Part 1: The Breath After the Roar
Dawn slid like a golden river over Skull Rock. For the first time in months, the Morningstar Clan woke up without the sensation of teetering on the brink of annihilation. The air was electrified, not by the tension of old, but by a contained joy, a fierce and almost savage relief. Wounds had begun to close; old pains were settling down.
The central plaza vibrated with activity. Children danced, elders laughed. Warriors and disciples polished weapons, wove banners, and prepared the greatest banquet the fortress had seen since its founding. The oasis bustled with life; flowers and fruits sprouted with unknown vigor, and the river of crystal-clear water was wider and deeper than ever before.
Kael, with his dark red hair and golden eyes, watched the bustle with a discreet smile. Although his sword heart remained steel, for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to feel a little peace.
Violeta and Eris, dressed in new robes, moved through the crowd. Violeta froze wine goblets for the children, who laughed and clapped. Eris lit small torches effortlessly, illuminating the dining area with dancing fires. Their unknown bloodlines, though still partially sealed, pulsed in every gesture.
Lilith, dressed in ash and gold, walked among her kin with renewed dignity. The mutated fire in her blood shone faintly in her eyes. Cedric, Xylia, and Elowen discussed strategies and resource distribution, with the certainty that the morning of victory was real, however ephemeral.
Only Samael seemed made of a different substance. He walked among his people, greeting and smiling, but in his gaze burned the weight of vision: he saw through the Patriarch's Eye. He felt the destiny aura of each person and, deep in his chest, the vibration of the System, as vast and deep as the sky.
[System (Samael only):]
All rewards stored and ready to use.
Items: Mystery Chest, Gacha Roulette, Crystals and Techniques, Guardian Contract, Mythical Egg, Resources, Base Upgrade.
Destiny Choice pending.
Luck Multiplier active for all actions today.
Today would be a banquet for the senses, the clan, and... destiny.
Part 2: The Great Banquet
By mid-morning, the plaza was filled with tables and blankets. The clan—more than three hundred souls—sat under the open sky. Cedric organized the distribution of fruits, meats, breads, and sweets. Elowen blessed the drinks with lotus essences and energy pills. Xylia and Kael, amidst jokes and challenges, organized friendly competitions of swordplay and strength.
Seraphina, with her glittering ice crown, presided over the central table next to Samael. Her mere presence, a mix of winter and lion, raised morale. Children laughed; adults allowed themselves to weep with relief.
Lilith climbed onto a makeshift stage and raised her voice: "Today, for the first time in generations, we eat without fear. Today we celebrate the dragon and the phoenix, the void and the fire, but above all... we celebrate the blood that does not yield."
The clan applauded, cheering and clinking glasses. "To the Morningstar! To the blood and the future!"
As they ate, Samael allowed himself to observe his people, his "family," and for a moment, he felt the warmth of belonging. But even in the feast, his mind was working. The rewards awaited. And the wheel of destiny never stops turning.
Part 3: Distribution of Rewards
After the banquet, Samael gathered the pillars and leaders in the newly born Tower. No one knew, except him, what wonders and dangers the next step brought.
Standing before everyone, Samael spoke: "The System," he said, using the usual formula to refer to the 'heritage of the ancestors,' "has blessed us with treasures and trials. Today, the Morningstar will make an impossible leap. But every gift will be a responsibility, every power a shared burden."
3.1. The Dragon Tower Pavilion Samael touched the base of the tower. The black jade and red wood shimmered, sucking in the surrounding Qi. A vibration ran through Skull Rock, and every clan member felt a torrent of energy flow into their spiritual core. "From today, cultivation and martial comprehension are accelerated ten times within the base. Here we will forge saints and legends." Kael, testing the tower's aura, felt the sword seed in his chest beat stronger. Violeta and Eris noticed how their ice and fire elements became clearer, as if a veil were lifted.
3.2. Seed of the Absolute Void Law & Dragon Blood Core Crystal Samael absorbed the seed and the crystal, feeling his Dantian expand and his blood boil. The Void and the Blood, now mixed, opened the door for him to understand greater laws in the future.
[System: Potential Affinity Unlocked: Space (Latent).]
Primordial Dragon Blood: 1.3% activated.
Void and Blood Fusion: Complete at Origin level.
New Ability: "Void Dragon Domain."
Samael's aura was so vast that even the animals of the oasis prostrated themselves at the edge of the camp.
3.3. Ancestral Guardian Contract & Mythical Beast Egg Samael showed the assembly the egg of jade and gold, pulsating with an inner light. "Here sleeps our future Guardian. When it awakens, it will be shield, mount, and emblem of the clan." Lilith, eyes shining, sensed the echo of old beasts and the whisper of her own sealed bloodline. Then, Samael sealed the ancestral contract: in case of invasion by a Half-Saint or extreme danger, the Guardian could be summoned once to protect the base or the clan.
3.4. Major Luck Rune & Universal Heritage Crystal Samael activated the rune. A pulse of golden energy swept through the camp; everyone felt their luck, spirit, and power grow. Cedric saw how the understanding of formations became more intuitive; Elowen perceived alchemical formulas previously impossible. The Universal Heritage Crystal was given to Xylia, allowing her to awaken a new facet of her sealed dragon bloodline. Xylia fell to her knees, crying and laughing at the same time, as white flames and shadows swirled around her body. "My bloodline... I can feel it!" she shouted, and everyone celebrated.
3.5. Mythical Grade Technique: "Ten Thousand Mirrors Formation" Cedric received the ancient scroll. Upon touching it, images of cities protected by illusions and barriers filled his mind. "With this," he said, "no one will ever take us by surprise again."
3.6. Clan Trait: "Black Iron Will" Samael announced that, from that moment on, no Morningstar would yield to fear, corruption, or pain. The collective aura became denser, and the hearts of those present beat in unison.
3.7. Key to the Cultivation Sanctuary & Hall of Forgotten Bloodlines The leaders walked to the underground chamber. Samael used the key; a door of light opened to a space where Qi swirled in impossible colors and currents. "Here, the clan's heirs will be able to train and consult the memories of all sealed dragons and ancestors." Kael, Cedric, Xylia, and Elowen felt their own dragon bloodlines burn, though still sealed. They knew that soon, the truth would come to light.
Part 4: The Gacha Roulette & Choice of Destiny
Back in the altar room, Samael asked for silence. "Today I will use one of the most mysterious blessings: the Wheel of Luck."
In front of him, a gigantic wheel of colors, runes, and symbols floated in the spiritual air. The clan only saw a spinning light; for Samael, the possible prizes ranged from divine weapons to fragments of laws, allies, beasts, even fragments of time and space.
[System: Luck Multiplier x5 active.] [Critical Probability: High.]
Samael spun the wheel. It spun and spun, tension growing, colors dancing in a frenzy. Finally, the needle stopped.
[EPIC CRITICAL!] You have obtained:
Minor Fragment of the Law of Space (Stage 1)
Imperial Void Dragon Armor (Mythical Grade)
Summoning Seal: Spirit of the Blue Flame (Temporary ally with Stage 1 Saint power, one-time use)
Bloodline Evolution Talismans x3 (Allows awakening, partially or fully, a chosen bloodline under specific conditions)
Samael felt the power of space beginning to awaken in his body, and the imperial armor fused to his torso, invisible except for runes glowing when he channeled Qi. He looked at the talismans: one he would reserve for Kael, another for Violeta/Eris, and one for Lilith or Cedric depending on strategy. "Today, luck is on our side," he declared, and the clan cheered.
Choice of Destiny The System whispered to him:
[Option 1: Immediate awakening of the Minor Law of Space.] [Option 2: Extend the Matrix to two allied clans (maximum two, chosen in the future).] [Option 3: Reveal the location of a legendary imperial relic.]
Samael meditated. "I need power for what is coming..." "I choose Option 1."
A beam of white and violet light pierced his core. Instantly, the space around him distorted: he could see, feel, and manipulate distances, trajectories, and voids in a primitive, yet incredibly dangerous way.
[System: Minor Law of Space, Stage 1, Unlocked.]
Your Blood/Void/Space talent is in synergy phase.
Future Time awakening will be easier.
Effects: Spatial movement and attack techniques available in combat.
Part 5: Clan Scenes and Development
The rest of the day was feasting and training. Children learned to summon small fires or frosts in controlled games. Kael and Samael practiced swordsmanship, their sword seeds resonating. Violeta, with the blessing of the Black Iron Will, dared to use frost in new ways, glimpsing the potential of space. Cedric and Xylia tested the Hall of Bloodlines; both felt strange memories, voices of dragons and ancestors whispering their names to them. Lilith, in the fire chamber, meditated on her sealed bloodline. Ash flames danced around her, and for a moment, a distant voice—familiar and terrifying—promised her that her true power would soon be needed. Eris, alongside Violeta, shared dreams of fire and destruction, recognizing for the first time the fear and hope of being part of an unknown bloodline. Even the humblest members of the clan, upon training, felt how the world accepted them again instead of rejecting them.
Part 6: Anticipating the Storm — Rumors and Espionage
While the clan celebrated, scouts and spies returned with alarming news. "The Valois army moves!" announced a scout, covered in dust. "The Shadow of the Dunes has crossed the river. They say two Half-Saint ancestors and Origin executors advance with him. Patriarch Valois has sworn to destroy the Tower and capture Samael alive."
Cedric, Xylia, and Samael met in a war council. "They won't just come for us," warned Cedric. "They will seek to erase the very idea of rebellion in the desert." "And Alaric," added Samael, somber. "My shadow, his most precious son, will be the executioner who craves glory."
A messenger arrived panting from the border: "Banners of the Purple Light Sect have been seen! Two Saints and several Half-Saints have been sighted at the border. The entire continent is watching us."
Samael felt his heart accelerate. "My awakening has attracted all eyes. But today... I will not yield the throne."
Part 7: The Vow Under the Moon
That night, before the battle, Samael gathered the clan. Under the starry sky, the Dragon Tower shining behind them, he asked for silence.
"Tomorrow, the world will come for us. If we fall, we fall like dragons; if we win, we will change history. I cannot promise you that no one will die. But I swear that my blood will be the first and the last to stain these stones."
Kael raised his sword. "Morningstar will never fall!"
Violeta and Eris, together, responded: "No one will break our family!"
Lilith, with a voice of ash and fire, shouted: "Death is not the end for us!"
The entire clan responded: "WE ARE DRAGON AND VOID!" "WE ARE BLOOD AND WILL!" "WE ARE MORNINGSTAR!"
In the subsequent silence, Samael raised his gaze to the sky, the Patriarch's Eye seeing farther than ever: The Valois army marching, the Shadow of the Dunes gliding between the dunes, the Saints of the Purple Light Sect watching from their celestial throne, and the destiny of the continent changing shape in the dawn mist.
[END OF CHAPTER 24]