Lucas woke up to the burning stench of his own blood.Cold darkness pressed against his face, thick and suffocating. When he tried to move, sharp iron spikes tore through his arms and shoulders, locking him hard against a stone pillar.He gritted his teeth, refusing to let out even a whimper of pain. Instinctively, he tried to gather his magic to shatter the iron, but nothing stirred in his veins.In the middle of his chest, where his golden magic core had burned like a sun just yesterday, there was only an empty, bleeding hole.The memory hit him like a hammer to the skull. Yesterday, the sky above Valoria had turned pitch-black as thousands of demonic beasts tore through the city walls.To save the empire and brew the cure for his wife Celeste's deadly blight, Lucas had not hesitated for a single second. He had carved out his supreme core with his own hands to seal the breach.He had thrown away his entire life’s cultivation just to keep her alive. He remembered collapsing into Cele

Across the street from the outer slave bazaar, thirty elite Blackwood guards stood watch before the iron gates.Between the stone pillars, massive red barrier stones hummed with deadly alarm magic.A direct attack would alert Damien before Lucas took ten steps, and the dark energy inside his body still needed to be hidden.System, Lucas called out in his mind. Hide this aura.[Phantom Shroud Activated. Cost: 200 Fate Points.][Remaining Balance: 900 Fate Points.]A faint grey mist sank deep into Lucas’s skin, completely burying the violent energy until he felt like an ordinary mortal.Yet looking at the glowing red stones in the dark, Lucas knew a mortal disguise could never slip past imperial barrier runes.I need a way past these guards without setting off the alarm, Lucas commanded.A pale blue prompt flashed before his eyes.[Infiltration Options Available:][Option 1: Time Freeze. Cost: 400 Fate Points. Duration: 10 Minutes.][Option 2: Future Self Summoning. Cost: 50,000 Fate Po

The Grand Auction Hall was packed with hundreds of rich lords, merchants, and clan elders sipping wine under bright glass lamps.High above the floor, on the golden balcony, sat Damien Blackwood and Celeste.Damien leaned back in clean white armor trimmed with gold, while Celeste rested against his chest in a green dress, feeding him sweet fruit with soft giggles.Down in the back row, Lucas stood openly in the crowd, not caring to hide his face.He was not going to sneak around like a rat; he was here to take his little sister back in front of the whole world.Beside his boots rested five heavy bags packed full of the gold coins he had taken from Malakai’s vault.Looking up toward the balcony, Lucas saw Damien and Celeste staring straight down at him.There was no fear on Damien’s handsome face, and no shock at seeing Lucas alive after the cellar fire.Instead, Damien pointed down at Lucas with his wine cup, whispering into Celeste’s ear.Celeste burst into loud, mocking laughter, lo

The leading Elder did not even raise his hands. The old man simply flicked his black sleeve.An invisible mountain of crushing force crashed down from the ceiling, slamming into Lucas’s shoulders like a falling sky.The heavy wooden stage shattered beneath his knees as his ribs snapped with a sickening crunch.The crushing pressure drove the breath from Lucas's lungs, flattening him face-first into the bloody floorboards."Insolent ant," the Elder spoke softly, looking down at him with pure disgust. "Without your supreme core, you are nothing."Lucas clawed at the wood with bleeding fingernails, coughing mouthfuls of blood as he fought to lift his head."Lily..." Lucas wept, his voice breaking into raw agony. "Lily!"Tied to the black post, the small girl heard his ragged cry.Using the voice Lucas had restored to her in the dark cell, Lily weakly forced her chin up.Tears of blood leaked from her ruined, milky eyes, dripping down her pale cheeks."Brother..." Lily cried out, her smal