Chapter 74: The Chain Of Sovereigns
Lightning cracked overhead as the battle in the Skybound Spire roared into its second stage.
The ancient tower trembled with each thunderclap, its crystalline walls reflecting the chaotic energy that danced through the storm-darkened sky. Rain lashed against the transparent barriers that separated them from the howling winds outside, each droplet carrying traces of magical residue from the battles being fought across multiple dimensions simultaneously.
Valerian stood with blood trickling down his arm, the warm crimson a stark contrast against his pale skin. The shattered remains of a magical barrier dissolved from his shoulder like fragments of broken glass catching the lightning’s glow. His breathing was labored, each breath sending sharp pains through his ribs where the last attack had connected. The taste of copper filled his mouth, and he could feel his system working overtime to keep him standing.
Across from him, a towering figure loomed—a Sovereign Wraith draped in black armor sculpted from divine remnants, its very presence warping the air around it. The armor wasn’t merely worn; it was fused with the creature’s essence, pulsing with veins of dark energy that seemed to absorb light itself. Its body flickered between tangible steel and phantasmal flame, existing in multiple states simultaneously. Its helm had no face, only a writhing void that screamed power with every breath it took.
The temperature in the chamber had dropped noticeably since its arrival, and frost was beginning to form on the walls despite the magical heating runes carved into the stone. This wasn’t just cold—it was the absence of warmth, of life, of hope itself.
"You are not meant to be here," the Wraith hissed, its voice a chorus of a hundred condemned kings, each word layered with the agony of souls long lost to the void. The sound reverberated through the chamber, making the crystal walls sing with harmonic frequencies that hurt to hear.
Valerian didn’t blink, though his muscles tensed in preparation for what was coming. His system was already running diagnostics, calculating angles of attack, probability matrices for survival. "And yet here I am, pissing on destiny again."
The casual defiance in his tone masked the very real fear coursing through his veins. This wasn’t just another enemy—this was a Sovereign-class entity, something that should have been beyond his current level by orders of magnitude.
Kael dashed past him, his twin swords erupting with cursed lightning that crackled and hissed as it met the supernatural atmosphere of the chamber. The weapons were extensions of his soul now, forged from his own life force and tempered in battles that would have broken lesser men. "Buy me ten seconds!"
His friend’s voice carried the weight of absolute trust—trust that Valerian would hold the line no matter what came at them.
Valerian hurled his hand forward, channeling power through every nerve ending in his body. "Graviton Burst!"