Chapter 52: A Seed of Ruin... Beneath the Old Crown
In the game of power, no bond is truly sacred.
Alliances bloom only to be betrayed....
A father’s crown becomes a coveted prize, and sons sharpen knives in the darkness they’ve created.
Love twists into chains, trust turns into a blade, and every hand reaches for a higher throne.
The world smiles brightly while debts are paid in blood and secrets left unspoken.
The deadline looms, madness begins to stir, and every heart braces to break or to rule.
In this cruel realm where the ruthless take, the weak are nothing more than fuel, and power is the only truth.
----
While Akasha underwent changes within his Dreamer’s Peak, the world continued to move forward.
And despite the amount of things Akasha had recently accomplished, only a single day went by.
Deep beneath the Eastern Continent, in a vast underground cavern untouched by sunlight for centuries, the sound of cracking stone echoed through the darkness.
CRRRRRACK!!!!
A massive cocoon suspended between two jagged pillars began to fracture.
Thick, obsidian-like shell fragments fell away as a deep, rumbling breath filled the chamber.
From within, a colossal figure emerged.
Krax Von’El descended slowly, no longer the undersized Titan his father Dune remembered.
In the Titan race, power brought size, and his immense form stretched upward, unfolding to its towering height of several hundred feet.
After five years back on Kalpa, keeping a low profile around the Academy of Revelations, he had finally achieved one of his goals.
While the plan with his father was to recover the Shard of Essence and return it to the Clan, Krax had no interest in that.
Instead, he used it for himself, knowing it had the power to raise the battle power of an entire clan. But with his own plans in mind and no allies in this world, he took every bit of power he could.
Now in this moment, long black hair cascaded down his broad back, and sharp red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
His skin was a deep, metallic gray, etched with faint glowing runes that pulsed with suppressed power.
In that moment, it was about more than just him becoming something new.
It was the day he stopped hiding, stepping onto Kalpa as the last surviving Von’El — an exile to the whole world.
There he stood, revealed in his true Titan form, a staggering presence of pure power.
Krax slowly clenched his fist, feeling the new surge of power settle into his body.
"Not bad... not bad at all," he said, his voice now deeper and heavier than before. A low, satisfied growl rumbled in his chest as he brought up his status.
-----
[Task complete: Recover sealed artifact of Von’El Titans - Shard of Essence.]
[Reward: World Portal (Origin)]
[Battle Power +10]
----
[Krax Von’El
Age: 28 Years Old
Rank: God Emperor (Tier 15) (Total BP +18)
Race: Titan (Bloodline: Void Titan (Above Origin)
Affinity: Strength, Rage, Suppression, Void
Divinity: 15,200
Star: The God Star of Unyielding Strength (Origin)
Decree(s): Decree of Oppositional Power (Celestial), Decree of Eternal Fortress (Celestial), Decree of Shared Tyranny (Celestial)
Innate Powers: Absolute Strength (Origin), Dominant Imposition (Origin) Unbreakable Rage Form (Primordial), Strength Thief (Origin]
---
Krax stared at his status for a long moment before speaking his deep voice echoing through the cavern.
"Over the years... my Star has risen from Greater to Origin. My bloodline has evolved into Void Titan. Even my powers have grown far beyond what they once were."
His system responded in its usual calm, mechanical tone.
[Correct. Your growth has been steady and efficient. However, the next phase is critical.
Now that you’ve recovered the sealed artifact....
Within the remaining time before the 90-year deadline, you must establish a force strong enough to stand alongside you. Without a faction of your own, your path to the crown will remain obstructed.]
Krax frowned slightly, his massive fingers drumming against his thigh in a slow, steady rhythm.
"System... you know Titans aren’t exactly the scheming type," he admitted with a sigh.
"If it weren’t for you, I’d still be the forgotten third prince of the Von’El Titans, barely a footnote in anyone’s plans. Figuring out which faction to take over... that’s not a decision I feel sure about."
[Host... then take the simplest path. The Warfang Clan is currently the best target. You will not need to scheme your way in. You only need to fight for leadership.]
Krax was quiet for a few seconds before nodding.
"...That works perfectly then."
He slowly raised his head, his crimson eyes narrowing as he looked toward a far corner of the cavern.
A cold smile formed on his lips.
"So, are you going to keep hiding?" he asked, voice rumbling like distant thunder. "You should have just killed me while I was evolving. It would have been smarter."
----
In the shadows, two figures stiffened.
They wore the uniforms of the Academy of Revelations.
The leaner one slowly turned his head toward his companion, eyes wide with disbelief.
The broader man’s jaw tightened, his hand instinctively moving toward his weapon.
’How...?’
’How did he know we were here?’
They didn’t even have time to process their shock.
Hearing that no answer had come Krax’s eyes glowed brighter.
[Decree of Oppositional Power - Celestial]
HUMMMM!!!!
He made his proclamation, his voice carrying undeniable authority.
"By my authority as the God of Unyielding Strength, every vile enemy nearby will see their strength become mine."
Thud! Thud!
The two men were violently yanked out of the shadows and slammed onto the stone floor.
Their bodies hit hard, the impact echoing through the cavern.
Both of them stared up at Krax with wide, horrified eyes, their faces rapidly losing color.
The leaner one opened his mouth, his voice cracking in desperation.
"W-Wait! Please, we were just—!"
The broader man gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his neck as he desperately tried to activate his own Decree.
His lips moved, but no words came out in time.
It was already too late.
RRRRIPPPP!!!
A sickening, wet tearing sound filled the air as their rank and very life essence was violently ripped from their bodies.
Their skin shriveled and split like parched earth, screams reverberating through the cavern as glowing streams of power rushed toward Krax.
Muscles sank, eyes dulled to lifeless hollows, and their bodies withered, aging millennia in the span of seconds.
When it was over, two piles of ash remained where the men had once stood.
Krax slowly flexed his hand, feeling the stolen power settle into his massive frame. A low, satisfied growl rumbled from his chest as he looked down at the remains with cold indifference.
"Pathetic."
He began walking forward, each step shaking the cavern as he passed the remains of the two men without a second glance.
"This is only the first stage of my path to the crown," he declared, his voice echoing through the darkness.
"Soon, not just my father and brothers... but even the last remaining Ancestor of the Von’El will find themselves removed from the future."
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