Chapter 1623: Chaos in Harland II

They waited for a few seconds before the elevator doors opened. Without another word, they stepped inside, and the doors slid shut behind them with a soft metallic hiss.

Lory sat in her wheelchair with her arms resting on the armrests. Fredhardt stood behind her, one hand on the handles while the other scrolled through his phone, checking the latest reports. Beside them, Lucas remained silent, his expression calm and composed, carrying the dignified bearing expected of a king.

A moment later, the elevator began its descent.

The numbers above the door steadily dropped until they finally reached a special floor deep beneath the palace, the Royal Secret Headquarters.

A hidden command center buried beneath Cestine Palace itself, known only to the kingdom’s highest-ranking officials and those granted the necessary security clearance. From here, intelligence was gathered, threats were monitored, and crises were managed long before the public became aware of them. Everything ultimately fell under the direct command of the King himself.

The atmosphere inside the elevator was quiet; no one spoke. Each of them was occupied with their own thoughts and responsibilities as the elevator continued downward. Then came a soft ’ding, and the doors slid open.

At the moment, the headquarters was already in motion. Senior officers moved briskly through the corridors carrying reports, while dozens of technicians monitored countless screens displaying information from every corner of the kingdom. Messages flowed continuously between military units, intelligence networks, and emergency response teams.

The entire facility operated with practiced efficiency, every person focused on their duty as they worked beneath the heart of the kingdom. The moment Lucas appeared, everyone rose from their seats and offered a respectful bow.

"Your Majesty."

Lucas merely nodded. "I want a full report on the situation. Do we know the identity of the perpetrator?" He took the main seat then cross his leg with another in an elegant and poised manner.

"Yes, we do, Your Majesty," the head officer replied with a nod.

As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Lory. His eyes widened involuntarily, unable to conceal his shock. As the head officer of the Royal Secret Headquarters, he had naturally heard the rumors surrounding Lory’s miraculous returned. However, despite the countless reports and confirmations, he had never seen her in person. A small part of him had still harbored some doubt.

But now, seeing her with his own eyes, every trace of skepticism vanished. The young woman sitting in the wheelchair was unmistakably Lory. The same bluish hair, same beautiful purple eyes, the same presence that had once been thought lost forever.

The man clenched his fists, trying to suppress the emotions welling up in his chest, and he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Several officers and technicians glanced at Lory, their expressions filled with disbelief and amazement.

Although they quickly returned to their duties, the occasional glances they exchanged indicated that the news of Lory’s return hadn’t fully sunk in.

After all, they believed they would never see their beloved princess again. For years, she had existed only in memories, stories, and longing conversations. Many secretly wished she were still alive, especially now, as enemies began to gather around the kingdom and dark times seemed to be coming again, and who could have imagined that such a wish would actually come true?

Princess Lorient had returned.

The atmosphere inside the command center shifted subtly. Eyes lit up, and expressions filled with excitement and renewed confidence. Some officers subconsciously straightened in their seats, while others discreetly wiped the corners of their eyes before anyone noticed. Lory’s return was more than just the return of one person.

It was the return of hope.

They had heard countless stories about how powerful Lucas and Lory were when they fought side by side. Individually, each of them was already a force to be reckoned with, but together, they became nearly unstoppable. Many of those present had witnessed their power firsthand during the Dark Age War.

The princess was blessed with the legendary weapon, the Trinity Staff, and the prince was bestowed with the Seven Swords of the gods. If the two of them joined forces once again, who could stand against them? The anxiety that had weighed on everyone’s hearts for the past few months was finally beginning to ease.

Though no one spoke of it, the positive energy in the room was palpable, flowing through the command center like an invisible current. It could be seen in their renewed focus, in the determination shining in their eyes, and in the confidence that had quietly returned to the room.

Meanwhile, Lory’s eyes swept the clean, high-end room with her eyes. A sense of melancholy washed over her. The room felt familiar with a giant screen attached to the wall showing A live surveillance feed from East Square. while other small screens show every direction of the situation.

The staff sat at their desks, typing furiously on their computers to check the situation. Everyone’s attention immediately turned to the largest screen. The destroyed intersection filled the view with shattered asphalt, collapsed storefronts, and overturned vehicles. Amidst the destruction, the battle was raging.

The screen showed Leon charging forward. The giant sword in his hand slashed through the air with terrifying force. The blade struck the ground, splitting the pavement and sending debris flying in all directions.

But his opponent moved. The man with the mysterious ability raised a trembling hand, and dozens of stone pillars rose from beneath the road. The pavement exploded upward as jagged stone spikes shot toward Leon.

"It seems the man gifted with lithokinesis..." Lory muttered.

"Hm, but I just read his profile," Lucas corrected quietly. His eyes narrowed as he studied the screen. "He shouldn’t be this strong."

The mysterious man’s movements became increasingly uncontrollable, his body trembling violently, and the veins on his neck and face continued to bulge horribly. However, despite appearing barely conscious, his strength continued to increase.

On the screen, another powerful explosion erupted.

Leon swung his massive sword.

A crescent-shaped shockwave ripped through the approaching rocks, shattering them into fragments. Shattered rocks fell across the battlefield, and Leon charged forward without hesitation. The gifted man retaliated by tearing an entire section of the road from the ground.

A large slab of rock flew into the air before crashing down like a collapsing mountain.

The control room fell silent, as everyone watched the battle intently. The surveillance footage shook from the impact. Dust clouded the camera’s view. For several seconds, nothing could be seen. All of a sudden, a powerful gust blew the dust away.

Amidst the destruction, Leon stood, completely unharmed. His greatsword rested casually on one shoulder as a grin slowly spread across his face, the kind that only appeared when he was truly enjoying himself.

"Show-off..." Fredhardt scoffed.

Lory suddenly realized something and frowned. "Hey, why isn’t Leon using his powers yet? Isn’t he a Lithokinetic too?"

Fredhardt rolled his eyes. "I told you, he’s showing off. He knows we’re watching him right now."

On the screen, Leon pointed the tip of his massive sword at the mysterious man. "You call that Lithokinesis?" he shouted. "I’ll show you what real Lithokinesis is like!"

With a powerful swing, Leon plunged the massive sword into the ground. The ground shook, followed by a deep rumble that echoed through the ruined intersection, and, without warning, the ground beneath the mysterious superpowered man collapsed.

A sinkhole opened beneath his feet. The man stumbled as the asphalt gave way, dragging him under. His hands shot up into the air, desperately trying to grab anything he could, but it was too late. The ground swallowed him whole. Almost immediately, the walls of the sinkhole began to close in as the rocks compressed together like glue.

The hole closed itself as if it had never existed. Within seconds, the man was completely buried under layers of soil and bedrock. Leon pulled his sword from the ground and placed it back on his shoulder. Then he waited... and waited. A gentle breeze blew through the ruined intersection. Dust drifted slowly through the air, then a second passed, then another, but nothing happened. Leon tilted his head, a look of disappointment on his face.

He clicked his tongue. "Please tell me that’s not all you got," he glanced at the CCTV on one of the buildings. He gritted his teeth, "Come on, I need to show the princess how strong I am now," he muttered to himself.

As if God had granted his wish, the ground beneath him suddenly shook, and soon the entire intersection was shaking violently. Leon’s face lit up, his expression filled with joy, "Ha, this is what I meant!"

A second later, the ground shook. At first, it was just a slight tremor. Then, the entire intersection shook violently.

BOOM!

The ground exploded beneath Leon’s feet. Cracks spread across the street like lightning, spreading through the surrounding buildings and into the foundations below. Chunks of asphalt tore away as pillars of stone rose from the ground.

The mysterious man’s power surged, and the air itself seemed to grow heavier. The buried ground trembled as if something terrifying were awakening beneath the city.

"What’s happening?" one of the operators gasped.

On the screen, the transparent barrier surrounding the battlefield began to distort, and a moment later, a crack appeared on its surface.

Everyone in the control room stared in disbelief.

The barrier had been erected by one of the kingdom’s elite defensive Gifted. It was designed to contain large-scale attacks and protect the surrounding district. Yet now it was breaking.

CRACK!

The cracks spread rapidly until the entire barrier looked like shattered glass. Then, the barrier collapsed. As it shattered, the resulting shockwave swept through the surrounding area, causing buildings to shake violently and windows to shatter.

Some of the damaged buildings eventually collapsed, disintegrating into clouds of dust and debris. Soon, alarms were blaring throughout the command center.

"The barrier’s broken!" the staff members called out in panic. 𝔣𝖗ⅇℯ

"Structural collapse detected in Sector Three!"

"Civilian evacuation zone threatened!"

Operators hurriedly relayed reports.

Meanwhile, at the center of the destruction, the mysterious man continued to scream. The veins bulging on his body were turning blacker. His energy was still increasing and showed no signs of stopping.

It seemed as if there was no limit.

Leon frowned for the first time, "...Now that’s interesting."

Suddenly, the ground beneath the man erupted. A large pillar of rock shot upward like a volcano. The man rode the rock into the sky, and more rocks fell from below, propelling him even higher above the city.

In seconds, he had risen above the rooftops. Dust and debris swirled around him like a hurricane. The surveillance cameras struggled to keep him in frame.

"Where did this guy come from?" whispered one of the officers.

Another staff member chimed in, "This isn’t true. The reports indicate his abilities are only moderate. He shouldn’t be capable of all this."

Lory’s expression turned grim. The amount of power displayed had surpassed the capabilities of a normal Lithokinetic.

"Fred," she said immediately, never taking her eyes off the screen. "We need that man alive. We need to find out what caused this man’s power to increase like this."

Fredhardt instinctively turned to Lucas, silently asking for permission.

"Go ahead!" Lucas nodded once.

"I understand." That was all the approval he needed.

Without a word, Fredhardt strode toward the elevator. As he walked, he loosened his collar and removed his suit jacket, casually draping it over one arm. The officers watched him leave the room, their eyes gleaming, as they hadn’t seen an Archknight fight in public in a long time, not since the Dark Age War ended.