Chapter 365: Game of Thrones

Clink. Scrape.

The grand dining hall felt less like a family dinner and more like a battlefield with silverware. The heavy atmosphere was split into more than three distinct factions. Ursula and Marcus sat fuming on one end, their hatred barely contained. Beatrice Ashbury observed with the cold neutrality.

The Vorn family seemed to be fractured into three distinct factions right before Kael’s eyes.

But it was his eldest brother, Victor, who drew Kael’s attention.

Victor sat perfectly still, his posture immaculate. He was a ghost in the Vorn family, a man who wore a mask of absolute calm that made it impossible to discern his true mood. Kael had never figured him out. Was he an ally? A neutral party? Or a viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike? One thing was certain: Victor wanted the Family Head’s throne just as much as anyone else in this room.

Kael narrowed his eyes, channeling a sliver of energy. BZZT. The Spirit Eyes of the Dark Emperor activated, invisible to the naked eye. Kael’s vision peeled back the layers of reality, inspecting Victor’s core.

His vision pierced through the veils of mana. Victor’s aura was a dense, unyielding sphere of gravitational force. The man had already broken through to the Origin Realm. The sheer density of his mana was like a bottomless ocean.

Victor paused, his spoon hovering mid-air. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting Kael’s piercing gaze without a hint of surprise.

Clink. Victor set his spoon down. “Is there any problem, brother?” Victor asked, his voice smooth and utterly devoid of hostility.

Kael smiled, letting his Spirit Eyes fade. He leaned back in his chair, swirling the amber wine in his goblet. “No problem at all, brother. I was merely admiring the depth of your cultivation. The rumors of your breakthrough were clearly an understatement. I look forward to seeing how you handle the burdens of the family while our father is away at the frontlines.”

Victor’s expression didn’t change, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward by a fraction of a millimeter. “I am sure we will all do our part, Kael. After all, the Vorn family only rewards results.”

Kael then adds with a calm smile, “You know, It’s rare to see someone so perfectly composed in a room full of starving wolves. It’s almost… unnatural.”

Victor’s lips curved into a faint, ghost-like smile. “Composure is a weapon, Kael. Just like your shadows. We all must wield what we are best with.” He raised his glass in a silent toast before returning to his meal.

Tap. Tap.

The Family Head’s fingers drummed against the black wood of the table, instantly silencing the room. “Eat, children. I’m sure you can chat later.”

Soon, the dinner came to an end. Servants rushed forward to clear the plates. The Family Head gently wiped his mouth with a silk napkin, the subtle movement immediately silencing the room. All eyes turned to the head of the table.

“Kael,” the Family Head began, his voice booming with absolute authority. “For your first mission as a Sword, you will go to Planet Vaelor.”

Smirk.

Across the table, Marcus and Ursula couldn’t hide their sudden, vicious glee. Marcus’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. Vaelor. He knew of it. It was a massive, resource-rich world located on the absolute outer reaches of the Odessey Galaxy—the galaxy shared by the Vorns and the Dravens, and bordering the Churchills’ domain. The planet was a fractured world of warring kingdoms and different bloodlines.

“Recently,” the Family Head continued, his voice cold, “a Peak Spirit Soul Pillar Knight was sent to subjugate the planet. He was killed within a week by an Early Origin Realm master who rules the northern continent. You will succeed where he failed. You will conquer the planet, dismantle its current leadership, and bring the kingdoms under Vorn control.”

Marcus nearly snorted out loud. A Peak Spirit Soul killed by an Origin Realm cultivator? And Kael was only at Spirit Soul Rank 4!

“Furthermore,” the Family Head added, “you are forbidden from using the Vorn name during this mission. If you or your subordinates use the Vorn name to coerce the locals, the mission will be immediately counted as a failure. You may take a maximum of five Pillar Knights with you.”

“Six months,” the Family Head declared. “You have six months to complete this conquest.”

The room went dead silent.

Marcus almost burst into laughter. Six months?! When Marcus was assigned his planet in the Holden territories, he was given a year and a half, even with the forbidden name restriction. Conquering a hostile planet with an Origin Realm master guarding it in six months was a death sentence. It was designed to fail.

Sophie’s hands clenched the tablecloth. Rustle. She couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Family Head!” Sophie’s voice rang out, sharp and desperate. “Six months for a planet with an Origin Realm master? That’s impossible! This is a suicide mission! You cannot send him into a slaughterhouse with these impossible parameters! Please, assign him a different territory—”

“Silence, Sophie,” the Family Head interrupted, his aura washing over her. BOOM. The sheer pressure forced Sophie back into her chair, her face pale. “My decision is final. If Kael cannot complete this mission, then he is not ready to compete in this game of thrones.”

Cassandra sat rigid, her face like carved ice, though her eyes burned with quiet fury. She knew this was the elders’ manipulation. They had clearly recommended this world to the Family Head to ensure his demise.

Kael looked at Sophie’s trembling shoulders and Cassandra’s grim expression. He then turned his gaze to the Family Head, who was casually sipping his wine. Is this old bastard holding a grudge because I held Sophie’s hand earlier? Kael wondered, a dark, cynical amusement bubbling in his chest. This man’s only mission in life is to breed his women and then abandon them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ursula and the others were secretly fucking their guards just to pass the time.

“You may leave whenever you are ready,” the Family Head said, setting his goblet down with a sharp Clink. “However, the official clock on your mission starts in exactly one month. Use that time to prepare your forces and say your goodbyes if needed.”

Kael stood up, his chair scraping back with a loud CREEEAK. He placed a hand over his chest and offered a deep, flawlessly executed bow. At this point, I don’t even know whether this old man supports me or not. But either way….

“Thank you for this… glorious opportunity, Family Head,” Kael said, his voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm. “I will not let you down.”

The Family Head’s eyes glinted with a knowing, dangerous light. “See that you don’t.”

Without another word, Kael turned on his heel and walked out of the dining hall. The heavy doors slammed shut behind him.

[Author’s Note]

Hello my dear readers!

📚 3.

⭐ 4. Let me know what you think of Kael’s ruthless rise, his battles, and the upcoming arcs.

See you in the next chapter!

And Happy reading, and stay awesome!

— Your Author