Chapter 21: Ripples, Rivals, and a Second Sun

Chapter 21: Ripples, Rivals, and a Second Sun

The secure communication channel between Kaelen Vance in the manifestation lab and Seraphina Volkov in her high-rise office crackled with unspoken tension. The image of the physically manifested [Eye of Analytical Acumen], pulsing softly in Vance's hand, dominated Seraphina's private screen. The sheer audacity of Vance's immediate power play, leveraging a world-altering event before the metaphorical dust had even settled, was not lost on her.

Arrogant fool, Seraphina thought, her mind working with cold precision even as she processed the shock of the manifestation itself. He thinks holding the artifact gives him absolute control. He underestimates QL. He underestimates me.

Outwardly, however, her voice remained impeccably calm when she finally responded. "Your findings are… significant, Vance. The manifestation confirms theories we hadn't dared to fully explore. Your proposal for a specialized role has merit, given the circumstances."

Vance's lips curled into a smug smile, visible on the comm feed. He thought he'd won. "Excellent, Seraphina. I knew you'd see the logic. My team requires Lab Delta-7, full priority access to the primary analysis servers, and a discretionary budget of…"

"Your team," Seraphina interrupted smoothly, her voice hardening almost imperceptibly, "will operate under the direct oversight of Commander Valerius, head of QL Internal Security. Lab Delta-7 is granted, provisionally. Resource allocation will be approved on a case-by-case basis, submitted through Valerius to my office."

Vance's smile faltered. "Valerius? Security? This is a research initiative, Seraphina, not an internal affairs investigation! My autonomy is crucial—"

"Your safety is crucial, Kaelen," Seraphina countered, subtly shifting the frame. "And the safety of that artifact. We know nothing about its stability, its potential side effects, or how it might be tracked. Commander Valerius's involvement ensures the highest level of containment and protection while you conduct your analysis. He will facilitate your requests, not hinder them, provided they align with QL security protocols and strategic objectives." She let that hang in the air. He got his lab, he got resources, but under watchful eyes. He wasn't getting a blank check or unchecked power.

Vance bristled, clearly understanding the leash she'd just attached. But he also knew pushing too hard, too soon, could backfire. QL needed the Eye contained and analyzed, yes, but if he became too problematic, Seraphina was more than capable of finding… inconvenient solutions. He was valuable, but not irreplaceable, especially if the Eye could potentially be studied or even replicated eventually.

"Understood, Seraphina," he said stiffly, the smugness replaced by simmering resentment. "Commander Valerius's 'facilitation' will be… acceptable. For now. I will transmit my initial findings and resource requests shortly."

"I look forward to them," Seraphina replied coolly, and terminated the connection.

She leaned back in her chair, tapping a perfectly manicured finger on her desk. Vance was a problem – ambitious, arrogant, and now wielding real, unpredictable power. But he was a contained problem for the moment. Valerius would keep him busy and monitored. Her immediate priority was broader. If one Eye had manifested, could there be others? And who else might find them?

Her concerns were validated less than twelve hours later. Reports flooded in through QL's extensive intelligence network – rumors, fragmented data intercepts, whispers from cultivator forums. Another anomaly. Another incredibly powerful artifact manifesting from Ascension Heaven.

This time, the rumors didn't originate from within QL. They pointed towards the Azure Sword Sect – QL's powerful, sometimes-ally, sometimes-rival. Details were scarce, shrouded in the sect's typical secrecy, but the whispers consistently mentioned a chaotic energy surge, a blinding light during a high-level sect training exercise involving players logged into Ascension Heaven, and an artifact described as a swirling orb of raw, barely contained force.

Ben Carter, working tirelessly, corroborated the rumors through backchannels. "Confirmation seems solid, Ma'am," he reported, his voice tight with urgency. "Multiple independent sources within the Azure Sword Sect hierarchy are referencing an event consistent with artifact manifestation. Chatter indicates it's an 'Eye of Turbulent Force' – capable of projecting raw kinetic energy or destabilizing existing Qi fields. It was reportedly secured by Elder Jian Feng's granddaughter, Lin Xiaoyu, during a coordinated sect exploration in a different region of Ascension Heaven's City E."

Seraphina's expression darkened. The Azure Sword Sect. And Lin Xiaoyu – a known prodigy, fiercely loyal to her sect. Unlike Vance, she wouldn't be easily manipulated or leveraged. This complicated things immensely. Two God Eyes were now out in the real world, held by two different, powerful factions. The delicate balance of power was shifting rapidly.

Ran, meditating peacefully and enjoying the steady consolidation of his power towards the Foundation Realm threshold, felt it through his [Eye of Genesis Insight]. A second distinct point of System-related energy flared into existence on his internal 'map'. Where Vance's Eye felt sharp and analytical, this new signature felt... wild. Chaotic. Like a miniature, barely contained storm.

[ALERT: Second GODEYE_SEED Signature Activated!]

[Artifact Profile: GODEYE_SEED_KINETIC (Codename Suggestion: Eye of Turbulent Force)]

[Status: Claimed & Bound In-World (Player ID: Azure_LinXY_Disciple)]

[WARNING: External Physical Manifestation Confirmed!]

Ran sighed inwardly. Of course. Why stop at one reality-breaking artifact when you can have two? He noted the Player ID – someone from the Azure Sword Sect, based on the tag. QL had the first one, Azure Sword had the second. Two major powers now held unstable pieces of his creation in the real world.

This was escalating faster than he'd anticipated. The 'Moderate' risk was looking decidedly less moderate now. He felt a renewed sense of urgency. He needed to get stronger, faster. He needed to understand these Eyes, understand the System that spawned them.

He pushed the incoming flood of Dividends harder, focusing his intent, driving his cultivation towards the next realm with fierce determination. The game had just gotten infinitely more dangerous, and he needed to be ready for whatever came next. His passive observation phase might need to end sooner rather than later.