The echo of the explosion still resonated in the valley air. The Altar of the Void shone with renewed intensity, its purple pulses growing slower and deeper as they fed on the vast soul essence of the colossus.
Ethan remained standing, bare-chested. The explosion had completely destroyed his already tattered robe, revealing the purple marks that throbbed across his body.
'Level 29,' Ethan thought, clenching his fists as he felt the energy course through his entire being. 'Before, you ignored me. Today, you have to send your executioners to try and stop me.'
He raised his gaze, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and ordered: "Malphas, collect every shard of steel from the creature."
At that moment, his faithful architect emerged from the shadows, his body slightly bowed as he listened to his Sovereign's command.
"I want you to melt it down with the Blood Iron. Let Aleskra see its own weapons converted into our defense… As for the mana-saturated stone, I want you to destroy it. I want nothing from that cursed tree."
"It will be a pleasure, my Lord," Malphas responded, already levitating and sorting the materials with long, shadow-like arms.
"My Lord," Seraphina spoke at his side. Her armor was dented, but her eyes still shone with intensity. "The… intruder is under custody. If you will allow me my opinion, her existence is an unnecessary risk."
Ethan smiled at her. "Stay calm, Seraphina. She can be a powerful ally. Although she is not loyal like you or Malphas, her knowledge of Aleskra surpasses mine. Besides, someone like her understands which side she must be on to survive. As long as we show strength, she will remain on our side."
Without another word, Ethan walked toward the hut where two-meter-tall Sentinels guarded the entrance.
Upon seeing him arrive, both guards slammed their shields against the ground in a synchronized salute. Ethan ordered the Valkyrie to stay outside and entered alone, leaving her with an expression of plain distaste.
The interior was austere, illuminated only by a dim mana lamp. Lyra was sitting on the floor, slumped against the reinforced wooden wall. The wounds, blood, and dust of the battle were still visible on her body.
However, a mocking smile remained on her face.
"Oh no. Is the Great Sovereign here to cut off my legs?" she said, turning her head and lifting both hands as if she were afraid. The chains made of Blood Iron holding her wrists tinkled with the movement.
Ethan crouched in front of her, staring fixedly as his eyes shone with the power of the Void.
"You hate the Tree System; I can feel that it is trying to discard you too." He tilted his head to one side. "You are even resisting its influence."
The smile died out for a moment. She sighed and spoke. "The Great Tree is like a system of ranchers, Thorne. It raises us, it classifies us, and when we cease to be useful—when we become unstable or when it can no longer control us—it sends us to the slaughterhouse."
Her hands dropped, resting on her lap. "I have been in that slaughterhouse for a long time…"
Ethan looked at her with a trace of empathy. He understood her words all too well. The Great Tree System was cruel and ruthless, and as the only system in the world, there was no way to fight back.
Being sent to the "Slaughterhouse" meant that every mission was suicidal; it also meant that every person under the influence of the Tree felt an instinctive desire to murder you.
'To survive so long in that state…' She truly was a survivor.
Ethan smiled slightly. "Then join the anomaly." He extended his hand. "The Void System does not label you. Neither does it judge nor condemn you. Here, you can grow without fear."
'It's a risky bet,' Ethan thought as he observed the woman's reaction. 'But if I can turn someone with her talent and her hatred toward the system into an ally, Aleskra will have nowhere to hide. With Seraphina as my brute force, Malphas as my architect, and Lyra... she will be my poison.'
Lyra stared at him. Her green eyes shone in the gloom of the hut as if they were scanning the abyss surrounding Ethan. There was a subtle pressure enveloping her kindly, as if inviting her to join.
Additionally, there was an uncontrollable urge she had been fighting since she arrived in the valley. A notification flashed brightly before her eyes.
[Assassin Mission: Kill Ethan Thorne]
She frowned and looked away from the system, trying to endure her murderous impulses. "And what happens if I decide to betray you later?" she challenged, though her voice lacked its previous aggressiveness.
"Then you will die by my own hands," Ethan responded in a blood-chilling tone.
Lyra let out a raspy laugh that ended in a dry cough. She looked at the iron shackles and then at Ethan.
"I suppose I have to start calling you my Sovereign?" She extended her chained hands. "Oh beloved Sovereign, would you be so kind as to release the shackles of your subject?" She remained silent for a moment and added, "Um, wait... you don't expect me to kneel, do you?"
Ethan laughed softly. He used his authority over the Void to dissolve the shackles into purple smoke. "The only thing I expect is for you to be useful."
Void energy passed from Ethan's body and submerged into Lyra. Suddenly, her emerald eyes were suffused with intense violet.
She opened her eyes in surprise, then her face relaxed as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Malphas will assign you a position in the espionage network." Ethan rose smoothly. "You will be the first to detect Aleskra's movements. Do not fail me."
"I will not," murmured Lyra, massaging her wrists and watching Ethan's back. "After all, I also want to see that tree burn."
Upon leaving the hut, Ethan found Goran running toward him, his face flushed with excitement.
"Lord!" the mercenary exclaimed, stopping to catch his breath. "Malphas has just forged the first prototypes with the golem's metal. We have never seen anything like them. The swords… they almost seem to be alive."
Ethan nodded and headed to the improvised forge near the quarry. There, Malphas was holding a heavy sword. It was as dark as night and covered in purple lines that throbbed constantly.
"I have called it the Wailing Blade," the architect declared proudly. "It is imbued with the soul essence of the beasts and the rigidity of the Executioner. It can slice through standard Guild armor as if it were paper."
Ethan took the sword. It was heavy, perfectly balanced, and upon wielding it, he felt the Void System synchronize with the weapon, passively increasing his attack statistics.
'This is what we needed,' Ethan thought, feeling the hunger of the blade through his palm. 'Goran and his men will no longer be simple mercenaries. With this equipment, they will be a calamity for Aleskra.'
He turned toward the mercenary and ordered, "Goran, distribute these blades among your ten best men." Ethan drove the sword into the ground. "Tomorrow, we begin the construction of the walls."