Chapter 85 - The King Beyond Time
The frozen valley darkened.
The stars above lost their light.
A single golden path appeared across the snow.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow.
Steady.
Confident.
The Golden King emerged from the horizon, his golden cloak unmoved by the icy wind.
Yet...
His body appeared translucent.
Like a reflection rather than a true person.
---
The Book of Infinite Beasts glowed.
Analysis
Projection Detected
Entity:
The Golden King
Physical Presence:
0%
Danger Level:
Unknown
---
Kai tightened his grip on his spear.
"So you can't enter this trial in person."
The Golden King smiled.
"No."
"This place belongs to the heart."
"Only memories... and truth... may exist here."
---
The Frost Titan Ursa growled.
Not with hatred.
With recognition.
Its sapphire eyes narrowed.
"You..."
"I remember your light..."
The Golden King's smile faded.
"So you still remember."
"More than I expected."
---
Kai stepped forward.
"What did you do to him?"
The Golden King remained silent.
Instead...
He raised his hand.
The frozen valley changed once more.
---
A new memory appeared.
Ten thousand years ago.
The Seven Guardians stood together beneath a sky filled with stars.
Beside them stood the First Beast Sovereign.
Standing beside him...
Was the Golden King.
Not as enemies.
As allies.
The two laughed together.
Training.
Exploring.
Protecting the world side by side.
Kai stared in disbelief.
"You were... friends?"
---
The Golden King nodded slowly.
"We were brothers in everything except blood."
"The First Sovereign believed every life deserved freedom."
"And I..."
"...believed the world needed absolute order."
---
The memory continued.
A great darkness rose beyond the stars.
Countless worlds collapsed.
The Seven Star Fragments shone brilliantly.
Then...
The vision abruptly ended.
The Book attempted to restore the remaining memory.
---
Archive Error
Historical Record Damaged
Reason:
Unknown External Interference
---
Kai frowned.
"You erased it."
"No."
The Golden King's voice carried genuine sadness.
"Someone else did."
---
For the first time...
Kai sensed no deception.
The Golden King wasn't lying.
He genuinely did not know who had destroyed that memory.
---
The black chains around the Ursa suddenly pulsed.
A deep, inhuman voice echoed through the valley.
"Enough."
The snow cracked.
The sky turned black.
The chains expanded into countless tendrils.
They no longer obeyed the Golden King.
They ignored him completely.
The Golden King looked genuinely shocked.
"It found this place..."
---
The Book of Infinite Beasts flashed crimson.
Unknown Presence Detected
Identity:
Unavailable
Classification:
Beyond Recorded History
Threat Level:
??????????
---
A single crimson eye opened in the darkness above.
It was larger than the moon.
It watched everything.
Kai.
The Golden King.
The Ursa.
The Book.
Even the Star Fragments trembled.
---
The inhuman voice spoke again.
"The cycle..."
"...must never end."
The chains exploded with power.
They wrapped around the Ursa once more.
This time...
They also rushed toward Kai.
The Crimson Flame Fox leapt forward.
Its golden flames met the black chains.
But instead of burning them...
The flames were extinguished.
---
The Book revealed something it had never shown before.
Absolute Threat Confirmed
Designation:
The Chain Sovereign
Status:
Sealed
Seal Integrity:
83%
Warning:
This entity existed before the Seven Star Fragments were created.
---
The Golden King's calm expression disappeared entirely.
"So..."
"It has awakened."
Kai looked at him.
"You know this thing?"
The Golden King answered in a whisper.
"I know only one truth."
"It is the enemy..."
"...that forced the First Beast Sovereign and me to become enemies."
The frozen valley began collapsing.
The trial was breaking apart.
The Chain Sovereign's crimson eye slowly closed.
Its final words echoed across the endless snow.
"Gather the Seven Fragments..."
"...and bring me the key."
The darkness vanished.
Silence returned.
The Golden King looked at Kai with an expression that was no longer hostile.
"Now you understand."
"This war was never truly between us."
The Book of Infinite Beasts opened to a brand-new page.
Main Story Updated
True Enemy Identified
The Chain Sovereign
Objective:
Break the ancient chains binding the world.
Progress:
5%