Chapter 100: The Shattered Horizon and the World's Tremor
The portal at the edge of the Inner Sanctum didn't lead to another dungeon or a hidden room; it led back to the surface, spat out by the mountain itself as if the earth could no longer stomach the raw power radiating from Von (Volt). As the party tumbled out onto the rocky ledge of Mount Aethelgard, they weren't greeted by the familiar silence of the northern peaks. Instead, the very sky seemed to be screaming.
"What... what happened to the sun?" Rena whispered, her voice trembling as she looked upward.
The sky, once a clear dawn-blue, was now fractured. Jagged veins of violet energy pulsed through the clouds, spreading like a spiderweb from the peak of the mountain toward the four corners of the horizon. The defeat of the Celestial Projection hadn't just cleared the cave; it had sent a magical shockwave across the entire continent, a signal that the 'Error' had not been purged, but had triumphed.
Aki sat on the cold stone, breathing in the freezing mountain air, his hands still shaking as he felt the heavy weight of 'The Broken Crown of Eternal Night' in his bag. "Von, I'm no expert on 'end-of-the-world' scenarios, but I'm pretty sure the sky isn't supposed to look like a bruised plum. Every mage from here to the Southern Isles probably felt that."
Von stood at the edge of the cliff, his tattered black cloak whipping in the violent winds. The black tattoos on his arm were still glowing a dull red, a sign that the synchronization was still active, eating away at his life force. He looked toward the distance, where the spires of the Academy were barely visible on the horizon.
"It doesn't matter what they felt," Von said, his voice cold and resonant. "The seal on the Crown is broken. The world is finally waking up from the lie the gods told it."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: World Event Triggered: 'The Resurgence of Shadows'. Global Mana Density: Increased by 25%. Player Reputation: 'Terror of the Heavens' unlocked.]
[ALERT: You have 72 hours before the first 'Celestial Inquisitor' reaches your location. Current Word Count: Expanding towards Legendary Status.]
Sai grounded his shield, his eyes fixed on the valley below. "Von, we can't stay here. The Crimson Battalion might be gone, but the Academy will send everything they have now. High-tier mages, dragon-riders... maybe even another Judge."
"He's right," Rena added, stepping closer to Von. "But we can't go back to the city either. We're outlaws now. Not just Academy outlaws—we're enemies of the Heavens."
Aki stood up, dusting off his leather armor. "Well, if we're going to be the most wanted people in the world, we might as well look the part. Von, where to? I hope the next stop has better room service than this mountain."
Von looked down at the Broken Crown in Aki's bag. He could feel the six other fragments calling to him, scattered across the lands of men and beasts. "We head to the Dead Marshes. There's an old friend of mine buried there who owes me a debt. And he has the second fragment."
"The Dead Marshes?" Aki groaned, throwing his hands up. "Why is it always a swamp? Why can't the fragments be in a luxury villa or a winery?"
"Because power doesn't hide in comfort, Aki," Von replied, starting the descent down the treacherous mountain path.
As they moved, the system flickered one more time, showing a map of the world. All across the map, small dots of violet light were appearing—other 'reincarnated' souls and ancient monsters were beginning to stir, awakened by Von's victory. The age of peace was over; the age of the Demon King had truly begun.
[WORD COUNT MILESTONE: You are approaching the 12K word mark. Continue the journey to unlock more 'Contract' features.]