Chapter 10
The Dead World had many places Kael would never recommend visiting.
This was about to become one of them.
They stood at the edge of a vast chasm. Bridges of black stone stretched across it like spiderwebs, each one lined with cracks that glowed faintly red. From below, a chorus of deep, inhuman growls echoed upward.
Nyx crouched, her crimson eyes narrowing. "Lord-class monsters. Four of them."
Kael tilted his head. "Lord-class? As in… the 'destroy an entire world' type?"
"Mm-hm," she said lightly. "One wrong step and you'll be a Kael-shaped smear."
Astrili, standing between them, looked completely unconcerned. "They are bound to this chasm. If we move swiftly, we can cross before—"
The ground shook.
A massive, clawed hand burst through the bridge ahead, shattering it like brittle glass. From the shadows below, a towering figure emerged — its form a twisted fusion of obsidian armor and molten veins of energy. Behind it, three more shapes began to climb up, each radiating killing intent.
"Swiftly, you said?" Kael asked flatly.
Astrili's lips twitched. "It seems they have no patience."
The first Lord-class roared, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Kael from the bridge. Nyx vanished into shadows instantly, reappearing behind the creature and slashing at its molten tendons.
Kael didn't waste the opening — he surged forward, cosmic energy already crackling along his arm. The air itself bent around his palm as he unleashed a blast that staggered the beast backward.
But the other three were already on them.
One moved like a serpent, coiling its body around the bridge and forcing Kael to dodge sideways. Another hurled chunks of molten rock, each impact sending fragments of stone into the abyss. The last one… didn't move at all. It simply stared at him with burning eyes, and the weight of its presence pressed down like an ocean.
"Any brilliant ideas, Sage?" Kael gritted out, barely parrying a claw strike.
Astrili's voice was calm, almost amused. "Yes. Don't die."
"That's your advice?!"
"Would you prefer a lullaby?"
Nyx's voice cut in from the other side of the chaos. "Less talking, more killing!"
Kael clenched his teeth and let the cosmic energy flood his veins again. The pressure of the Lords was immense — heavier than anything he'd felt since the dragon — but he could feel something new stirring inside him. A deeper pull. A tighter, sharper focus.
This time, when he absorbed the cosmic energy from the air, it didn't just build in his palm — it spread through his entire body.
So this is the next step…
He moved. Faster than before, his blade became a streak of light, cutting through the serpent-like Lord's armor. Nyx took the opening to pierce its molten core, the explosion lighting the chasm.
The second Lord lunged, but Astrili finally stepped forward. She didn't summon a weapon. She simply raised one hand — and the monster's body froze mid-attack, as if every atom had been commanded to stop.
It shattered like glass.
Kael stared. "…Remind me never to fight you."
Astrili's smile was faint, but her eyes were sharp. "A wise choice."
The last Lord didn't wait — it charged, each step cracking the bridge further. Kael leapt forward, spinning in the air as he gathered every drop of energy he could, compressing it until the light in his hand became almost unbearable to look at.
When he struck, the blast tore the monster apart in a single, deafening eruption.
Silence followed. Only the distant hum of the chasm remained.
Nyx reappeared at his side, her expression unreadable. "…Not bad."
Kael smirked. "Careful, that almost sounded like a compliment."
She rolled her eyes and walked ahead. "Don't push it."
Astrili stepped lightly past him. "You are improving, Riftbearer. But power alone will not carry you to the heart of this world. You will need… more."
Kael caught her tone. "More what?"
She didn't answer. She just kept walking, her white hair catching the faint red glow of the chasm.
Kael sighed and followed. He had the unsettling feeling that whatever she meant… he wasn't going to like it.