Chapter 21: The Heavens Took Notice
Lan opened his eyes as he exhaled, rising from the polished wood floor with a slow, careful breath. His bones cracked, not from pain, but change—like a structure realigning itself to bear new weight.
The world felt heavier. Denser. The air seemed to ripple against his skin, as if reality itself recognized the new thing he had achieved.
He glanced toward the tall window.
Afternoon light crept through the silk curtains, golden and languid, staining the dark floors in quiet streaks. It told him enough: he didn’t have long.
The banquet was soon.
Lan dismissed the system notifications hovering at the edge of his vision. New learnable techniques—all blinking with faint gold or blood-red glows, waiting to be explored.
However he had no time to learn them.
There was something far more urgent.
A final window pulsed in front of him. The lettering was cold and absolute:
[Heavenly Tribulation Inevitable.]
[Accept it now?]
He exhaled again, slower this time.