Chapter 3109: Broken Court

They passed through the fortress’s inner defenses under the watchful eyes of dozens of Grand Magus. Many wore the same deep sea-green uniforms as Chairney and Haru, their expressions were uniformly hard, their eyes constantly scanning the newcomers.

Every few steps, Emery noticed another cultivator standing along the walls or beside one of the fortress towers. Some were stationed beside ancient formation pillars, others stood in small groups, quietly communicating.

Emery’s Divine Sense swept through the fortress as they walked.

He found no civilians.

Not a single ordinary person could be found within the enormous walls.

Every soul inside South Star Fortress carried a weapon, possessed a military rank, or, in most cases, both.

South Star Fortress was not a city anymore.

It was a military stronghold that had been stripped down to its most essential purpose: survive.

The group was eventually led toward the center of the fortress.

The main road gradually widened as they approached a massive stone hall built into the heart of the stronghold. Two enormous sea-serpent statues guarded the entrance.

Inside, the atmosphere became noticeably colder.

The hall was enormous, with a high vaulted ceiling supported by thick stone pillars. Hundreds of small crystals were embedded across the walls, providing a dim blue illumination that reflected across the polished floor.

At the far end of the hall stood a weathered stone throne.

A dozen figures waited around it.

At the center, seated upon the throne, was a face Emery recognized immediately.

King Valder Pardera.

Emery’s gaze remained on him for several seconds.

The king had changed considerably.

The emerald robes that had once looked magnificent now appeared faded and worn.

There was no crown.

No ceremonial jewelry.

No royal attendants standing behind him.

Only a simple golden clasp remained at his collar, bearing the ancient crest of the Pardera Kingdom.

Even his posture had changed.

Valder still sat straight, but there was a heaviness in his shoulders that Emery had never seen before. His face carried the exhaustion of someone who had spent years making decisions where every choice meant sacrificing someone else.

Yet the king had not broken.

His expression remained firm, his features hardened by years of war. The determination in his eyes was like sunlight buried beneath a permanent storm—barely visible, but still burning.

And those golden pupils were unmistakable.

They were the same eyes Emery remembered from his first visit to Pardera.

Three figures stood near the throne, and Emery’s attention immediately shifted between them.

The first was a woman of striking, almost unnatural beauty.

Her crimson hair fell past her shoulders in thick, flowing strands, contrasting sharply with her smooth, dark skin. Her features were elegant and sharp, with high cheekbones and narrow crimson eyes that carried a faint, predatory quality. The slight points of her ears and the subtle patterns around her pupils revealed the unmistakable trace of Dark Elf blood.

Her presence was quiet.

Too quiet.

Emery could feel an immense power concealed beneath that calm exterior.

The second figure was a man with one arm missing from just below the shoulder. A long sword rested across his back.

A wide-brimmed bamboo hat sat low over his head, casting a deep shadow across his eyes and concealing most of his expression. Only the lower half of his face remained visible, revealing a firm jaw and several faint scars that disappeared beneath the edge of the hat. Despite his concealed gaze, Emery could still sense the man’s sharp attention, carrying the cold focus of someone who had spent his entire life watching for death.

Neither of them revealed their cultivation openly.

They didn’t need to.

Emery’s refined Divine Sense pierced through their concealment.

Both were Supremes.

His attention then shifted to the third figure.

The moment Emery sensed him, his expression changed.

The elderly man looked completely different from the other two.

His skin was pale with a faint blue tint, almost translucent beneath the dim light of the hall. Fine lines covered his face, yet they did not make him look weak. Instead, they gave him the appearance of something ancient that had simply chosen to take the shape of an old man.

His long white hair fell loosely around his shoulders, with several strands carrying the same faint blue color as his skin.

He knew this aura.

The Sea Tide Supreme.

The energy signature was unmistakable, and as Emery carefully compared it with the presence he had encountered at sea, a realization suddenly came to him. The figure who had appeared to save them was most likely not the Sea Tide Supreme’s true body, but merely a clone or avatar.

That realization made Emery even more astonished. A mere clone had been powerful enough to dominate an infected Supreme and even overpower the terrifying Parasite X creature, which meant the true body sitting before him had to possess an even more terrifying level of strength. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Sea Tide Lord was no ordinary Supreme, and his true power might not be any weaker than that of Emery’s own master, the Beast Emperor.

This guardian of the Southern Isles was, in fact, a Supreme Emperor-level figure.

The moment they entered the great hall, Bragnir dropped to one knee without hesitation, his heavy frame lowering with a solemnity that immediately showed the respect he held for the people seated before him.

"My respect to the Lord King and the three exalted Supremes."

The rest of the dwarves followed almost instantly. One after another, they lowered themselves, weapons carefully placed aside as they bowed their heads. The two High Elf knights followed suit.

The four figures near the throne slowly swept their gazes across the newcomers.

The Sea Tide Supreme was the first to act.

He exchanged a brief glance and the one arm Supreme nodded, before crossed the hall toward them.

To Emery’s surprise, he stopped directly in front of Soltz’s unconscious body.

For a brief moment, the one arm Supreme simply looked down at the old man.

Then a faint ripple of spiritual energy spread through the air, and spectral chains suddenly materialized around Soltz’s body. They emerged from empty space in layers, winding around his arms, legs, and torso before tightening with a metallic sound that echoed throughout the stone hall.

Soltz’s unconscious body was bound instantly.

Emery reacted on reflex, his body lunging forward.

Then his gaze shifted upward.

The eyes Emery’s gaze met belonged to the one-armed Supreme.

Everything stopped, a terrifying sense of authority descended upon Emery, locking every muscle in his body.

Before Emery could react, the Sea Tide Supreme spoke with the same quiet, unhurried voice Emery had heard at the harbor.

"We mean your friend no harm. He simply requires... special care."

Then Emery noticed it.

Soltz’s eyes had opened.

The whites had completely disappeared beneath a pair of unnaturally black pupils, leaving his eyes looking like two bottomless voids staring out from beneath his eyelids.

The possession.

The chained body suddenly began to thrash violently against the restraints, the spectral chains rattling as an unfamiliar presence surged through Soltz’s body.

A cold, shrieking voice tore from his throat.

"Is this how you pretentious people treat a guest?"

The Sea Tide Supreme’s reply came evenly, almost courteous.

"Fairy Eternal Night.. I assure you—we’ll be excellent hosts."

The one-armed Supreme stepped forward without a word. His movements were effortless despite the weight of the restrained body. With his single remaining arm, he seized Soltz and lifted the chained figure from the ground as easily as if he weighed nothing.

The possessed body immediately began struggling again, cursing and shouting as the Supreme carried him toward the hall’s massive doors.

Silence settled over the great hall once more.

The Sea Tide Supreme expression as calm as he gaze at Emery "He will be properly cared for," he said simply.

With that, his attention returned to the gathering as though nothing unusual had happened.

King Valder slowly exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly before he finally turned his attention toward Bragnir.

"You’re Bragnir, of Kharzun Hold."

A faint warmth touched the king’s otherwise weary voice.

"I knew your father. A great man. I’m glad your people made it here."

Bragnir lowered his head until his forehead touched the cold stone floor.

"Please, my king. Help my people survive this calamity."

"All survivors have already been relocated to the other planets," Valder replied. "You’ll join them when the next Rainbow Bridge opens."

His gaze then shifted toward the two elven knights.

"You may return to your own homeworld through the same crossing. Until then, I hope you’ll serve this fortress well as our guests."

Relief was visible across the faces of both dwarves and elves. They bowed deeply, the weight that had been hanging over them lifting, at least temporarily.

At the king’s quiet signal, one of the Wardens stepped forward.

The warrior bowed respectfully before gesturing for the survivors to follow. Bragnir gave Emery one final glance before turning away, then led the dwarves and elves out of the great hall under the Warden’s guidance.

Soon, Emery was left standing alone before the throne.

Two Supremes and a king now turned their attention toward him at once.

The combined pressure of their gazes was almost tangible.

Then King Valder spoke.

"Are you an Outsider?"

Emery recognized the word instantly.

It was the term used by the natives of Tartarus for those who had arrived from beyond the realm. There had been many such presences documented throughout the history of the realm.

His identity had been discovered.

Whatever that earlier scan had detected, it had clearly revealed something that marked him as different from those born within this realm.

Emery offered a respectful bow.

"Yes. I am."

"The reading suggests you’ve only just arrived in this realm," the king continued, studying him closely. "And yet you knew of Skyroot Palace."

A genuine note of curiosity entered Valder’s voice.

"How?"

After a brief pause, Emery finally answered.

"Because I didn’t arrive here by accident. This is my second arrival in this realm."