Godslayer's Legacy: THE PATH TO SUPREMACY

The Sovereign Council's Grand Hall was a place that seemed to exist outside the passage of time. Towering marble pillars stretched toward a distant ceiling, their surfaces etched with runes older than most civilizations. Light refracted through floating crystalline prisms, scattering beams of silvery illumination across the polished obsidian floor. The air was heavy with mana, charged and oppressive, as though the walls themselves bore witness to countless secrets and decisions that had shaped the fate of continents.

At the far end of the vast hall sat the Sovereign Council, each member seated upon an ornate throne carved from black stone and adorned with their house insignias. In the center of the crescent-shaped arrangement, High Sovereign Kaelith Drayen sat with a commanding presence, his piercing silver eyes staring ahead with a patience that felt eternal. His silver hair framed his sharp face like a flowing river of moonlight, catching the faint glow of the runes embedded into the dais beneath his throne.

To his left sat Lady Elyra Valeheart, draped in azure robes that shimmered faintly with mana threads. Her pale hands rested delicately on the armrests of her throne, her eyes sharp and observant, every flicker of movement recorded in her mind.

To his right stood Fenrir, not seated like the others but standing slightly behind his designated chair. His aura radiated a silent authority, like a wolf overlooking his territory, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness.

At the edge of the crescent, Kovar hovered beside his seat, a series of crystalline data streams cascading around him. His glass brain dome flickered with faint light as data symbols scrolled across its surface. His skeletal fingers tapped absently against his armrest as his sharp eyes flicked toward the entrance.

The grand double doors at the far end of the hall groaned softly as they began to part. A shaft of golden light spilled into the hall, illuminating the obsidian floor in a sharp divide between light and shadow.

Rui stepped forward.

He moved with calm purpose, his silver hair cascading over his shoulders, faintly illuminated by the light streaming behind him. He wore simple, refined attire—a fitted dark tunic embroidered with faint mana threads, and trousers tailored for precision rather than style. His silver irises, etched with intricate runes, glowed faintly in the dim light as they scanned the council members seated before him.

Every step he took echoed in the vast chamber, yet his aura remained steady, calm, controlled. The once-chaotic storm that surrounded him had transformed into something serene—an ocean stretching infinitely into the horizon.

When he reached the center of the hall, he stopped before the council, standing straight-backed, hands at his sides, his glowing eyes meeting those of Kaelith without flinching.

Kaelith spoke first, his voice reverberating through the hall like a bell tolling in an empty canyon.

"Rui Kirean. You stand before this council not as a student, not as an apprentice, but as an anomaly. Your actions, your transformation, and your awakening have brought us here today. Do you understand the weight of this moment?"

Rui nodded slowly, his voice calm but clear.

"I understand, High Sovereign."

Kaelith's silver eyes narrowed slightly, but he inclined his head in acknowledgment before gesturing subtly with his hand.

Lady Elyra leaned forward slightly, her sharp voice slicing through the air.

"Your awakening transcended all recorded thresholds. You did not simply survive—it seems you adapted, evolved. Tell me, Rui, do you understand what you have become?"

Rui's glowing eyes turned to meet hers. For a moment, they reflected her icy stare before he spoke.

"I am… aware of the changes within me, Lady Valeheart. But I do not claim to fully understand them. Not yet."

Elyra's lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded once, seemingly satisfied with the honesty of his answer.

Kovar's turn came next. He leaned forward slightly, his glass dome flickering with rapid data streams.

"Rui, during the final moments of your ocular infusion, your core synchronized with your neural pathways and your ocular runes in a way that defies all known theories. Can you explain—what did you see? What did you feel?"

Rui paused for a moment, his gaze drifting slightly downward before returning to Kovar.

"It wasn't something I saw. It was something I understood. Mana isn't chaotic. It isn't random. It speaks—no, it sings. It carries intention, and it responds when it's spoken to… correctly."

The silence that followed his words was profound. Even Kovar seemed taken aback, his gloved fingers twitching slightly against his armrest.

Kaelith raised his hand slightly, bringing the hall back to order. His piercing gaze locked onto Rui.

"You are now classified as an SS rank—the fourth in recorded history. Do you understand what this rank represents, Rui?"

Rui inhaled slowly before speaking, his voice steady.

"I understand that it represents power. But power isn't just strength—it's responsibility. SS is not just a rank; it's a burden."

Kaelith's sharp gaze softened slightly, and he nodded.

"Wise words for someone so young."

Lady Elyra spoke again, her voice softer this time.

"And what will you do with this power, Rui? How will you wield it?"

Rui's glowing silver eyes met hers again, and for a brief moment, there was a glimmer of something ancient in them—an understanding that seemed far beyond his years.

"I will not let it control me. And I will not let others control it through me. I will walk my path, and I will do so with purpose."

For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of his words settled over the council chamber like a heavy blanket.

Kaelith rose from his throne, his towering figure cutting an imposing silhouette against the backdrop of glowing runes along the walls.

"Rui Kirean, your awakening marks the dawn of something unprecedented. We cannot predict what your path will bring—to you, to this council, or to the world. But know this: your power is no longer just yours. It carries the weight of expectation, of responsibility, and of consequence."

He paused, his sharp eyes studying Rui.

"You will remain under the council's observation. Kovar will continue his analysis of your condition, and your abilities will be monitored. But…" Kaelith's voice softened slightly. "Your choices will be your own."

Rui bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you, High Sovereign."

Kaelith turned to Fenrir and Elyra.

"Ensure Rui's path is guided, not shackled. Dismissed."

The grand doors of the Sovereign Council Chamber closed behind Rui with a resonant thud. The lingering hum of mana threads faded, leaving the chamber cloaked in silence once again. Council members sat back into their ornate chairs, their sharp gazes exchanging unspoken thoughts. It was Lady Elyra who finally broke the silence.

"High Sovereign, we cannot afford to lose focus on the other pressing matters while Rui's awakening occupies our attention."

Kaelith's silver eyes turned to her, sharp as ever. "You speak of the Abyssal Ravine, Lady Valeheart."

She gave a slow nod, her azure robes pooling elegantly around her as she leaned forward slightly.

"There's been movement deep within the Abyss. An expedition of elite adventurers, one of the strongest S-Rank teams currently active, was dispatched five days ago. We received their last transmission forty-eight hours ago. Since then… silence."

Murmurs rippled across the council chamber. The Abyssal Ravine was no ordinary threat—it was a wound in the world, an endless fissure that stretched deep into the earth, filled with mana anomalies and ancient creatures believed to have been remnants from the early days of creation.

Kovar's glass brain dome flickered faintly as data streamed across its surface. He tapped lightly at a floating crystalline panel before him.

"The team sent included names that should not have failed. Aric Steelshade, Lira Starfall, Kaedan Frostbane… all formidable, all seasoned S-Rank adventurers. If they've gone silent, it's because they've encountered something far beyond their expectations."

Fenrir's gravelly voice rumbled across the chamber.

"They weren't prepared for what's down there. If they're gone, we may have already lost some of our greatest assets. And the question remains—what stirred the depths of the Abyss?"

Kaelith's voice remained steady, though a faint edge of tension crept into his words.

"We cannot allow whatever stirs in the Abyss to rise unchecked. If it breaches the surface, it could spell catastrophe for the entire continent."

Elyra's expression hardened, her voice carrying the weight of experience.

"We must prepare for the worst. If the expedition is truly lost, we'll need to mobilize forces capable of holding back whatever emerges. We must assume the threat is S-Rank or higher."

A heavy silence settled over the chamber. S-Rank threats weren't just rare—they were apocalyptic. Cities could fall overnight to such creatures, and even the combined might of entire armies often proved insufficient.

Kaelith's gaze shifted back to Kovar.

"Do we have any readings? Any signs of movement in the mana network near the Abyssal Ravine?"

Kovar adjusted his displays, the glow from his dome intensifying briefly as he parsed through streams of mana data.

"The energy signatures around the Ravine are… unstable. Mana turbulence has increased exponentially over the past seventy-two hours. If I had to guess, something massive is stirring. And it's not just alive—it's awake."

Fenrir's arms remained crossed over his broad chest, but his sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

"We can't wait for confirmation. Send a retrieval team. If anyone survived, they'll have vital information."

Kaelith inclined his head slightly.

"Agreed. Lady Elyra, Fenrir—you will oversee the assembly of a secondary team. This cannot be left unchecked. But tread carefully. If this anomaly is as severe as we suspect, we cannot afford to lose more of our elite forces."

Elyra nodded, her expression resolute.

"It will be done, High Sovereign."

Kaelith's sharp gaze swept across the council chamber.

"See to it immediately. If this situation escalates, the entirety of the Central Continent will feel its consequences."