Godslayer's Legacy: THE PATH TO SUPREMACY

The morning sun rose sluggishly over the horizon, casting long golden shadows across the Sovereign Spire's Departure Platform. It was a sprawling terrace, etched with ancient stabilization runes and reinforced with crystalline obsidian. Designed for airships and envoys, today it would serve a far more solemn purpose—Rui's departure.

The sky was clear, painted with hues of pale orange and deep blue. Yet, despite the serene beauty of the dawn, an air of quiet dread hung heavy over the platform.

Thousands had gathered on the outskirts of the Sovereign Spire to witness this moment. The grand mana projection crystals had been activated in every major city, every remote village, every settlement across the Central Continent. Today, the world would watch.

This was no spectacle—it was a moment etched in history before it had even begun.

Rui stood at the edge of the platform, dressed in reinforced combat attire etched with stabilizing runes. A long black cloak, embroidered with faint silver threads, flowed behind him in the biting wind. The hood hung low over his face, partially obscuring his glowing silver eyes.

The wind carried faint whispers of mana threads around him, their faint hum vibrating softly against his skin. Despite the stillness in his posture, there was something sharp about Rui—a quiet resolve, an edge honed through weeks of relentless preparation.

Behind him stood the Sovereign Council—Kaelith, Elyra, Kovar, and Fenrir—each observing with their own brand of quiet authority. Around them, squads of elite guards stood in formation, their armor gleaming faintly in the morning light.

Lady Elyra stepped forward first, her azure robes flowing around her as she approached Rui. Her sharp, calculating gaze softened slightly as she met his eyes.

"You carry more than your own life into the Abyss, Rui. You carry us all—the hope, the fear, the prayers of millions. Do not let that burden break you."

Rui inclined his head slightly, his voice soft but steady.

"I won't."

Kovar stepped up next, his glass brain dome flickering with faint streams of light as his pale eyes fixed on Rui.

"Your body is stable, your mana pathways refined. Everything that could be done has been done. But the unknown awaits, Rui. Don't let overconfidence become your weakness."

Rui gave a faint nod, his silver eyes locking with Kovar's.

"I understand."

Fenrir walked up last, his heavy boots thudding softly against the polished stone floor. His sharp predator's gaze met Rui's as he placed a firm hand on Rui's shoulder.

"Remember this, boy—you are strong, but strength isn't just what you wield in your fists or through mana. It's in your will, your grit. When everything else fails, hold onto that."

Rui's lips pressed into a thin line, his nod slow but firm.

"I will."

Kaelith finally approached, his silver hair glinting like threads of moonlight beneath the rising sun. His piercing eyes studied Rui for a long moment before he spoke, his voice low but commanding.

"You are not just one boy walking into the Abyss, Rui. You are our shield, our blade, and our hope. But most importantly, you are you. Walk your path with purpose."

Kaelith reached forward and placed a small crystal pendant in Rui's palm. It glowed faintly with a soft white light.

"For guidance, when the shadows grow too heavy."

Rui closed his fingers around the pendant, feeling its faint warmth seep into his skin.

"Thank you."

The Council stepped back, forming a solemn line behind Rui. The crowd below watched in silent reverence, their faces a mosaic of hope, fear, and belief.

---

The mana projection crystals flared brightly, their shimmering displays reflecting Rui's lone figure standing at the edge of the platform. Across the continent, people held their breath.

In distant Velaria, a crowded marketplace had gone completely silent. Traders, beggars, and nobles alike stared up at a massive projection crystal suspended above the city square.

In the remote Snowpeak Monastery, monks paused their morning chants, their eyes locked on a small crystal projection embedded in the monastery's central altar.

In Valeria's Grand Library, scholars and mages huddled together beneath a massive projection screen, their quills and scrolls forgotten.

Everywhere, the world paused.

Everywhere, they watched.

Some questioned—How could one boy possibly succeed where so many others had failed?

Some doubted—Was this just the Council's last desperate attempt to cling to hope?

But many… many believed.

They had seen his speech. They had felt his presence. They had watched the boy with glowing silver eyes promise that he would stand when the world trembled.

---

Rui stepped closer to the edge of the platform, his cloak billowing behind him as the wind howled softly around him. His glowing silver eyes scanned the distant horizon, where the silhouette of the Abyssal Ravine loomed like a scar against the earth.

His voice carried across the wind, amplified by the mana crystals embedded into the platform.

"To those watching—those hoping, those doubting—I do not promise certainty. I cannot promise victory."

He paused, his silver eyes narrowing slightly as they reflected the rising sun.

"But I promise this—I will not stop. I will not falter. And when the darkness rises to swallow us whole, I will stand in its path."

The mana crystals pulsed faintly, his voice echoing across cities, villages, and mountains.

"I walk this path not because I am unafraid, but because I must. And no matter what awaits me in the Abyss, know this—I will not turn back."

The wind carried his words far and wide, etching them into the hearts of everyone listening.

From the crowd below, faint voices began to rise.

"Rui! Rui!"

"We believe in you!"

"Stand strong!"

The voices grew louder, swelling into a tidal wave of sound. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the raw emotion of millions of people.

For a fleeting moment, Rui closed his eyes, letting the sound wash over him. When he opened them again, the silver glow was brighter, sharper—a light that cut through the morning haze.

He turned away from the platform's edge and began walking toward the awaiting airship—a sleek, obsidian vessel etched with defensive runes. Its engines thrummed softly, mana crystals pulsing in rhythmic harmony.