Eclipse Ascension: The Calamity of the Seven Realms

Chapter 3: The Monster Beneath the Kingdom

The prison was collapsing. Stone pillars cracked apart as violent tremors tore through the underground complex. Massive chunks of rock crashed from the ceiling, crushing cells that had stood untouched for decades. Dust exploded into the air, turning entire corridors into choking clouds of grey. Arthur barely had time to react.

The moment the deafening roar erupted from beneath the capital, every instinct inside him screamed danger. Not ordinary danger.Not the danger of soldiers or cultivators. This was something older. Something that belonged to the same nightmare realm where he had seen the crimson moon and the seven chained thrones.

The roar shook the foundation of Ironhaven itself. The mysterious woman in black immediately turned toward the darkness beyond the collapsing corridor. For the first time since her appearance, genuine alarm flashed across her face."Impossible," she whispered.

Arthur heard her clearly. The reaction unsettled him. Anyone capable of frightening Elder Rowan should not be frightened so easily. Yet the woman looked as though she had just witnessed the worst possible outcome. Another violent tremor surged through the prison. A nearby wall exploded inward. Several soldiers were thrown across the corridor. One of them slammed into a stone pillar hard enough to shatter bone.

Arthur instinctively stepped backwards. The shadows beneath his feet reacted instantly. Dark tendrils emerged from the floor like living creatures. They wrapped around his ankles before disappearing again. The sight sent unease crawling through his chest.

The Eclipse Ascension System wasn't merely changing his body; something far deeper was happening. Something he didn't understand. The woman turned sharply toward him."We need to leave."Arthur didn't move. His silver eyes locked onto hers."You said my mother is alive."The woman hesitated. Only briefly. Yet Arthur noticed it. Years of humiliation had taught him how to recognise deception.

People often revealed more through hesitation than through words."Answer me."The prison trembled again. This time, the floor cracked beneath their feet. Far below, something enormous moved. Arthur felt it. The movement reminded him of a sleeping beast shifting inside its lair. The woman lowered her voice."Your mother is alive."

The answer hit Arthur harder than any physical blow. His breathing slowed. For a moment, the collapsing prison disappeared. The screams.The chaos.The fear. Everything faded. Only those four words remained. Your mother is alive. Arthur remembered the severed head displayed before the execution platform. He remembered the blood. The crowd.The certainty that his family was gone. The memory still haunted him."You're lying."

The woman shook her head."No."Arthur stepped forward."Then whose head was on that stake?"A shadow crossed her face."The kingdom possesses techniques capable of creating flesh replicas."Arthur felt cold. Very cold. His mind raced. The explanation sounded impossible. Yet after dying and returning from the grave, impossible no longer seemed impossible.

"What about my father?" Arthur asked. The woman's silence gave him his answer. Pain stabbed through his chest.

A part of him had already known. Still, hearing confirmation without words hurt more than expected. His father was dead. Nothing would change that. The woman watched him carefully. She seemed to understand exactly what he was feeling."You don't have time to process this right now."Arthur hated that she was right. Another roar shook the underground complex.

This one sounded closer. Much closer. The prison walls vibrated violently. Ancient runes hidden within the stone suddenly illuminated. Silver light spread through the corridors. For several seconds, the entire underground complex glowed. Then every rune shattered simultaneously.

The resulting explosion nearly deafened everyone present. Elder Rowan's face turned deathly pale."No..."Arthur looked toward the old cultivator.

The prison elder had completely abandoned thoughts of capture. Pure terror filled his eyes."What are those runes?" Arthur asked. The mysterious woman's expression darkened."They were seals."Arthur frowned."Seals for what?"

Nobody answered immediately. Then another section of the floor collapsed. A vast abyss appeared beneath the prison. Darkness stretched downward beyond visible sight. Cold air rushed upward from the depths. Arthur stepped closer. The moment he looked down, something looked back. Two colossal crimson eyes opened within the darkness.

His blood froze. The eyes were enormous. Larger than buildings.Ancient beyond comprehension. For one horrifying second, Arthur felt as though an entire mountain had become alive and fixed its attention upon him.

The creature didn't blink. Didn't move. It simply watched. Then the eyes slowly narrowed. Recognition appeared within them. Arthur's heart nearly stopped. The creature knew him. Not Arthur Kensington.Something else.Something hidden inside him.The same thing the chained monster had recognised beyond death.

The abyss exploded. A gigantic black chain erupted upward. The chain was thicker than a castle tower. It smashed through the prison ceiling and continued rising toward the city above. Screams echoed from every direction. Panic spread instantly. Even the soldiers forgot about Arthur. Everyone was staring at the impossible sight.

A second chain burst from the abyss. Then a third.Then a fourth. Each one shot upward like a spear launched by the heavens. The woman cursed under her breath. Arthur finally understood. The creature wasn't breaking free. It already was free. The chains weren't holding it anymore. The chains were breaking. The realisation filled him with dread.

A notification suddenly appeared before his eyes. Emergency Quest Detected. Ancient Seal Collapse Identified. Calamity Beast Awakening Sequence: 12%.Reward: Unknown.Penalty for Failure: Extinction Event. Arthur stared. Extinction Event. The words seemed absurd. Then he looked at the abyss again. The absurdity vanished.

That creature was powerful enough to erase kingdoms. Perhaps even realms. The system wasn't exaggerating. The woman noticed his expression."What did it show you?"Arthur looked at her sharply."You know about the system?"

For the first time, she seemed surprised. Then she slowly nodded."Not your system specifically."Arthur immediately focused."What does that mean?"

The woman took a deep breath."There are legends."Another chain erupted from the abyss. The prison ceiling collapsed further. Moonlight poured into the underground complex. The woman continued speaking despite the chaos."Long before the Seven Realms were divided, there existed beings called Ascendants."

Arthur listened carefully. Something about the title felt familiar."As legends describe them, Ascendants possessed systems connected directly to the laws of existence."

Arthur's pulse accelerated."Their power allowed them to challenge gods."Arthur immediately remembered the vision from before. The figure standing among stars.The shattered worlds.The crimson moon. The woman lowered her voice.

"Every Ascendant eventually became either a saviour... or a catastrophe."Arthur's stomach tightened. The Calamity has returned. The words echoed inside his mind again. Before he could ask another question, Elder Rowan suddenly shouted."Get away from him!"Spiritual energy exploded throughout the corridor.

Arthur turned. The old cultivator had drawn a silver talisman. The moment it activated, hundreds of glowing symbols filled the air. The woman immediately reacted. Her expression changed completely."Move!"She grabbed Arthur's shoulder.

A second later, the talisman detonated. The resulting explosion obliterated half the corridor. Flames surged everywhere. Stone melted. Several soldiers died instantly. Arthur and the woman were thrown backwards by the shockwave. Arthur crashed through a damaged wall. Pain shot through his body. Before he could recover, another notification appeared.

Host Injury Detected. Bloodline Evolution Accelerated.Stone Rhino Bloodline: 38%.Arthur suddenly felt his muscles tighten. Strength surged through his body. The sensation was intoxicating. Dangerously intoxicating. For the first time in his life, he understood why powerful people became obsessed with power.

The feeling was addictive. Every second made him want more. Arthur immediately recognised the danger. If he wasn't careful, he could lose himself. The system granted strength. But strength always demanded a price. The realisation brought back memories of Cedric.The nobles.

The people who destroyed lives because they could. Arthur clenched his fists. He refused to become like them, no matter what happened. The prison continued collapsing around him. Then a familiar face appeared through the smoke.

Elder Rowan. The old cultivator looked terrible. Blood covered his robes. One arm hung uselessly at his side. Yet hatred still burned within his eyes."You should have stayed dead."Arthur slowly stood. The words might have hurt once.

Now they only felt pathetic. Rowan raised his remaining hand. Spiritual energy gathered around him. Arthur immediately recognised the danger. The old cultivator intended to kill him regardless of the consequences. Before Rowan could attack, the abyss beneath the prison erupted.

A gigantic claw emerged from the darkness. Everything stopped. The claw alone was larger than the prison. Black scales covered its surface. Ancient runes glowed between them. The creature grabbed Elder Rowan. The old cultivator didn't even have time to scream.

One moment, he existed. Next, he vanished.Consumed.Arthur stared in shock. The claw slowly retreated into the abyss. As if nothing had happened. The prison became deathly quiet. Then a deep voice echoed throughout the underground complex. Every wall vibrated. Every remaining soul froze. Arthur recognised the voice immediately. It belonged to the creature. The monster beneath the kingdom. The ancient being is awakening from imprisonment.

"You carry his scent."The voice spoke directly to Arthur. Fear spread across the faces of every surviving soldier. The creature wasn't talking to them. It was talking to him. Arthur forced himself to remain standing."What are you?" The answer came after several seconds."I was a king."The creature paused. The weight behind those words felt ancient.

Then it continued."Before he destroyed us."Arthur's heart pounded. He. Not they.Not the Ascendants.One person.One being. The creature's crimson eyes opened again within the abyss. They focused entirely on Arthur. And then the monster uttered words that shattered everything Arthur thought he knew."The power inside you does not belong to a hero."

The creature's voice grew quieter. Almost mournful."It belongs to the one who ended the First Age."Arthur froze. The Seven Realms.The shattered moon.The chained thrones.The visions. Everything suddenly felt connected. The woman beside him had gone pale. Clearly, she understood the significance of those words. Arthur swallowed."What are you saying?"

The creature's eyes narrowed. For the first time, genuine fear appeared within them.Fear.From an ancient monster capable of destroying kingdoms."The being awakening inside you..."The abyss trembled. The entire capital shook. Far above, bells rang throughout Ironhaven. Cultivators across the city rushed toward the disturbance.

But none of them arrived in time. Because the creature finally finished speaking."...is the greatest monster the Seven Realms have ever known."

Arthur's blood ran cold. And somewhere deep inside his soul, beyond his thoughts, beyond his memories, beyond the limits of his understanding, something awakened. Something that smiled.