Chapter 70 - — 70 The Skyhold Realm.
Chapter — 70 The Skyhold Real
The light emitting from the Central Way stone did not blind; it devoured.
When Kaelen stepped onto the ancient runic platform with Lyra resting softly against his arm, the stone beneath their feet dissolved into a vortex of swirling golden threads. Ren, Tsubaki, and their newly organized imperial escort stepped up behind them. In less than a second, the obsidian crags of Sector 0 vanished, replaced by the weightless, intoxicating rushing wind of spatial ascent.
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[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]
TRANSITIONING FLOOR: Floor 1 (Sector 0) ⇉ Floor 2 (Sky hold Realm)
ZONE ENTERED: The Sanctuary City of Aethelgard
SECURITY STATUS: NEUTRAL ZONE (Combat Restricted by System Wards)
---
BOOM.
A heavy pressure slammed back onto their feet as reality stabilized.
The air was no longer thick with sulfur, ozone, or toxic purple static. Instead, a crisp, invigorating mountain breeze rushed into their lungs, carrying the rich scent of pine, blooming white roses, and high-density atmospheric mana.
Kaelen opened his dark violet eyes, looking out over the magnificent skyline of Aethelgard.
They stood upon a colossal, white-marble plaza suspended thousands of feet above an endless sea of silver clouds. Surrounding the plaza were towering spires forged from alabaster stone and glowing blue sun-crystals, linked together by intricate arched sky-bridges. Floating islands carrying magnificent gardens, military docks, and grand bazaars hovered gently in the pristine blue sky above.
"So this is Floor 2 . . ." Lyra whispered, her eyes shining with quiet wonder as she reviewed out the sprawling sky city. Her silver armor gleamed brightly under the warm golden rays of two suns hovering in the upper atmosphere. "It’s breathtaking . . ."
"Don’t let the scenery fool you, Lyra," Ren warned softly, his wrist gauntlet immediately flickering to life as it established a connection with the local network node. "Floor 1 was just the tutorial wasteland for survival. Floor 2 is where the actual High-Tier Guilds and Top-Ranked Players set up their headquarters. This is the main commerce hub of the lower realms."
Ren’s holographic screen pulsed with hundreds of incoming notifications and live chatter feeds from the local player forums.
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[LOCAL FORUM HOT TOPICS!]
1. WHO CLEARED SECTOR 0? (EX-Grade Hazard Zone purged in under 2 hours!)
2. Mysterious Entity ’Sovereign Kaelen’ claims Faction Ownership over Sector 0!
3. The Radiant Covenant issuing 10,000,000 Gold Bounty for information on the new Sovereign Faction!
---
"Look at the forums," Ren chuckled coldly, showing the screen to Kaelen. "Your name is already burning through the leaderboards, Kaelen. The major player factions on Floor 2 are in a complete state of panic."
Kaelen glanced at the holographic board with cold, bored indifference. "Let them panic. Small minds are easily terrified by things beyond their comprehension."
As Kaelen’s group stepped off the Ways tone platform onto the main concourse of the Plaza of Ascension, the bustling crowd of players, merchant lords, and mercenary captains suddenly went dead quiet.
Hundreds of heads turned in unison.
The players on Floor 2 were dressed in high-tier enchanted gear—glowing dragon-scale mail, runic robes, and legendary weapons. Yet, as Kaelen walked past them with his dark coat fluttering in the wind, every single player felt a sudden, suffocating chill slide down their spines.
"Is . . . is that him?" a Level 120 Paladin whispered in horror, unconsciously taking two steps back and reaching for his sword hilt. "The person with the dark hair and violet eyes . . . his aura is suffocating!"
"Look at the girl beside him!" a female Archmage gasped softly. "Her armor radiates high-tier divine holy light! But she’s walking right beside a Void-user?!"
"And that man in the ninja garb . . ." a shadow-assassin muttered, staring at Tsubaki. "His shadow isn’t a reflection light . . . it’s literally creeping across the floor stone like a living predator!"
GLING!
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[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!]
FACTION REPUTATION APPLIED: [Terrifying Authority]
EFFECT: Nearby Entities below Level 150 experience passive Morale Drop (-20%)!
---
Kaelen ignored the whispering crowd, guiding Lyra casually down the grand marble stairs toward the city’s central administrative spire.
Before they could take twenty steps, however, a sharp, golden chime echoed through the air above the plaza.
SHING! SHING!
Six figures clad in dazzling, golden-white plate armor descended from the upper sky-bridge, landing with heavy, synchronized precision directly in front of Kaelen’s path.
Each guard carried a giant kite shield decorated with a sun-burst crest and a glowing silver halberd. Behind them stepped forward a tall, handsome man with long, golden hair tied in a neat ponytail. He wore a crisp, tailored ivory tunic over lightweight mithril chain mail, and a slender rapier hung at his hip.
The man smiled smoothly, bowing with elegant, exaggerated grace, though his sharp blue eyes remained icy and calculating.
"Greetings, traveler," the golden-haired man said, his voice amplified by magic so it echoed across the entire plaza. "I am Commander Julian, Head Diplomat of The Radiant Covenant—the premier ruling guild of Floor 2."
Tsubaki instantly shifted his weight, his right hand settling cold and loose against the pommel of his black katana. Lyra’s eyes narrowed slightly, her staff humming with a faint, warning golden glow.
Kaelen didn’t stop walking until he was merely three paces from Julian. He looked down at the diplomat with dark, condescending eyes, his hands remaining comfortably in his coat pockets.
"You are blocking my path," Kaelen stated flatly.
Julian’s refined smile twitched slightly at Kaelen’s total lack of respect, but he maintained his polite composure.
"My apologies for the sudden intrusion, Sovereign Kaelen," Julian said smoothly, stepping slightly to the side while keeping his guards in a semicircle. "Our intelligence network informed us of the miraculous clearance of Sector 0. To purge an EX-Grade Void Rupture in a single morning is a feat unheard of in the history of this game."
Julian paused, his eyes scanning Kaelen, Lyra, and Ren with sharp, predatory evaluation.
"Our Guild Leader, High Lord Aurelius, is deeply interested in your . . . unique talents," Julian continued, his tone carrying a subtle, heavy undertone of veiled arrogance. "The Radiant Covenant controls eighty percent of the trade routes and dungeon access on Floor 2. We are prepared to offer your faction an official vassalage contract under our banner."
"A vassalage contract?" Lyra spoke up, her voice clear and cold as steel. "You want us to submit to your guild?"
Julian gave a soft, theatrical chuckle. "Let us be practical, fair lady. Sector 0 is a valuable strategic asset. An independent player or small squad cannot possibly hold a territory against the full military might of the top four guilds. If you join the Covenant, we will grant you thirty percent of Sector 0’s tax revenue and protect you from the other factions."
Julian reached into his coat, pulling out a glowing parchment scroll stamped with a heavy wax seal, holding it out toward Kaelen.
"Sign the treaty, Sovereign Kaelen," Julian offered smoothly. "Accept the protection of the Radiant Covenant, and enjoy the luxury of Floor 2."
Silence fell over the plaza. Hundreds of watching players held their breath, waiting to see how the mysterious new powerhouse would respond to the dominant guild of Floor 2.
Kaelen didn’t reach for the scroll. He didn’t even look at it.
Instead, a quiet, dark laugh escaped his throat—a low, velvet sound that sent a wave of cold dread straight through Julian’s spine.
"Protection?" Kaelen whispered softly, taking a single step closer to the golden-haired diplomat.
CRACK!
The marble floor tiles beneath Julian’s boots instantly cracked under an invisible, crushing weight. Julian’s eyes widened in sheer shock as a cold sweat broke across his forehead. His breath hitched violently in his throat as Kaelen’s local Void Suppression domain pressed down upon his chest like an anvil.
"You bring me a piece of paper," Kaelen purred smoothly, his dark violet eyes glowing with lethal, god-like condescension, "and speak to me of vassalage . . . while standing on ground that exists only because I allow this realm to spin?"
Julian gritted his teeth, his hand flying to his rapier hilt as his body trembled under the terrifying pressure. "Kaelen . . .! This is a Neutral Zone! The System wards forbid combat! If you strike me, the City Enforcement Knights will—"
"The System wards protect mortals from each other," Kaelen interrupted coldly, leaning closer until his voice was a whisper in Julian’s ear. "They do not protect you from me."
Kaelen lifted his right hand and tapped his finger lightly against the golden wax seal on the scroll held in Julian’s hand.
SWOOSH.
A tiny spark of dark purple spatial fire ignited on the parchment. In less than a second, the entire vassalage contract was consumed by void flames, turning into fine, black ash that drifted away in the mountain wind.
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[SYSTEM WARNING!]
FACTION ACTION REGISTERED: Rejection of Treaty!
Hostility status with ’the radiant covenant’: declared!
---
Julian stumbled backward three steps, his face pale, his heart hammering against his ribs in sheer terror. He looked at his empty, ash-stained hand, then back at Kaelen’s emotionless face.
"You . . . you just declared war on the Radiant Covenant." Julian choked out, his voice shaking with suppressed rage and fear.
"War implies a competition between equals," Kaelen said smoothly, turning his back on Julian and walking calmly toward the grand avenue of the city, with Lyra, Tsubaki, and Ren falling flawlessly into formation beside him.
"Tell your High Lord Aurelius," Kaelen’s voice echoed back across the silent plaza, carrying an absolute, unyielding promise, "if he wants Sector 0, he can come try to take it himself. But bring enough caskets for your entire guild."