Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Spoils of the Sylvanate

Chapter 134: Spoils of the Sylvanate

The morning sun filtered through the thick glass windows of my private bedroom.

I sat at the edge of the large mattress. I felt completely refreshed. The boiling tension in my core was entirely gone.

Lysandra slept peacefully beneath the silk sheets. Her breathing was steady. Her beautiful face finally looked relaxed.

BZZZT.

The heavy Arcane Radio sitting on my wooden desk suddenly crackled to life. A glowing blue rune flashed on the receiver.

I picked up the brass microphone.

"Report your status, Lord Hardsteel," I commanded.

"Victory is absolute across the entire frontline, Sovereign," King Regent Hardsteel declared. His metallic voice echoed with pride.

"Our troops are currently processing the surrendered Elven soldiers and securing the perimeter."

"What is the casualty count?" I asked.

"We suffered minimal losses on our side," Hardsteel replied.

"Your artillery tactics saved thousands of our men. However, Chief Inquisitor Silas just breached Vane’s underground vault."

"Did we secure the mana crystals and the gold?" I questioned.

"We secured immense wealth for the Forge," Hardsteel confirmed.

"But Silas found something deeply disturbing hidden in the back chamber. He found a strange biological artifact and a personal diary. The text mentions a massive global conspiracy."

"Lock down the vault immediately," I ordered. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Our elite guards are already stationed at the doors," Hardsteel stated.

"Good work," I concluded. "I am returning to the battlefield to see this treasure for myself."

CLICK.

I placed the microphone back onto the receiver. I strapped my heavy Ironclad plates over my green skin.

I did not wake Lysandra. She needed the rest. I channeled my mana into my spatial ring.

VWOOM.

The comfortable bedroom vanished. I materialized directly in the center of the ruined Purist encampment.

The battlefield was highly organized chaos. My soldiers marched Elven prisoners into heavy iron transport wagons.

The Pack was busy handling the aftermath. Nyssa was cataloging captured Arcane Rifles. Rolf was interrogating a surviving Elven lieutenant.

Kaelith stood silently near the entrance of a massive crater.

No one made any teasing remarks about my night away. They were apex predators securing a conquered warzone. They respected the boundaries of the pack.

I walked past the ruined command tent and approached Kaelith.

"Silas is waiting for you down below," Kaelith reported. She pointed her dagger toward the dark stone stairs leading into the earth.

"Vane hid his true legacy in the dark."

I nodded and descended the stairs.

The underground vault was completely massive. Hundreds of wooden crates overflowed with pure gold coins and refined mana crystals.

It was enough wealth to fund the Forge for an entire decade. But I ignored the riches. I walked straight toward a reinforced steel chamber at the very back of the room.

Silas stood next to a glowing stone pedestal. He held a thick leather diary in his hands.

"Look at this, Sovereign," Silas whispered.

I stepped up to the pedestal. A terrible chill washed over my armor.

Sitting on a velvet cushion was a large, pulsating seed. It was the size of a human skull. It glowed with a sickly green light. Black veins throbbed visibly beneath its hard shell. It radiated an aura of pure rot and despair.

I remembered the dark history Kaelith had shared after her Apex evolution. We had met her ancestor, Ilyrana. The ghostly projection had revealed the horrifying truth about the High Elves.

The Purists were not holy saviors. During the ancient era, they launched a fanatic crusade against the Holy Alliance. And they lost.

They were completely defeated and humiliated by mortal men.

When the Purists fled into exile on the Monster Continent, they did not go alone. They dragged thousands of Noctharion elves with them as captive slaves.

They chained Kaelith’s ancestors deep within the holds of their burning vessels. To survive in this harsh land, the Dark Elves were forced to discard their gentleness and embrace the shadows.

The High Elves poisoned Dark Elf culture for a thousand years just to maintain a fragile illusion of dominance. Vane’s pristine pride was built entirely on lies and slavery.

"The seed of the Corrupted World Tree," I muttered. My glowing red eyes narrowed. "Vane kept the source of their original sin hidden down here."

Silas handed me the leather diary.

"It gets worse. Read his final entries."

I opened the heavy book. Vane had recorded all of his grand plans for the Monster Continent.

He did not just want to conquer the Forge or destroy the Zenith Academy. Vane believed the entire planet was fundamentally flawed and impure.

The relics scattered across this dirt are merely keys, Vane had written in frantic, jagged handwriting.

I must find the remaining planetary anchors. The Corrupted Seed requires vast cosmic energy to sprout. Once the array is complete, I will breach the veil. I will summon the Star Devourers. The interplanetary threat will cleanse this world of all filth, leaving only true purity behind.

I closed the diary.

SNAP.

My mind raced.

’Vane was an absolute fanatic. He was actively trying to summon an alien threat to wipe out the entire planet. He was using the Zenith Academy and the Elven Purists as a front to gather ancient relics.’

I looked back down at the pulsating green seed.

I had conquered cities. I had shattered armies. I had slaughtered Patriarchs. But fighting an interplanetary threat was an entirely different scale of warfare.

I needed more strength. I needed a kingdom that could withstand the wrath of the stars.

’It is quite early to talk about this threat right now. It’s not like it would be at our doorsteps, but if my gut feeling is correct, then I understand why the True Rulers are not interested in the petty fights that we wage.’

I sighed and held my head thinking about it.

’They are actively protecting us from these threats. Anise would also have been a true ruler but since her power is sealed she cannot do anything about it. It is beneficial for me though. If she gains back her power, the world will put restrictions on it. Quite a way to go!’

All of that was giving me a headache.

’Can my System even handle a threat of this magnitude?’ I wondered silently.

As if answering my internal question, a translucent blue interface flickered to life right in front of my face.

DING!

[System Alert: Major Territory Claimed.]

[High Elven Purist Faction Defeated. Massive Infamy Gained.]

[Processing Core Achievements...]

[Sovereign Upgrade Version 2.0 reaching 99%...]

[Prepare for Absolute Reboot.]