Dawn painted the Palace of Eternal Dawn in blood-red and gold, but the mood inside the Grand Throne Hall was anything but celebratory.
The failed puppet assassination had been discovered at first light. Ash still clung to the royal guest balcony—fine black powder mixed with Vesper killing intent residue that even Saint-realm cleaners could not fully erase. King Alaric III sat on his sun-throne, face thunderous. Crown Prince Valerian stood rigid at his right. Third Prince Cassian was absent—officially "indisposed," unofficially under house arrest after Elaric's quiet report of the poison attempt.
Elaric stood in the center once more, Zephyr and Nyxara flanking him like living guardians. Archmage Lirien had already scanned the ash and confirmed: Vesper Patriarch's personal soul fragment. The hall buzzed with whispers—nobles glancing between Elaric and the empty Vesper seats.
King Alaric spoke first, voice heavy with royal qi.
"House Vesper has crossed every line. A blood puppet wearing the face of our northern shield, sent to assassinate him inside these walls. This is not mere rivalry. This is treason against the crown."
He turned to Elaric.
"Young master Sylvaine. You contained the explosion. You spared the palace. Speak your mind."
Elaric bowed once.
"Your Majesty, the Vesper Patriarch has grown desperate. Their house was once a proud shadow of the kingdom—founded four centuries ago by Saint Ki master Vesperion the Veiled, who earned his title by single-handedly infiltrating an invading empire's command tent and slaying their general during the Shadow Wars. But three generations ago, they turned inward. Bloodline degeneration, forbidden soul arts, and a hunger for the northern ley lines that feed Sylvaine's storm arrays. Darius's death and the communication core sabotage broke them. Last night was their final gambit. They have nothing left but spite."
He paused, letting the words sink.
"House Vesper must be stripped of titles before the tide. Their forces redirected under royal command—or removed entirely."
Murmurs turned to open debate. Some old houses that had traded with Vesper paled. Others nodded fiercely.
The King raised a hand.
"So it shall be. Royal decree: House Vesper is declared traitor. All assets forfeit. Any who shelter them share their fate. Elaric Sylvaine—your house shall lead the northern alliance. Forge it. We grant you authority to conscript, negotiate, and command until the tide passes."
A golden scroll materialized in Elaric's inventory via royal array transfer.
Royal Authority Token Acquired
Effect: Temporary command over all northern forces. Betrayal detection +30%. Alliance cohesion meter unlocked.
Elaric bowed deeper.
"As Your Majesty commands."
Princess Elowen caught his eye from the dais—her gaze steady, supportive. She had already sent a private message via talisman the night before: I believe you. Let me help bind the houses.
The court session ended in controlled chaos. Messengers flew. Horns sounded across the capital.
Mobilization had begun.
Three days later—Frostfang Pass Command Citadel.
The war tent was massive, reinforced with nine Saint-grade arrays. Maps covered every wall, glowing with real-time beast movements. Representatives from every northern house sat around the central table: Frostveil's icy matriarch, Starweave's wind-sage elders, Ironbloom's master smiths, and now—under royal decree—former Vesper shadow captains who had defected the moment the traitor decree hit.
Elaric stood at the head, Nyxara's horn resting on his shoulder like a living standard, Zephyr perched above.
He activated the new Faction Management Interface – Alliance Mode.
Northern Alliance Formed
Current Cohesion: 67%
Contribution Points Pool: 124,000 (redeemable for shared resources)
"Vesper's betrayal is ended," he announced. "Their remaining loyalists are being rounded up by royal inquisitors. We take their arrays, their shadow techniques, and their intelligence network. No mercy for the Patriarch if he surfaces—but we do not waste their knowledge."
He pointed to the map.
"The full beast tide crests in seventy-five days. Precursor waves are doubling in size. We have three priorities: unified command, shared cultivation resources, and preemptive strikes on the tide's breeding grounds in the Abyssal Rift."
Negotiations were swift—his royal token and demonstrated power left no room for haggling. Frostveil pledged their eternal frost arrays. Starweave offered aerial reconnaissance eagles. Ironbloom would forge hybrid weapons that could channel Elaric's Tempest domain.
By nightfall, the alliance stood at 94% cohesion.
Elaric retired to his private command tent.
There—alone with his companions—he felt the surge.
System Notification: Continuous War Contributions + Daily Cultivation + Alpha Cores Absorbed = Level 13 Reached
Golden light enveloped him once more.
Level 13 Milestone – Second Class Selection
Class Synergy Mechanics Expanded & Fully Unlocked:
• Classes stack additively for passives (no diminishing returns).
• Compatible classes trigger "Synergy Evolutions" – new hybrid skills or permanent buffs (e.g., Cosmic + Production class = infinite resource generation).
• Unlimited slots. Equipped classes can be swapped or layered in combat (mental command, 0.3-second cooldown).
• Each new class increases overall System efficiency by 8–15% (scales with rarity).
• Cosmic classes like Nascent Eternity Sovereign act as "catalysts" – they amplify all other classes by +20% and unlock hidden evolution paths.
• Future draws influenced by current equipped classes (higher chance of complementary rarities).
• Bonus for second selection: One guaranteed Legendary+ draw.
The wheel spun again—three cards this time, but one glowed brighter due to the catalyst effect.
Option 1 – Legendary: Eternal Array Sovereign
• Passive: +60% array formation speed & strength; arrays gain self-repair via qi.
• Active: Grand Fortress Manifestation (instantly raise temporary Saint-grade defensive citadel).
• Synergy with Nascent Eternity: Arrays now grow stronger daily (+0.5% per day).
Option 2 – Mythic: Bloodline Devourer
• Passive: Absorb defeated enemies' bloodline fragments (10% chance per kill to gain minor trait).
• Active: Temporary Bloodline Fusion (adopt enemy traits for 10 minutes).
• Synergy with Nascent Eternity: Absorbed traits compound permanently over time.
Option 3 – Cosmic: Worldforger Architect
• Passive: +70% success in any creation (pills, artifacts, territories, even minor pocket realms).
• Active: Reality Blueprint (design and manifest one permanent structure or artifact once per year).
• Synergy with Nascent Eternity: Creations gain eternal growth potential; daily +1% quality improvement.
Elaric chose without pause.
Class Acquired: Worldforger Architect (Cosmic)
Equipped
Synergy Evolution Triggered:
"Nascent Eternal Worldforger" Hybrid Title Unlocked
New Passive: Eternal Creation – All crafted items, arrays, or territories gain +1% quality per day indefinitely.
New Active: Sovereign's Workshop – Personal dimensional forge where time flows 10:1 (10 hours inside = 1 hour outside). Unlimited use.
Overall System Efficiency: +28% (stacked classes)
Power flooded him. He could already feel the northern pass arrays humming stronger just from his presence.
He tested it immediately—summoned a small prototype array inside the tent. A defensive ward that would normally take a Master Array Mage three days manifested in thirty seconds, then began improving visibly second by second.
Nyxara purred. Zephyr screeched approval.
The alliance now had a living forge.
Seventy-two days later—dawn of the full beast tide.
The sky turned black.
Not with clouds—with wings.
Tens of thousands of demonic beasts poured from the Abyssal Rift like a living flood. Core Formation alphas led legions. Foundation realm packs formed living siege engines. Qi Condensation swarms blotted the sun.
The War of a Thousand Storms had begun.
Elaric stood atop the central command tower—newly raised by Worldforger Architect in a single night. The entire northern pass was now one seamless fortress: frost-veined walls that regenerated, storm arrays that fired lightning on command, shadow traps from captured Vesper techniques.
Allied forces—over 40,000 strong—waited in perfect formation.
Elaric raised his hand.
Nascent Eternal Worldforger + Tempest of Silent Judgment + Sovereign's Breath
He exhaled.
The breath became a hurricane.
Wind screamed across the pass. Lightning chained between every beast. Killing intent threads found every corrupted heart. Judgment flames from Nyxara spread like holy fire.
The first wave disintegrated.
Then he spoke—voice amplified across every array.
"Northern Alliance—advance! For the kingdom! For the storm!"
Zephyr soared—thousands of lightning feathers raining death.
Nyxara charged—Phantom Step chains leaving trails of purifying black flame.
Allied mages, knights, and qi cultivators surged forward behind the hybrid domain.
Elaric leaped into the fray.
Micro-Reversion saved him from a surprise alpha strike—rewinding a fatal claw blow by ten seconds.
Bloodline Devourer synergy (latent from class influence) let him absorb a fragment from a fallen Shadowfang alpha—gaining temporary night vision boost.
Arrays he had forged the night before activated automatically—growing stronger as the battle raged.
The tide broke against the Sovereign's will.
By sunset, the pass held. The first day of the War of a Thousand Storms ended in victory.
But the Rift still churned. Greater beasts waited.
Elaric stood amid the carnage—untouched, robes spotless.
He looked south—toward the capital.
Then north—into the abyss.
"More coming," he murmured. "Good. Let them come."
The storm had only just begun to rage.
End of Chapter 10.
Vesper remnants scatter. Alliance cohesion at 98%. Next class at level 16. The war deepens.