The Imperial City of Oakhaven, usually a bustling hub of commerce and minor cultivation, was paralyzed. It wasn't just the fear of the coming summit; it was the physical weight of it. The air itself had become thick, tasting of ozone, ancient dust, and the metallic tang of blood.
The commoners were barred from the streets. Only the highest-ranking guards of the Azure Legion patrolled the outer walls, and even they walked with a visible tremor. They knew that if the talks failed, Oakhaven would not just fall; it would be erased from the map.
In the center of the city stood the Jade Palace. It was a fortress of white marble and spiritual reinforcements, but today, it felt fragile. Four separate, colossal auras were pressing down upon it, converging from the cardinal directions like invisible tectonic plates grinding against each other.
To the East, the sky was a deep, burning crimson. It was the color of a dying star. This was the arrival of the Burning Sun Emperor, riding in a chariot pulled by nine solar dragons. Every step of his beasts scorched the clouds, and the ground below cracked from the intense, focused heat. He brought with him the Law of Pure Destruction—the belief that strength was defined by how much you could burn.
To the North, the atmosphere dropped to an absolute zero that defied natural laws. The sky was an indigo sheet, and a fine mist of frozen Qi settled over the city like a shroud. The Frozen Sea Empress arrived in a palanquin made of ancient glacial ice. She did not bring an army; she brought an entourage of ice-wraiths. Her philosophy was the Law of Eternal Stasis—strength through preservation and the negation of life.
To the West, a silent, heavy mist rolled in. It was a grey, featureless cloud that swallowed all sound and color. Out of this mist stepped the Silent Mountain Emperor. He walked alone, but his every step sounded like a mountain collapsing. He carried the Law of Unyielding Mass—strength defined by gravity and the inability to be moved.
To the South, the air pulsed with a frantic, unstable energy. This was the Storm King, a man who arrived not in a vehicle, but as a lightning bolt that struck the palace courtyard. He was a being of pure electricity and kinetic force, bringing the Law of Chaotic Velocity—strength defined by the speed of change.
These were the Four Emperors. Combined, their power could split the continent. They had come to Oakhaven not for peace, but for an explanation. Why had General Malphas, a Soul-Severing Rank deity, been erased by a nameless sentry? And more importantly, who controlled this power?
Inside the Hall of Supreme Concord, Empress Yue sat on her Phoenix Throne. She was radiant, her robes a waterfall of red silk and golden Phoenix feathers. She had spent the last three days in silent meditation, absorbing the residue of Kaelen's "Guardian's Peace" skill. Her bloodline was calm, but her mind was a tempest.
To her left, standing in the deepest shadow of a massive marble pillar, was Unit 72.
He had not moved since Chapter 7. He was a black-iron statue, a piece of ancient equipment forgotten in the corner. His Star-Guard Plate was matte-black, refusing to reflect the light of the hundred chandeliers.
[System Prompt: Extreme Threat Alert.]
Multiple Hostiles Detected: Four (4) Soul-Severing Rank Entities.
Primary Task: Absorb their combined aura without retaliating.
Penalty for Retaliation: Vow of Silence broken; 'Nameless' status lost.
Multiplier: Standing still in this room increases 'Void Affinity' by x500.
Kaelen's HUD was a nightmare of screaming red warnings. His [Eyes of Truth] were processing tera-bytes of data. He saw the "Flow of Karma" around each Emperor. He saw the fault lines in their cultivation. He saw the weak points in their physical forms.
But he was a Guard. He did not act. He only processed.
The Four Emperors entered the hall simultaneously. It was a display of petty ego; none would be the last to enter. They stopped at the white jade threshold, looking at Yue on her throne. They didn't even glance at the corner where Kaelen stood. To them, he was a piece of decoration.
"Empress Yue," the Burning Sun Emperor said, his voice a roaring flame. "You have kept us waiting. A dangerous discourtesy for a minor kingdom."
Yue smiled, a cold, elegant expression. "The Phoenix does not rush for a candle, Emperor. I am here. We are here. Speak."
The Silent Mountain Emperor took a step forward. The entire Jade Palace groaned. The marble floor beneath his boots turned to sand. "We came for the one who erased Malphas. We do not see him. We only see you... and a very ugly piece of metal."
Yue's heart rate spiked, a detail Kaelen registered instantly. She looked at Kaelen in the corner. He did not react.
"Malphas was a fool," Yue said, her voice steady. "He challenged Oakhaven. Oakhaven responded. That is all."
"LIAR!" the Storm King screamed. He vanished and reappeared directly in front of the throne, his hand raised, a bolt of plasma forming in his palm. "No 'minor kingdom' responds to a Soul-Severing Rank. We have analyzed the dust. It wasn't magic. It wasn't Qi. It was... a void. Tell us who it is, or I will turn this palace into a static-charged tomb."
Empress Yue didn't flinch. She knew the Storm King's threat was real, but she also knew that a hand was resting on her shoulder.
She couldn't see it, but she felt the coldness of the black iron. Kaelen had not moved physically from his spot in the corner. His body was still by the pillar.
But his [Shared Life-Link] was active.
Kaelen had used [System Command: Spatial Overlap] to project the concept of his protection directly onto the Empress. He wasn't at her side; he was within the probability of her being unharmed.
The Storm King unleashed the plasma bolt.
It should have turned Yue into atomic dust. Instead, the bolt hit an invisible wall an inch from her nose. It didn't explode. It didn't dissipate.
Clink.
The plasma bolt turned into a small, physical lump of lead and fell harmlessly onto the jade floor.
[Skill Activated: The Law of Negation.] [Cost: 50% of the Void Affinity gained in the last hour.] [System Note: That will teach him to use physics in your house.]
The Hall went into a complete, unnatural silence. Not even the breath of the Emperors could be heard. They stared at the lump of lead.
"What... was that?" the Frozen Sea Empress whispered, the first sign of genuine fear touching her icy face. "He didn't parry the attack. He changed its nature."
The Burning Sun Emperor looked at the corner where Kaelen stood. His eyes, usually two small suns, narrowed. "You. You are not a statue."
Kaelen didn't answer. He simply deactivated his [Stealth] skill.
The room gasped. It wasn't that they suddenly saw him; it was that they suddenly felt him. The small, faceless guard in the corner expanded in their spiritual senses until he filled the entire sky. The Star-Guard Plate began to throb, a violet rhythm that synced with the heartbeat of the world.
[Warning: Target Lock Identified.] [All Four Enemies have focused their 'Killing Intent' on you.] [Response Protocol: Absorb and Distribute.]
The Four Emperors realized they were facing something that defied their understanding. They didn't discuss it; their instincts took over. They acted as a single entity of destruction.
Burning Sun: Unleashed a Corona Wave of pure solar fire.
Frozen Sea: Unleashed Absolute Zero stasis field.
Silent Mountain: Applied x10,000 Gravity.
Storm King: Unleashed a Chaotic Frequency electrical storm.
The combined attack was a cosmic event. It should have vaporized Oakhaven. It should have cracked the tectonic plate.
Kaelen stood in the epicenter of this annihilation.
The heat of the sun, the cold of space, the weight of a mountain, and the chaos of lightning all slammed into his armor simultaneously.
He did not raise his halberd. He did not summon a shield.
He stood there.
[System Status: Absorbing Laws...]
Solar Destruction: Converted to Energy for Void-Core.
Absolute Zero: Used to cool the Star-Guard Plate.
x10,000 Gravity: Anchoring Host to the center of reality.
Chaotic Velocity: Being processed as Raw XP.
The Four Emperors watched, their souls shivering, as their combined attack—the pinnacle of their 10,000 years of cultivation—poured into the nameless guard like water into a bottomless ocean. He didn't just tank the attack; he accepted it. He was a perfect conductor of their destruction.
The armor pulsed violet, then settled into a deep, impenetrable black. He was heavier, colder, and more static than before. He had eaten their laws.
The combined attack faded, leaving the Hall of Supreme Concord a wreck of melted jade and frozen marble. The chandeliers had vaporized, and the only light came from the violet throb of Kaelen's armor.
The Four Emperors stood in the debris, their Qi exhausted, their pride shattered. They looked at the Guard who had not taken a single step.
Kaelen did move then. He walked ten paces from the corner. His boots did not make a sound, yet the ground beneath them bowed in respect. He stopped in front of the Four Emperors. He didn't look at them; he looked past them, toward the North.
[Eyes of Truth] were processing a new signature. Far to the North, where the Void-Hole General Malphas had opened was still healing, something was watching. An Outer God. A "Builder." It had seen its test-subject, the Abyss, fail. Now, it had seen the test-subjects, the Emperors, fail. It was intrigued.
Kaelen reached into his inventory. He pulled out a small, white cloth and wiped a speck of dust from his visor.
He then reached out his gauntlet, pointed a single finger at the Four Emperors, and then made a simple, vertical cutting motion in the air.
He didn't need to speak. His meaning was clear.
[TRANSLATION: You are not worthy to be here. Leave. Before the real monster arrives.]
The Four Emperors did not argue. They didn't threaten. They turned and walked out of the ruined hall. They had arrived as gods coming to judge a mortal kingdom. They left as children who had been shown the end of the universe.
As the sun began to rise over a newly safe Oakhaven, Empress Yue sat on her Phoenix Throne, which was now a small island in a sea of broken jade. She looked at Kaelen, who had returned to his corner, his armor black and silent, watching the shadows.
She clutched her Frost-Lily, the flower he had given her in Chapter 7. She realized that she was no longer an Empress. She was a woman living in the heart of a cosmic event.
The Five Emperors were a memory. The real battle was about to begin. And the Sentry was ready.
[System: Main Quest 'The Great Summit' Complete.] [Experience Gained: 150,000,000.] [Level Up: 100 -> 101.] [Level Up: 101 -> 102.] [New Status: Oakhaven is now 'The Threshold of the Universe'.] [Hidden Feature Unlocked: System Map - Outer Dimensions.]
The successful absorption of the combined Law-Attacks has forced the system to re-calibrate the universal threat-level assessment.