SCT-Novel Chapter 111: Astral Abyss
Chapter 111: Astral Abyss
In Everbright Academy, Elowyn sat on her bed, her mind racing.
She had been pondering what to do, and the weight of her knowledge pressed down on her chest like a physical burden.
Knowing that Cael would be in danger made her deeply nervous.
The worst part was that she did not know when the incident would happen.
The vision had shown her the aftermath: the fallen stadium, the corpses, the Wraith Princess hovering above the destruction.
She gritted her teeth and looked at the mirror beside her bed.
The white-haired Elowyn stared back at her, red eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of her room.
The reflection was her, and yet it was not.
’I need to do something. But can I?’
She was just a [Platinum] ranker. The Wraith Princess was a [Marshal] rank wraith, equivalent to an [Adamant] ranker.
Below [Origin], the Wraith Princess was one of the strongest beings in the world.
Her father, the guild master of Black Owl, was [Mythril]. The Vice Principal of Everbright Academy was [Mythril].
Neither could stand against a [Marshal] rank threat.
Elowyn’s hands began to tremble.
There was only one way she could think of to keep Cael safe. Stop him from going to Golden Scale.
If he did not go, he would not be there when the Wraith Princess attacked.
He would be safe.
But what about the people living in Golden Scale? What about the other students, the civilians, the soldiers stationed near the borderlands?
If the Wraith Princess personally arrived at Golden Scale, it meant only one thing: the borderlines had been breached.
An [Adamant] ranker had already died.
This was not a small matter. Not when too many lives were at risk.
Recalling the state of the stadium in her vision, she was certain it had been the site of a major battle.
The burn marks on the Wraith Princess suggested she had fought another [Adamant] ranker. That ranker had likely died as well.
Losing two [Adamant] rankers in a single incident would be a devastating blow to humanity.
It would be nothing short of a declaration of war.
Tell the Council? How could she convince them?
If she revealed that she had the Future Sight skill, the Council would take her seriously.
But that would mean announcing her class change to SSS.
That was something she was not willing to do.
But she had no choice.
To save the people of Golden Scale, to stop the Wraith Princess before she could strike, she had to do something.
Just as Elowyn lifted her hand to reach for her mobile, a cold yet majestic voice reached her.
"Hello... little me."
Elowyn’s eyes widened. She slowly turned her head toward the mirror.
In the reflection, she no longer saw her own room.
Instead, a grand hall stretched behind the glass, its walls lined with dark marble and silver torches.
A throne stood at the far end, and on that throne sat a woman.
White hair, pale as moonlight. Crimson eyes, deep as fresh blood. Her presence was overwhelming, even through the mirror.
One look at her could drive a person mad, as if the one who sat on the throne was none other than an embodiment of madness itself.
She smiled as she looked at Elowyn, who trembled under her watchful gaze.
Elowyn’s eyes involuntarily lowered. She could not look directly into those eyes.
They were too intense, too ancient, too filled with something she did not have a name for.
"Y-yo— Sovereign?"
Elowyn had tried to say "you," but somehow her tongue had betrayed her. The word that came out was different. It was not a name. It was a title.
A recognition of something far greater than herself.
Hearing Elowyn’s words, the Sovereign smiled. She stood up from the throne and took one step forward.
Like a ripple spreading across still water, she stepped out of the mirror and into Elowyn’s room.
The temperature dropped. The air grew heavy. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to deepen.
The Sovereign extended her hand. Using her index finger, she lifted Elowyn’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet.
Elowyn tried to look away. She did not know what was happening anymore. Her mind was a storm of confusion and fear.
But the Sovereign stopped her.
"Do not look away."
She said, her voice calm but absolute.
"Look into my eyes. I am your future’s obsession. I am what you are... without him."
Her crimson eyes held Elowyn’s gaze. There was no malice in them, only certainty.
"I am the Sovereign of Red Heart’s obsession."
Elowyn’s breathing quickened.
She wanted to say something, to ask something, but she could not open her mouth. It was as if she wasn’t worthy to even speak to the being standing before her.
The Sovereign released her and stepped back.
Looking at the anxious Elowyn, she said,
"If you are worried about me taking over your body, do not be. I will not take over you. Neither do I have the power to do so."
Elowyn’s shoulders relaxed slightly. A small measure of relief washed over her.
The Sovereign continued,
"The people with Sovereign destiny cannot die. Even if they wanted to, they cannot die... unless they die after becoming a Sovereign, which is close to impossible."
"And you are yet to become one."
Elowyn did not understand what the Sovereign was saying.
She had never heard of Sovereign destiny before.
But in the Sovereign’s words, Elowyn understood that she also carried this destiny. She could become a Sovereign.
Elowyn activated her ’Calm Mind’ skill and took a deep breath. Her heartbeat slowed. Her thoughts stopped spinning. Then she slowly asked,
"What do you want to do?"
The Sovereign smiled. It was not a warm smile.
It was the smile of someone who had already seen the endof this conversation before it even began.
"What do I want to do, you ask?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Let us start with getting rid of the Wraith Princess. Do not worry. I will help you."
"After all, there are many things you need to know before the Death Valley manifests."
She paused, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"Now, repeat after me..."
The Sovereign raised her hand. The air in the room grew still.
"From the void where stars are born, from the depths where light is torn, I call the tide that bends the sky... Astral Abyss, heed my cry."
...
In a coastal area, the borderlands between wraiths and humans.
The ocean waves crashed against jagged rocks, sending spray into the gray sky.
The air was thick with miasma, and the distant howl of corrupted beasts echoed across the desolate shoreline.
Deep within the wraith base, several [Commander] rank wraiths stood before a [Marshal] rank wraith, their heads bowed in deference.
The [Marshal] was a massive figure; his body scarred from centuries of war.
He sat on a crude throne made of jagged metal, his inverted eyes scanning the reports before him.
The door burst open. A [General] rank wraith rushed in, his breathing heavy.
"Marshal! The eldest princess has arrived."
The Wraith [Marshal] immediately stood up. He was also a [Marshal] rank wraith, just like the princess, but his status was far inferior.
He didn’t dare neglect her.
The princess entered. She had long crimson hair that flowed behind her like a river of blood, and her eyes were inverted gold, the symbol of royalty among wraiths.
Her presence alone made the air grow colder.
She looked at the Wraith [Marshal] and said,
"I have heard the humans are doing quite an interesting thing."
She paused, letting the words hang in the air.
"My father ordered me to strike when the bird closes its eyes."
The Wraith Marshal immediately understood.
The Wraith King had ordered the princess to attack the human base when they were preoccupied with something else, when their guard was down.
He bowed his head and said,
"I understand, please command me as you see fit."
The Wraith Princess smiled in satisfaction. She was pleased with his attitude.
"Good. We will strike on the final day of the selections."
It would have been ideal to attack during the Grand Summit Trials, but she was not arrogant.
Such a grand event would surely have an [Origin] ranker stationed there.
She needed more experience in the borderlands before she could challenge such beings. This attack would be a step toward that goal.
Just as she was about to say something else.
-RUMBLE
The entire space began to shake. The clouds above roared with thunder, splitting the sky with veins of lightning. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Sensing the anomaly, the Wraith Princess immediately rushed outside, followed by the others.
The sight she saw was something she would never forget.
A black-haired girl was standing on the ocean.
Above her, clouds formed and stretched endlessly, dark and heavy with unshed rain.
Below her, the water tide moved, waiting and wanting to submerge everything in its path.
All around the girl, water rose into the sky like living tendrils, writhing and twisting as if searching for something to drag into the depths.
The girl tilted her hand, and a beautiful sword appeared in her grip.
She lifted the sword and pointed at the dark clouds.
Her eyes glowed blue, burning with a cold, distant light. Her hair, black as the void, whipped around her face in the wind.
Elowyn’s gaze paused and fell on the Wraith Princess as she muttered,
"Astral Abyss: Starfall."
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[A/N: Thank you for bearing with me for the past two weeks.
From tomorrow, the Chapter upload will be based on the schedule.]
[Mon/Fri: 2 Chapters]
[Sat/Sun: 1 Chapter]