Chapter 386: The Fall of Light

WHOOSH!

King Alaric transformed into a streak of golden light, his body propelled by the sheer density of his Light Rule Power. He closed the distance between himself and Kael in an instant, his longsword aimed directly at Kael’s throat.

Crackle!

Kael activated Lightning Body, his form dissolving into a flash of blue-white electricity. He shot backward, zigzagging through the air at blinding speed. But Alaric was faster. The Light Rule was the fastest of all elemental laws, and Alaric had spent decades mastering it.

BZZZT!

Alaric raised his palm, unleashing a devastating technique. "Light Rule: Solar Lance!"

A massive, concentrated spear of golden light erupted from his hand. It was over fifty meters long, impossibly thin, and radiated a heat so intense that the frozen air around it instantly vaporized. The lance tore through the sky, leaving a trail of shimmering afterimages.

Kael spun mid-air, bringing his hands together. His flame rule power blazed to life—the Demonic Asura Lotus Flame mixed with his demonic mana. It was only at the Second Step: Resonance, weaker than his other rule powers, but the Heavenly Flame’s sheer destructive output made up for it.

FWOOSH!

The flames condensed into a massive, multi-layered lotus. The petals were blades of purple-black fire, each one capable of melting through steel.

"Destroyer Lotus!"

CRASH-BOOOOOM!

The lotus collided with the Solar Lance. The explosion was apocalyptic. A massive shockwave of fire and light expanded outward, obliterating everything in its path. The frozen cliffs below shattered into dust. The snow vaporized instantly. A massive crater, over a hundred meters wide, was carved into the earth.

CRASH! CRASH!

Both Kael and Alaric were sent hurtling backward by the blast. Kael slammed into a mountain, his body creating a deep crater in the rock. Alaric tumbled through the air, his golden armor cracked and smoking, but he quickly stabilized himself.

Cough! Kael spat out a mouthful of blood, pushing himself out of the rubble. His Tier 1 armor was flickering, the runes struggling to maintain their integrity after multiple hits from this rank 2 Origin realm cultivator.

Before Alaric could recover, Bjorn appeared behind him. The Frost-Blooded King had climbed out of the rubble, his body covered in wounds, but his eyes burned with determination. He raised his greataxe, the blade glowing with absolute-zero frost.

"Frost Rule: Glacier’s Edge!"

SWISH!

He swung the axe in a massive arc, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of absolute zero. The attack froze the very air, creating a wall of jagged ice that slammed into Alaric’s back.

CRACK!

Alaric’s armor absorbed most of the blow, but the sheer force pushed him forward, his body skidding across the air. He spun around, his eyes blazing with fury. "You insects! I’ll—"

But Kael was already waiting.

WHOOSH!

Kael appeared directly in front of Alaric, his right Shadow Slayer blade pointed straight at the King’s heart. The tip of the blade glowed with a terrifying, swirling mixture of energies—dual intent, dark mana, lightning mana, gravity mana, and the purple-black flames of the Asura Lotus.

Kael murmured, his voice cold and final: "Sky Rending Technique, Sixth Form: Eclipse."

FWOOSH!

A massive, concentrated beam of dark energy shot forward from the blade. It was impossibly fast—a straight line of pure, destructive force that tore through the air like a divine spear. The attack was reminiscent of a legendary technique from another world, a death thrust that could pierce through anything in its path.

Alaric’s eyes widened in absolute terror. He twisted his body, trying to dodge, but the attack was too fast. The beam grazed his shoulder, tearing through his golden armor and obliterating his left arm from the shoulder down.

"AHHHHHHH!" Alaric screamed, his body convulsing in agony.

SLASH!

Bjorn appeared behind him, his greataxe carving a deep, brutal gash across Alaric’s back. Blood sprayed into the air.

THUD.

Alaric fell to his knees, his body trembling, his golden aura flickering weakly.

Kael landed in front of him, his demonic wings folding. He reached down and pulled off his storage ring, waving his hand to release the spatial formation. The massive Rank 6 Spatial Lock Formation dissolved, the violet runes fading into nothingness.

WHOOSH!

The Void Behemoth, its role as the formation’s core complete, was sent back to the Astral Void Realm, disappearing into a rift of shadows.

Kael swallowed a soul recovery pill, feeling his drained soul power slowly replenish. He then weaved a series of hand seals, a dark formation spreading beneath the injured King Alaric.

BZZZT!

Multiple runes materialized, lashing onto Alaric’s soul. The King screamed, his body convulsing as the runes attacked his spiritual core, weakening his soul’s natural defenses.

"What are you doing?!" Alaric roared, his voice cracking with pain and terror. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Kael didn’t answer. He condensed a dark, pulsing slave rune in his palm and pressed it directly into Alaric’s forehead.

SIZZLE!

Alaric’s screams echoed across the frozen valley as the rune seared into his soul. His resistance crumbled, his will shattering under the immense pressure. The branding was complete.

Kael stepped back, breathing heavily. "Stand."

King Alaric, his eyes now hollow and devoid of emotion, slowly rose to his feet. Blood still dripped from his wounds, but he stood.

Kael smiled. He waved his hand toward Bjorn. "Go help the others take care of Alaric’s people."

Bjorn, still catching his breath, nodded slowly. "As you command." He turned and leaped into the air, heading toward the ground battle where Caelum, Garrick, Ferris, and Varkos were still engaged with the remaining Britannian forces.

Kael reached into his storage ring and pulled out a Tier 5 healing pill. He tossed it to Alaric. "Swallow it. It will close your wounds."

Alaric caught the pill with his remaining hand, swallowing it immediately. His wounds began to close, the bleeding stopping, but his left arm remained a stump.

Kael knew that Tier 5 healing pills were not enough to regrow a limb. Back in the Gra-Khazul territory, when he had lost his hand to Cassius Draven, he had needed a Tier 6 healing pill from Sophie combined with his Void Body Refinement to regenerate the limb over several days. Alaric had no such luxury.

"Return to the Kingdom of Britannia," Kael ordered, his voice cold. "Withdraw your people from the border. From this day forward, the Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Britannia will be one. Ruled jointly by you and Bjorn."

Alaric’s hollow eyes flickered with a hint of confusion. "How... how am I supposed to explain this?" He gestured to his missing arm. "My generals, my nobles—they will ask questions. They will suspect weakness."

Kael waved his hand dismissively.

COUGH!

Alaric doubled over, coughing up a mouthful of blood as the slave rune on his forehead blazed. He fell to his knees, gasping.

"Find a way," Kael replied coldly. "If you can’t, I’ll kill you and take over the Kingdom of Britannia anyway. It makes no difference to me."

Alaric trembled, the slave rune pulsing in his forehead. "I... I understand."

THUD. THUD.

Bjorn landed beside Kael, dragging two beaten, bloody figures—Alaric’s remaining generals. He dropped them at Kael’s feet. "The others are dead. These two surrendered."

Kael nodded. "Good. Bring them. We’re leaving."

He turned to his Pillar Knights, who had gathered nearby. Their faces were a mixture of awe, exhaustion, and terror. They had just witnessed their Lord—a Spirit Soul Rank 5 cultivator—go toe-to-toe with an Early Origin Realm master twice now and win.

Garrick swallowed hard, his eyes lingering on the horns that were slowly retracting from Kael’s temples. "My Lord... that was..."

"Impressive?" Kael offered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Terrifying," Caelum corrected, her voice barely a whisper.

Kael chuckled. He released his Shadow God Transformation, his white hair shifting back to black, his demonic aura fading. He summoned the Dark Wyvern, the massive beast materializing from the shadows.

ROOOOAR!

Kael mounted the Wyvern, looking down at his exhausted forces. "Let’s go home. We have three more kingdoms to conquer."

The Dark Wyvern beat its wings, launching into the sky. Kael let out a long, tired sigh as the Frostbite Pass faded into the distance behind him.