Chapter 239: Rank 3, 9-Star.

Korr’s body dissolved.

His charred flesh, melted metal tattoos, and ruined hands crumbled into ash.

Tsssss.

A Diamond Chest appeared above the ashes.

It hovered in the air, slowly spinning as light scattered across its polished surface.

Holden collected it before the light could spread further. The chest vanished into his System Inventory, leaving only the ash behind.

[Diamond Chest Acquired!]

[Stored in System Inventory.]

He dismissed the Eclipse-Sun Sword, and the burning blade disappeared from his hand. Without its black and crimson flames, the courtyard grew darker, leaving the furnaces as the main source of light. They continued to roar along the canyon walls, pouring heat into the air even though the man who had powered the foundry was dead.

His earpiece crackled.

"Master Voss." Cora’s voice came through, professional but slightly strained. "The lower levels are clear. We’ve extracted all the prisoners. Two hundred and twelve Vanguard soldiers in total, with forty-seven critically injured. The others can walk. We’re taking them through the service tunnel to the canyon exit."

"How long until everyone is clear?"

"About seven minutes."

"Renna, status?"

"I’m covering the exit!" Renna answered immediately. "Nobody’s getting past me without an arrow! Well, except our prisoners, obviously. I’m not shooting them. I’m talking about the bad guys, Master Voss. You know what I mean!"

Holden couldn’t help smiling. "I know what you mean, Renna."

"Good! Just making sure. I’m doing a great job out here!"

"Holden," Emric cut in. His voice was steady, though Holden could hear the urgency beneath it. "Korr’s death has shut down the foundry’s defensive enchantments. The furnaces are running on leftover heat, and the pipes are starting to fail. Parts of the structure are already unstable. We should have everyone out within fifteen minutes, preferably sooner."

"Understood. Get everyone to the jet. I’ll meet you there."

Holden looked across the courtyard. Ash covered the ground, scattered armor and weapons lay between the cracked iron plates, and the walls Korr had tried to use as a crushing trap had been blasted back into place. The battle had left the foundry barely recognizable, and the damage was still spreading.

The System was finishing its calculations.

This hadn’t been a fight against Korr alone. The rewards included the guards caught in the initial Hellfire Cleave, the squads Holden had cut down in the courtyard, and the fifty stronger mercenaries he had knocked out with the Kinetic-Nova Bracer.

Now the final tally appeared.

DING! DING! DING!

[Foundry Engagement: Complete Results]

[Imperial Guards (Rank 1, 1-4-Star) Defeated: x2,847]

[Imperial Enforcers (Rank 2, 1-3-Star) Defeated: x47]

[Master Korr (Rank 4, 1-Star) Defeated: x1]

[Foundry Destroyed: Structural Demolition Bonus!]

[Base KP Earned: 359,000]

[2x KP Booster Active! KP Doubled!]

[+718,000 KP!]

[Diamond Chest Passive Bonus: +1,000 KP!]

[Total KP: 1,699,290]

Holden stared at the total.

He had crossed one million KP before, back in the Nightmare Dungeon, when the 10,000x multiplier and the sixfold Nightmare boost had pushed his balance beyond seven figures. That had been the result of a special System event, though. This time was different.

He had earned every point through combat, taking down an entire garrison and defeating a Rank 4 cultivator who had believed his fortress was impossible to breach.

The number remained in his vision, waiting for him to decide what to do with it.

Holden already knew.

"Team Soup, this is Voss. Mission complete. Korr is dead, the foundry is out of commission, and all prisoners have been extracted. Head for the jet. We’re leaving."

With that, he turned toward the canyon exit. Behind him, the foundry continued to fall apart. Pipes burst, assembly lines slowed to a halt, and the furnaces began to lose their glow. The place that had supplied weapons to an army of monsters was finally dying, its master gone and its power source cut off.

The jet was waiting at the landing strip three miles away. By the time Holden arrived, the rest of the team had already brought the rescued soldiers aboard. The injured lay on makeshift stretchers in the cargo hold, while those who could walk sat nearby, staring blankly at the floor. They had been dragged through a nightmare for who knew how long, and some still seemed unable to believe they were finally free.

Emric stood near the front of the hold, organizing the prisoners according to the severity of their injuries. His 10x cognitive buff helped him process the situation quickly, but even he couldn’t make up for the lack of proper medical equipment. He was doing the best he could with what they had.

At the rear ramp, Renna kept her bow in hand and watched the canyon entrance, just in case anyone tried to follow them. Lyra moved among the injured, using her frost energy to cool fevers and ease the pain of their wounds. Her expression remained serious, but she treated each soldier with patience, understanding what it meant to suffer while being powerless to stop it.

Cora and Sera stood near the entrance to the cargo hold, their swords sheathed but within easy reach. Their part in the mission was finished, yet neither seemed ready to relax until the jet was safely in the air.

Holden stepped aboard.

"Pilot, get us airborne. We’re heading back to the Capital."

"Copy, General. We’ll be in the air in two minutes."

The engines roared to life, and the cargo hold began to vibrate as the jet prepared for takeoff. The rescued soldiers settled into their places while Team Soup found seats wherever they could.

Holden remained standing.

He made his way toward the rear of the aircraft, passing the Twins, the stacked equipment, and the storage lockers before stopping outside the small bathroom.

Privacy.

He stepped inside and locked the door.

The mirror reflected a tired-looking man in scorched Phantom-Weave Armor. His black eyes looked calm, though he had just destroyed a fortress, killed its master, and secured the release of more than two hundred captured soldiers.

Now he was about to make a decision that would change his strength completely.

Holden opened his System interface.

[Current KP: 1,699,290]

[Multiplier: 10,000x]

[KP Booster: 2x Active]

[Fighter Rank: Rank 3 (8-Star)]

He selected the Direct Breakthrough menu and scrolled through the available upgrades. The costs increased as he moved past the lower stars, eventually reaching the option he had been waiting for.

[Direct Breakthrough: Rank 3, 8-Star to 9-Star]

[Cost: 1,000,000 KP]

[Current Balance: 1,699,290 KP]

[Remaining After Purchase: 699,290 KP]

[Confirm? Y/N]

One million KP for a single star.

It was the most expensive individual upgrade he had purchased so far, costing more than his previous breakthroughs. After spending so much to reach his current level, he would be giving up most of the points he had just earned.

But the remaining targets on Vespera’s list were all Rank 4 cultivators. The weakest was a 1-Star, and Holden needed every advantage he could get before facing them. Rank 3, 9-Star was the highest level a cultivator could reach without crossing into Rank 4. It was the final stage before the body and its energy underwent a much greater transformation.

He couldn’t afford to stop short of that peak.

Before confirming, Holden checked his foundation stability. His 8-Star foundation had been given time to settle through days of combat and repeated energy circulation. The System’s assessment returned a stability rating of ninety-six percent.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was sufficient.

Holden took one last look at the cost.

"Confirm."

The System deducted the points.

[1,000,000 KP Deducted.]

[Current KP: 699,290]

[Breakthrough Initiating.]

The energy hit him.

This breakthrough felt different from the others. Instead of a sudden surge or an explosive burst of power, the energy settled into his body like an enormous weight. It pressed inward, tightening around his muscles and bones until even his teeth began to ache.

The golden energy flowed into his cultivation core, but the core didn’t grow larger. It became denser, packing more power into the same space. Every part of it seemed to tighten, as though the energy inside had been compressed until it could barely be contained.

Holden clenched his jaw and endured the pressure.

His Aether-Steel body responded next. The material reinforcing his bones, muscles, and skin grew denser, strengthening the structure that had already allowed him to withstand attacks that would have crushed an ordinary cultivator. The change wasn’t dramatic on the outside, but he could feel the difference in every part of his body.

The System began updating his attributes.

[Aether-Steel Density: Maximum Mortal Threshold]

[Energy Capacity: Maximum Mortal Threshold]

[Physical Force Output: Maximum Mortal Threshold]

[Movement Speed: Maximum Mortal Threshold]

[Recovery Rate: Maintained at 2x (Star Core Elixir)]

Maximum.

Every major attribute had reached the highest level available within Rank 3.

The Star Core Elixir’s recovery effect surged as his body processed the breakthrough. The ring on his finger pulsed rapidly, helping sustain the flow of energy. His Ember-Silk Cloak tightened against his skin as its enchantment worked to control the rising heat.

The artifacts he carried began to respond as well. The Blood-Amber Ring glowed, the Kinetic-Nova Bracer vibrated against his forearm, and the Sovereign’s Pendant shone under his clothes. Even the Echo-Mirror inside his Inventory hummed as its enchantment adjusted to the change in its owner’s power.

Holden had reached the absolute limit of what his body could hold without advancing to the next major realm.

The bathroom mirror cracked.

A thin fracture appeared in the center, then spread outward in a web of broken lines. The pressure radiating from Holden’s body had become too much for the glass to withstand.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The sink rattled against the wall, and the toilet lid began to vibrate. The thin metal panels surrounding the bathroom groaned under the pressure of his aura, flexing slightly as the confined space filled with his dense energy.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the pressure eased.

The breakthrough was complete.

[Rank 3, 9-Star Achieved!]

[Major Realm Breakthrough Available!]

[Breakthrough Complete!]

[Current KP: 699,290]

[Multiplier: 10,000x]

[KP Booster: 2x Active]

[Fighter Rank: Rank 3 (9-Star)]

A new notification appeared.

Unlike the usual System messages, this one glowed with deep golden light. The lettering was sharp and distinct, carrying the same weight as the warning that had once informed him of the danger associated with the millionfold multiplier.

═══════════════════════════════════

[CONGRATULATIONS.]

[Host has reached the Peak of Rank 3.]

[9-Star: The Mortal Limit.]

[No further star advancements are available within Rank 3.]

[Next Upgrade Available: Major Realm Breakthrough to Rank 4.]

[Realm: Kings.]

[Cost: 1,500,000 KP.]

[Prerequisite: None. Host may attempt breakthrough at any time.]

[WARNING: Rank 4 Breakthrough involves fundamental transformation of host’s energy architecture. The process is irreversible and will permanently alter the host’s physical and spiritual nature.]

═══════════════════════════════════

Rank 4.

The Realm of Kings.

It was the realm of Emperors, the level Vespera had reached and Aldous occupied. It was also the realm General Balthazar carried with the same weight as a mountain, a level of power that separated the strongest cultivators from everyone below them.

And now Holden knew exactly what he needed to reach it.

One million, five hundred thousand KP.

His current balance was only 599,290.

He was short by 900,710 points, nearly another million. After finally reaching the peak of Rank 3, the next step was already demanding a fortune of its own.

Still, the climb had brought him closer than ever before. Three names had been crossed off Vespera’s list, and four remained. Each target was a Rank 4 cultivator, and defeating them would bring him closer to the points he needed.

Holden studied his reflection in the cracked mirror.

Dozens of broken images stared back at him. He could still see the boy from the slums, the student who had once struggled to survive, the disciple who had inherited Vespera’s unfinished business, and the general who now hunted the people responsible for her death.

He was still the same person, but the power he carried had changed everything.

Holden reached into his Inventory and retrieved Vespera’s journal. The leather-bound cover was worn, and the sharp handwriting inside remained as clear as ever. He opened it to the page listing the fourth target.

4. Master Korr. Rank 4, 1-Star. Earth and metal manipulation. Location: Iron-Blood Empire, western frontier.

He took out the same military-issue pen he had used to mark the previous names. With a steady hand, he drew a line through Korr’s entry.

Four down.

Three remaining.

Holden closed the journal and returned it to his Inventory. The cracked mirror still showed fragments of his face, but he no longer needed to study them. The past had brought him here, and the remaining names would decide how far he went from this point.

He unlocked the bathroom door and stepped outside.

The cargo hold had grown quiet. Most of the rescued soldiers were asleep, exhausted after everything they had endured. Team Soup was resting nearby, and the jet hummed steadily as it carried them through the night toward the Capital.

Nobody knew what had happened inside the bathroom.

Holden intended to keep it that way for now. His breakthrough was a personal matter, and there was no need to announce it before he understood the full extent of his new strength.

He found an empty seat and settled into it.

Even sitting still, he could feel the difference. His body hadn’t become noticeably larger or heavier, but the energy inside him was far denser than before. The power pressed against his surroundings, creating a faint shimmer in the air whenever he focused on it.

Rank 3, 9-Star.

The absolute peak of the mortal realm.

For now, he had reached the highest point available to him without crossing into the Realm of Kings. The next breakthrough would demand another 1,500,000 KP and transform him in ways he couldn’t yet predict.

Holden closed his eyes and allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

He wasn’t finished. Not even close.

But he had come a long way from the boy nobody expected to survive, and the people still standing in his way had no idea how much stronger he had become.

The jet flew on through the night.