Arain turned and walked toward the exit, his cloak billowing behind him.
[Level Up! Level 19 -> Level 20!]
[Volume II Evolution: Phase 1 – Completed.]
[New Attribute Unlocked: Shadow Monarch's Charisma.]
"Kael," Arain said as he reached the doors.
"Yes, Master?" Kael appeared, looking at the scene with a mixture of awe and terror.
"Pack the 'contributions' from the vault," Arain commanded. "We have a kingdom to build, and Grey-Harbor just gave us its first deposit."
As the black carriage pulled away from the blood-stained manor, Arain sat in the shadows, his eyes closed. He could feel the Record of Souls glowing in his lap. The first noble had fallen, but he was only the beginning.
"The Hero of Light will hear of this," Arain whispered to the darkness. "Let him come. I'm starting to get bored with small fry."