Chapter 141: Beneath the Scales of Eternity

Chapter 141: Beneath the Scales of Eternity

The battlefield was silent, but it wasn't peace—it was the hush that follows something ancient being disturbed.

Kael stood in the cratered remains of the void arena, the Aetherial Guardian's essence now nothing more than drifting trails of black mist. His breathing was steady. His broadsword—Shadow-Flame, newly forged in battle—radiated a low hum of devoured power.

From the far edge, Vaelyss emerged through the dissolving smoke. Her steps were slow, deliberate, her expression no longer guarded.

"You tore through its reality like silk," she said, eyes gleaming. "Do you even realize what you've just done?"

Kael didn't lower his weapon. "Destroyed your last trial."

Vaelyss tilted her head, tail coiling loosely behind her.

"That was no trial. That was a lock."

Her hand rose, and ancient sigils shimmered in the air—glyphs carved from both void and draconic lineage. Behind the obsidian throne, what had appeared to be a wall fractured open, revealing a spiraling staircase descending into nothingness.

Kael's eyes narrowed. "You were guarding something."

"No," Vaelyss replied softly. "I was guarded by something. What lies below isn't just old—it's foundational."

She approached the staircase and stood beside him. "The Elder you seek? He was merely a shadow that fed from what's down there. A parasite clinging to a buried god."

Kael stepped onto the stairs without hesitation.

As he descended, Nexus pulsed in his mind.

System Alert: Forbidden Layer Accessed — "Sovereign Sanctum."

Environmental Hazard: Reality Instability (11%)

Void Suppression Field: Partial immunity detected.

The stairwell stretched endlessly downward, the steps shimmering as though torn from fractured time itself. When Kael reached the bottom, what awaited wasn't a prison, but a tomb.

Blackstone pillars, fossilized roots, and walls inscribed with divine and abyssal runes encased a massive crystal cocoon. Bound in chains of void-metal, it pulsed faintly with life—and hunger.

Vaelyss landed behind him, her voice lower now.

"This is where he sleeps. Vaedros the World-Eater. My progenitor. The first Tyrant."

Kael turned sharply. "You're descended from that?"

"I was made from his essence," she said. "And he… was bound here after challenging the Celestial Accord. But the Elder—he fed from the sealed corpse, twisted his knowledge from its fragments."

Before Kael could reply, the cocoon pulsed. A heartbeat. Then another.

Warning: Spiritual Pressure Rising

Nullfire Core — Adaptive Shielding Activated

And then—it spoke.

"Sin-born… Crown-bearer… you carry Sovereignty."

"You dare descend into my bones?"

Kael's Nullfire Core pulsed violently, resonating with the voice. Red lines cracked across the cocoon, and a spectral form burst forth—

Vaedros. Or rather, an echo of the original Tyrant. A dragon-shaped soul, wrapped in galaxies, with wings torn open and leaking cosmic fire. His voice was pure ruin.

"You'll kneel, child."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Sacred Dimension – Wives' Side

In the pearl's heart, where time flowed differently, Selene sat atop a glowing obsidian formation, her blade dancing in lunar arcs. Beside her, Evelyne meditated, each breath sparking with starlight. Thalaria pulsed with storm energy, her skin vibrating with electricity as she tested new techniques passed through her mythic bloodline.

In a separate valley of verdant stillness, Valeria cultivated barefoot beneath the roots of an awakened tree, drawing deeper into nature's heart. Nysera whispered to her hexes, making them more insidious with each success, while Aelisa, who had reached the peak of their realm, hovered in a trance—eyes open but unseeing, her soul tethered to Kael's battle through their unspoken link.

They all felt the surge. A thrum in their bond—Kael had broken another seal.

Selene smiled faintly. "He's nearing her… the real Vaelyss."

📜 STATUS WINDOW — KAEL VIREN

Name: Kael Viren

Race: Human (System-Modified)

System Level: 57

Realm: Heaven's Echo — Low Tier (Tier 2)

EXP: 0 / 23,000

Sin Tier: Tyrant Rank

Titles: Voidbearer, Tyrant of the Shattered Path, Sovereign Challenger

System AI: Nexus (Online)

Location: Sovereign Sanctum — Forbidden Layer

Sacred Dimension Rule: Companion entry restriction lifted (System Level increased)

🩸 Vital Stats

HP: 450,000 / 450,000

Mana: 580,000 / 580,000

Stamina: 100%

Sin Integrity: Stable (Throne of Ascendancy active)

⚔️ Core Attributes Attribute Value Notes Strength 38,000 Double baseline for current realm tier Dexterity 39,000 Precision enhanced via Void-Walker's Intuition Willpower 25,000 Resists spiritual suppression and divine pressure Charm 28,000 Boosted by Harem Bond and Tyrant Affinity 🌌 Notable Traits & Abilities

Nullfire Core (Advanced): Absorbs foreign energy and purges corruption

▸ Processed Guardian's essence for full tier advancement

Abyssal Dominion (T1):

▸ Grants Kael domain-level control over void essence

▸ Ability: Abyssal Rift — tears open raw space-time

Void-Walker's Intuition:

▸ Heightened perception and pathfinding within unstable space

Soul-Forged Armament (Shadow-Flame Broadsword):

▸ Trait: Core Piercer — enhanced damage vs vital cores

▸ Sync: 87% with Kael's essence

Phoenix Mantle:

▸ Emergency regenerative rebirth. Fully charged

Throne of Ascendancy:

▸ Nullifies madness, divine whispers, and Elder influence

Verdant Sovereign's Heart (Mythic):

▸ Grants life synergy with nature-bound Union members

▸ Passive healing, status cleansing, and stability

🔗 THE UNION Name Realm Status Known Abilities Cultivation Focus Selene Heaven's Echo – Low Tier In Sacred Pearl Lunar Slashes Blade refinement, speed control Evelyne Heaven's Echo – Low Tier In Sacred Pearl Stellar Explosions Compression and timing mastery Thalaria Heaven's Echo – Low Tier In Sacred Pearl Thunderous Strikes Mythic Physique stabilization Nysera Heaven's Echo – Low Tier In Sacred Pearl Insidious Hexes Precision hex layering Valeria Heaven's Echo – Low Tier In Sacred Pearl Nature's Wrath Deep root anchoring cultivation Aelisa Heaven's Echo – Peak Tier In Sacred Pearl Sin Chains & Seduction Preparing for realm breakthrough

Harem Bond Active: +12% passive stat share per wife — applies across dimensions

🐲 COMPANIONS Name Type Tier Status Emberfang Infernal Flamebeast Cub 7 / 10 Training in Sacred Pearl Vira Sky Serpent Hatchling 4 / 10 Dormant—Sky affinity awakening 📈 Current Objective

🔥 Defeat the Echo of Vaedros, the First Tyrant