the null province was a fortress of ash and iron under a sky that flickered like a dying screen.
Kael stood at the Iron Wall's edge, its jagged spikes casting long shadows across the Shadow Trenches.
The Law Amplifier's pillars glowed faintly in the Research Hall, their hum vibrating through the ground.
Veera paced nearby, her spear tapping rhythmically, while the Ashbound Veteran stood motionless, his red glow steady.
Three Ashbound Militia patrolled the perimeter, their blades gleaming under the sigil's blue light.
Kael's screen pulsed:
[LAW AMPLIFIER: 62% COMPLETE, 5 HOURS REMAINING]
[SYSTEM AUDIT RISK: 42% WITH CORE STABILIZER]
[NEXUS BREACH SIGNATURE: 68 HOURS OUT]
[LAW OF THE FIRST SOVEREIGN: 5/10]
The air shifted, heavy with static.
A figure emerged from the fog—tall, cloaked in gray, with eyes like burning jade.
Sovereign Rekh.
No envoy, no guards. His presence made the system glitch, Kael's screen flickering.
[SOVEREIGN DETECTED: REKH OF THE BLEED, RANK E]
[LAWS ACTIVE: "ALL ENEMIES WHO BLEED IN MY LAND SHALL WEAKEN,"
"FEAR SPREADS FASTER THAN FIRE"]
Rekh stopped at the trenches' edge.
"You're bold, Kael Draven," he said, voice low, like rustling leaves. "Defying Virel and the system in one breath."
Kael gripped his blade. "You wanted to talk. So talk."
Rekh's eyes scanned the Iron Wall, then the Watchtower. "Virel's Nexus Breach will unravel your Laws. It's a system override, built to erase territories. My Laws can weaken his forces, but I need your strength to hold the line."
[INSTINCTIVE REWRITE: LAW DETECTION ACTIVE]
Rekh's threads appeared on Kael's screen—intricate, but brittle under pressure.
Kael's fingers twitched, tempted to rewrite them, but the system flared:
[WARNING: THREAD MANIPULATION RISK—AUDIT ESCALATION]
[WATCHER CLASS REASSESSMENT: 44 HOURS]
Veera stepped forward, spear lowered.
"Why trust you? You hide while Virel hunts us."
Rekh's gaze didn't waver.
"I've survived three Breaches. I know their code. Refuse me, and Virel's weapon will shred your province in days."
Kael opened the Research Hall interface, checking resources:
[RESOURCE STOCK: STONE x15, IRON x5, WORKER SOUL x1]
[AVAILABLE BUILD: SIGNAL DISRUPTOR]
[EFFECT: -20% ENEMY SYSTEM ACCURACY, +10% LAW RESISTANCE]
[COST: STONE x10, IRON x5, WORKER SOUL x1]
"Build it," Kael ordered.
Worker Souls materialized, weaving code into a spire near the Watchtower. Its pulse clashed with the Law Amplifier's hum, sending static across his screen.
Rekh tilted his head. "You're preparing for war, not alliance."
"I'm preparing for both," Kael said. "Join me, and we face Virel together. Betray me, and my Laws will break you first."
The Ash Throne pulsed, its whisper sharp:
They fear your threads.
A tremor shook the ground. Kael's screen screamed:
[NEXUS BREACH SIGNATURE: ACCELERATING, 60 HOURS OUT]
[ANOMALY DETECTED: CRIMSON VALE FORCES MOBILIZING]
[UNITS: 50+, TIER D–C]
Rekh's eyes darkened. "Virel's moving faster. Accept my alliance, or we're both dust."
Kael's Lawcraft Interface flickered, a new slot glowing.
The system's gaze tightened, but the Throne's voice was louder:
Write their ruin.
He stared at Rekh, then the horizon, where Crimson Vale's sigil glowed faintly.
Time was running out.
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[END OF CHAPTER - 13]
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