Godslayer's Legacy: THE PATH TO SUPREMACY

Far away from the marble halls of the Sovereign Council, the Abyssal Ravine stretched into the earth like an open wound. Jagged cliffs of black stone surrounded the abyss, and cold winds howled through the craggy expanse. The sky above was cloaked in thick clouds, the faint glow of mana storms flickering within them like distant lightning.

At the edge of the ravine stood Captain Aric Steelshade, his massive greatsword planted into the cracked ground before him. His armor, once polished and gleaming, was now scorched and battered. His chest rose and fell heavily as faint trails of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Behind him, what remained of the S-Rank team was huddled together. Lira Starfall, her violet mage robes torn and singed, clutched her staff tightly, her face pale with exhaustion. Beside her, Kaedan Frostbane, an ice-wielding cultivator with frostbitten scars lining his arms, leaned heavily on his frost-bound spear.

The ground beneath them trembled faintly, as though something massive shifted far below the surface.

Aric's gravelly voice broke the silence.

"It's moving again."

Lira's eyes, glowing faintly with residual mana, scanned the depths below. Her voice trembled slightly.

"We can't hold it back, Aric. Whatever is down there… it's ancient. It's angry."

Kaedan coughed, blood flecking his lips.

"We need to send a signal. Someone has to know what's coming."

Aric's hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his greatsword as he glanced back at his team. His sharp eyes carried the weight of grim resolve.

"We'll hold here. Lira—send the signal. Kaedan, reinforce the barrier. Whatever happens, the council needs to know."

The ground shook again, harder this time. Faint cracks splintered outward from the edges of the ravine, and an unearthly, guttural sound reverberated from the depths below—a sound so deep it seemed to vibrate through their very bones.

Lira raised her staff, a brilliant flare of violet light erupting into the sky. The beam arced upward, piercing through the cloud cover like a pillar of starlight.

Far above, hidden within the roiling clouds, something stirred.

In the Grand Observatory, Kaelith stood motionless as a holographic projection displayed the flare of violet light erupting from the Abyssal Ravine.

Elyra's voice was sharp.

"The signal. They've made contact."

Kovar's glass dome flickered erratically as streams of mana energy cascaded through his neural interface.

"The readings are… unstable. Something massive is rising. And it's distorting the surrounding mana network."

Fenrir's voice was low, but it carried across the room with unmistakable weight.

"Whatever it is… it's coming."

Kaelith's sharp gaze didn't waver.

"Elyra, Fenrir—mobilize the secondary team immediately. We cannot allow this threat to breach the surface."

As orders were given and preparations began, Kaelith's silver eyes lingered on Rui's file displayed on one of the floating crystalline monitors.

"And if it does…" Kaelith murmured under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We may need him sooner than we anticipated," as he looks at a drawing of Rui.

The Sovereign Council chamber fell silent once more as preparations began, the weight of inevitability settling over them like a shroud.

Far below, in his chambers, Rui stood at his window, staring into the endless night sky. His glowing eyes narrowed slightly as a faint pulse in the threads of mana rippled through the world.