Chapter 86: Shadows of Xelthar
The Imperial Palace of Xelthar stood in the heart of a darkened city, a monolith of obsidian and crimson banners that loomed over the land like a fortress carved from the bones of ancient gods.
Unlike Eldoria, where mana flowed like a steady river, Xelthar was dying.
The very air choked with instability, the once-thriving mana veins now corrupted and failing.
And at the center of it all—the rulers of Xelthar plotted their next move.
Inside the grand war chamber, a large map of Eldoria flickered in pale blue light. A man in pristine white robes, lined with golden arcane symbols, stood before the throne.
His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken from sleepless nights, but his gaze burned with intensity.
Archmagus Orvax, the Head of Xelthar's Mana Research Division.
He bowed deeply.
"My King. My Princess. The Eldorian forces have moved into Nyx."
Seated upon the high obsidian throne, a man with crimson eyes sharper than steel observed the projection.
King Veylor Xelthar, the Tyrant King.
His very presence was a storm waiting to break. Draped in a black and gold military uniform, his body was lined with old scars, a testament to the wars he had waged.
Beside him, reclining against the armrest of her own seat, was a woman with raven-black hair cascading like silk, her posture relaxed but her eyes brimming with lethal intelligence.
Princess Ilyra Xelthar, the Blade of Night.
Her lips curved into a smirk. "So they've taken the bait."
Orvax nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. The Vanguard Nine are there."
Ilyra tapped her fingers against her throne. "And the Calamity?"
Orvax hesitated, then sighed.
"The ritual is incomplete. The mana instability in Eldoria slows the process, but if we can further destabilize their leylines, we may be able to force the evolution."
King Veylor's gaze darkened.
"How long?"
Orvax hesitated. "A few more months at worst. If we can continue our experiments—"
"No."
The King's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"We do not have months. We are already at the brink of collapse. Xelthar is rotting."
His eyes burned with fury. "Our people starve while Eldoria thrives. We begged for aid, and they turned their backs on us. Now they will suffer as we have suffered."
Ilyra smirked. "Father, you always had a way with words."
Veylor turned to Orvax. "Speed up the experiments."
The scientist grimaced. "But the side effects—"
"Are irrelevant," Veylor snapped. "The world does not remember the weak."
He turned back to the glowing map of Eldoria, his crimson eyes locked onto the ruined city of Nyx.
"Let them fight our hounds," he muttered.
"By the time they realize what we are truly doing…"
His lips curved into a dark smile.
"…it will already be too late."
The Ruins of Nyx –
Kael twisted his blade, barely avoiding the curved dagger aimed for his throat.
The assassin moved like a shadow, fast and precise, striking again without hesitation.
Kael blocked, his arms straining under the pressure.
Lucian moved beside him, golden eyes flashing as he swung his sword, forcing another assassin to retreat.
The fight was brutal, merciless.
Their enemies weren't just soldiers.
They were killers trained from birth.
Cassian barely dodged a thrown dagger, his rapier slipping between ribs as he countered in an instant.
Evelyne caught an enemy's wrist, her raw strength crushing bone as she hurled them into a crumbling wall.
Darius's lightning danced around his arms, each bolt turning assassins into ash.
Rael was already gone, moving between the enemy like a phantom, his dagger finding hearts before they even knew he was there.
Mira's sword clashed against a twin-bladed assassin, her ferocity matching the cold precision of her foe.
Selene ducked beneath a slicing arc, her daggers flashing as she cut through two opponents in one swift motion.
Faelwyn, summoning his mana-beast companion, fought with unwavering resolve.
The battle was hell.
And then—
The ground shook.
Kael barely had time to react before a massive rupture split the ruins apart.
From the abyss, something massive rose.
A mana beast unlike anything they had ever seen.
Its body pulsed with unstable mana, its very existence warping the air around it.
A failed experiment.
A beast not meant to exist.
Selene's eyes widened.
"This… isn't natural."
Kael exhaled sharply, gripping his sword tighter.
They were walking into something far worse than they had imagined.
And the worst part?
The enemy was only getting started.