Chapter 14: Sparks Beneath the Silence
The sky above the World Space was blood-orange, streaked with floating islands and titanic ruins that hung in defiance of time. A soft hum of ambient power echoed in the air, pulsing from ancient ley lines buried deep within the land. Here, every stone was once part of a kingdom, and every breath was a whisper from a long-dead transcendent.
Tory stood at the edge of his secured plateau, overlooking the shattered realm. He was calm, eyes closed, the swirling space-element folding gently around him like a second skin. Jim sat not far off, running maintenance on a set of forged daggers with a concentrated frown.
The first day of the World Space had ended. The top 30 participants had claimed territory. Some fortified theirs with formations. Others roamed.
But many simmered.
Especially those who had faced humiliating defeat
Within a fortress of black crystal not far from Tory's domain, three of the Celestial Fang family's geniuses gathered around a crimson table, none of them speaking for long minutes. The leader among them, Farel Fang—ranked 12th in the trials—was clenching his fists, eyes narrowed in barely-contained fury.
"He humiliated us," Farel spat, his voice thick with restrained pride. "And he's not even from one of the ruling families."
Beside him, Ezer Fang, a wind-element prodigy with silver-threaded robes, glared toward the west. "We all lost in under a minute. He's hiding something. That kind of strength at Lord Realm? Impossible."
A third member, Lynn Fang, the only girl among them, her specialty being illusions and inscriptions, tapped the table.
"He resonated with one of us," she said flatly. "He's not just powerful—he's dangerous. And he's likely tied to something far more ancient than we know."
"But not one of us," Farel snapped. "That's all that matters. He made fools of the Celestial Fang bloodline in our own realm. I will correct that insult myself."
Elsewhere, the top 10 were slowly assembling at an ancient broken observatory, a neutral zone untouched by anyone's claimed territory. Floating crystal chairs—remnants of an ancient Fang sovereign's meditation chamber—hovered in a spiral.
Selia Aeloria arrived first, robes flowing like mist. Her frost-element aura left a trail of snowflakes behind her. She looked at Tory and Jim without expression, nodding once.
Kael Zeyvorin arrived next, smirking. "The mysterious nobody and the elemental king," he said. "Still alive. Still annoying."
Tory said nothing. Jim grinned. "Still sour we beat your record?"
Kael scoffed and found a floating seat.
One by one, the others joined:
Mira Greyson, deep in thought, marking rune symbols into a levitating book.
Torr Valek, arms crossed, eyes scanning for potential combat.
Eline Vos, expression unreadable, softly humming a melody under her breath.
Vynn Dalas, sitting alone, calculating distances with eerie precision.
Nyria Thorne, tossing her spear and catching it, always smiling.
Grath Nomir, his magnetic aura crackling subtly.
Finally, the 10th entered.
He wore no identifying mark.
His eyes glowed faintly violet.
He sat near Tory without a word.
And for a moment—
Time stuttered.
> [System Notice: Temporal Core Oscillation Detected. Entity Unknown. Masking protocols holding. No breach detected.]
Tory didn't flinch, but the stranger's eyes lingered.
Just a moment too long.
Then silence.
---
Unspoken Alliances
While no formal battles broke out that day, whispers did.
Kael Zeyvorin approached Selia after the meeting.
"We both know who the real threats are," he said.
"Indeed," Selia replied.
"If we weaken them early, it opens the path. You handle the formation. I'll push the pressure."
She didn't agree. But she didn't say no.
Mira and Vynn exchanged glances. Both were watching the shadows.
And Grath Nomir? He merely muttered, "Sooner or later, he'll show it. No one hides that much forever."
---
Deeper into the Fang Domain
Far beneath the earth, hidden by a gate of celestial stone and starlight flame, an ancient chamber pulsed with locked legacies.
Ten vaults.
Ten tests.
Each one created by a Transcendent of the Celestial Fang.
And soon, the first would open.
Jim looked over at Tory. "Feel that?"
Tory nodded. "Something's waking up."
> [System Alert: Legacy Beacon Detected. Proximity ~ 1.2km. Danger Rating: Tier S. Unique Reward Probability: 91%. Initiate scan?]
Tory smiled faintly. "Let's see what this place is really hiding."