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Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 99
At the main briefing hall of AAU headquarters, every seat was filled, with additional operatives standing along the walls. Rumors had been circulating all day and the core mission team would finally be announced, and everyone wanted to hear firsthand who made the cut.Miko sat between Liam and Akiya in the third row, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in his stomach. "You look like you're about to throw up," Liam whispered, nudging him with an elbow. "Relax. We're definitely in. After everything we've seen?""It's not that," Miko replied quietly."Then what? You've been weird since yesterday."Before Miko could answer, the room fell silent as Coordinator Hayes strode to the front, accompanied by several senior officers Miko recognized from Command. Hayes looked as impeccable as ever in his pressed uniform, but the dark circles under his eyes betrayed the pressure he was under."Thank you all for your prompt attendance," Hayes began, his voice carrying easily through the hall. "As yo
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 100
Miko turned."If what you're saying is true, why have you been avoiding me? Why not warn me earlier?"Aria's composure finally cracked. "I was scared," she admitted. "Larok has ways of knowing things. Of watching people. I couldn't risk him discovering what I knew until we were assigned to the mission.""And how did you know we would be?" Miko pressed."Because he always positions his pieces carefully," she said softly. "Nothing about your training, your assignments, even your Academy placement has been random. He's been guiding your path for years."Hayes cleared his throat. "I think you both have much to discuss. And Cadet Asterion, you have some decisions to make before tomorrow night."Miko looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"**Back in the Capital’s Church, The archives smelled of dust and secrets. Anna's footsteps echoed softly against stone floors as she navigated the narrow passages between towering shelves. Moonlight streamed through high glass windows, painting colored pa
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 101
"Bastards," Anna whispered, anger replacing her initial shock. "They've been planning this for years."A final section labeled "Transition Protocols" detailed the procedure for replacing a failing conduit. Anna skimmed the contents, her blood running cold at phrases like "controlled transfer" and "successor preparation."According to the protocols, the optimal transition occurred when the current conduit still retained enough energy to facilitate the connection with their replacement.The successor must be present at the chamber during final degradation phase to enable direct transference. Uninformed subjects typically require restraint during the procedure due to instinctive resistance."They're planning to force him," Anna realized. She had to warn Miko, the core mission wasn't just about assessment or rescue. It was a trap designed to place him in the chamber when his father finally failed.A notation at the bottom of the page confirmed her fears:Current conduit approaching termin
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 102
"I'll return when it's complete." A strange sensation washed over Miko, like being submerged in warm water while remaining perfectly dry. The pendant grew hotter, and he felt energy beginning to flow into him, slow at first, then faster. Time stretched and distorted. When Miko opened his eyes again, he was alone. The blue glow of the pool provided the only light, illuminating the empty cave. Days passed. Then weeks. Miko remained in meditation, feeling the pool's energy flowing constantly into him. His ash element responded, growing stronger, more responsive. He practiced the techniques he had learnt from the beginning, finding them easier to master with each passing day. His beard began to grow. First a stubble, then longer, eventually reaching his chest. His hair grew past his shoulders. Still, he meditated, drawing power from the ever diminishing pool. Months became years. The pool's level gradually lowered as Miko absorbed its energy. Two years in, he mastered ash constr
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 103
Somewhere in the Church archives, again. "The cellular reconstruction occurs simultaneously across multiple layers," Anna said, leaning forward to examine the glowing diagram hovering above the table. "It's not just tissue repair, it’s complete molecular reorganization." Darin nodded, his expression thoughtful as he manipulated the three-dimensional model with gentle hand movements. Despite being her guard, he'd spent the last several hours engaged in surprisingly deep discussion about healing techniques. "The Church teaches that healing is about guiding the body's natural processes," he said. "But this goes beyond that entirely." Anna traced a finger through the diagram, following the patterns of energy flow. "Regeneration isn't just accelerated healing. It's rewriting reality at a cellular level." They were in a small research room adjacent to Anna's quarters. After her interrogation, she'd been confined but not completely isolated—Darin had been assigned to watch her unde
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 104
Back in AAU Hq. Miko focused on a new target at the far end of the room. This time, he attempted something subtler a controlled flame that would burn but not destroy. The black fire that emerged was still devastatingly powerful, but contained, wrapping around the target instead of obliterating it. "Better," he sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Still too much, though." The door to the training room slid open, and Liam poked his head in. "Dude, what are you doing in here? It's 3 AM." His eyes widened as he took in the scorched walls and destroyed equipment. "Whoa. Did a bomb go off or something?" "Just training," Miko replied, trying to sound casual. Liam stepped fully into the room, whistling softly as he surveyed the damage. "This doesn't look like just training. This looks like someone set loose a baby Wraith." Miko couldn't help but smile at the comparison. "Had some energy to burn off before the mission." "Energy?" Liam raised an eyebrow, pointing at a section of wa
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 105
Anna's return to AAU headquarters was anything but subtle. The security checkpoint erupted in chaos when she arrived with Darin, both of them still bearing evidence of their narrow escape, Anna pale and exhausted, Darin's uniform torn and bloodstained despite his miraculously restored hand. "We need to see Coordinator Hayes immediately," Anna insisted as security personnel surrounded them. "It's about the core mission." Their urgency, combined with Anna's AAU credentials, got them through the initial barriers. Word spread quickly. Anna had returned from the Church with a Knight in tow and information that couldn't wait. Hayes met them in a secure briefing room, his expression shifting from irritation to concern when he saw Anna's condition. "Medical team is on the way," he said, helping her into a chair. "What happened?" "The Church is planning to use Miko as the next battery," Anna said without preamble, her voice weak but determined. "They've been selecting people for centuries
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 106
Moonlight spilled through Miko's window, painting silver patterns across his sparse quarters. Sleep eluded him. In less than eight hours, they would enter the Abyss facing dangers that had claimed countless lives before them. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his packed gear, when a soft knock broke the silence.Three gentle taps, barely audible. Miko reached for his sword instinctively before recognizing the person’s energy.He opened the door to find the older man standing calmly in the empty corridor, hands clasped behind his back."A bit late for a social call," Miko said, stepping aside to let him enter."There's rarely a convenient time for important conversations." Larok moved into the room with his usual fluid grace. "Especially on the eve of such a journey."Miko closed the door. "I thought you said your part in this was finished.""Nearly." Larok's eyes scanned the room, taking in the packed gear and weapon preparations. "I see you're ready.""As I'll ever be." Miko
Latest Chapter
Chapter 121
“You can call me Veros. My brother Sylas speaks highly of you," Veros continued, taking a step forward for each one Miko took back. "Says you taste of the abyss and something else. Something... ancient.""I'm not food," Miko snarled, his hands clenching into fists as he tried again to summon his element.Veros laughed, the sound like shattering bones. "Everything is food to those who know how to feed. Your ash element is particularly... nutritious."Without warning, the wraith lunged, moving with impossible speed. Miko barely had time to dodge, the creature's clawed hand grazing his shoulder and tearing through his uniform.Pain flared, hot and immediate. Miko rolled, coming up in a defensive stance as blood soaked the torn fabric."Fast for a human," Veros observed, licking Miko's blood from his fingertips. "But not fast enough.""I don't need speed," Miko said, focusing on the pendant's heat spreading through his chest. "I just need to hit you once."The wraith tilted his head, curi
Chapter 120
"Miko," Akiya murmured, her fingers brushing the warm black dust where he had stood moments before. "Where did you go?"A shout broke the tense silence, making everyone turn. One of the junior cadets was running toward them from the treeline, panic etched across his face."Something's coming!" he yelled, stumbling as he reached the group. "Something big!"Gregor grabbed the cadet's shoulders, steadying him. "Catch your breath. What did you see?""A wraith," the cadet gasped, pointing back the way he'd come. "I was setting up perimeter markers and I saw it. Just standing there, watching me.""A wraith?" Gregor's expression hardened. "You're sure?""Positive," the cadet nodded frantically. "It... it smiled at me."Liam and Anna exchanged alarmed looks."Come to think of it," Liam said slowly, "we haven't seen any wraiths since we entered the Abyss. Not a single one.""How many?" Gregor demanded, turning back to the cadet. "How many did you see?""Just one," the cadet replied. "But it wa
Chapter 119
The silence after the ash shockwave was absolute. Trees that had groaned under the weight of mist now stood eerily still, leaves unmoving, the air cold with a kind of supernatural stillness.Akiya was the first to move."That light—" she began, already pushing through the trees. "That was Miko. I know it.""How do you know?" Liam asked, falling in beside her."Because I felt it," she said, eyes locked forward. "That pulse. It was him. I don’t know how, but it was him."The others hesitated only a second before following.Branches snapped beneath their boots. The forest was slowly returning to normal, but the air still held a heaviness—as if mourning something invisible that had passed. The path twisted, trees now parted in ways they hadn’t been before, and the ground showed signs of disruption: scorched patches, cracked stone, and a strange black residue that clung to roots and bark like soot.Then they saw him.Miko stood at the edge of a collapsed ridge, where the forest met a steep
Chapter 118
As he prepared to find a way back to the surface, Miko couldn't help wondering about the facility's original purpose. Who had built it? Why create weapons of such destructive potential? And most puzzling of all, why design them specifically for users with his exact elemental affinity—a combination so rare it had apparently vanished from the world until his own emergence?The questions would have to wait. His priority now was finding a way out of this underground vault and reuniting with his team. With the fog entity still active above, they were likely facing their own challenges, possibly in danger.Miko located what appeared to be a maintenance shaft in one corner of the facility, its ladder leading upward toward the surface. Before climbing, he took one last look at the activated lantern, its potential both fascinating and terrifying."I'll be back for you," he promised the device. "Once this mission is over."**While Miko explored the ancient facility below, the other groups cont
Chapter 117
Miko returned to the central chamber of the underground facility, still puzzling over the crumbling lanterns. The place was vast, stretching further than he'd managed to explore so far, but one section had caught his attention—a room that appeared to be an office or study, its walls lined with what might generously be called books, though they were unlike any he'd seen before."If I'm going to figure this place out, might as well start with the records," he decided, entering the study.The "books" were actually thin metal plates bound together with some kind of flexible alloy, their surfaces covered with the same symbols he'd seen throughout the facility. Most were incomprehensible to him, but some contained diagrams he could interpret—schematics for equipment, illustrations of elemental energy flows, and most interestingly, drawings of the lanterns he'd found."So these were important," he murmured, carefully turning the delicate metal pages of one volume.The diagrams showed the lan
Chapter 116
Miko didn't have time to scream as the ground collapsed beneath him. One moment he was standing in the fog-shrouded forest, the next he was plummeting through darkness, his stomach lurching from the sudden drop. His Ash element swirled around him instinctively, trying to slow his descent but finding nothing solid to grip.The fall lasted only seconds before he crashed through some kind of membrane—a sensation like breaking through thin ice—and then hit solid ground with bone-jarring force. He rolled automatically, distributing the impact as he'd been taught in Academy training."Ugh," he groaned, lying on his back and taking inventory of his body. Nothing seemed broken, though he'd definitely have bruises tomorrow. If there was a tomorrow.After a moment to catch his breath, Miko sat up and summoned his Ash element to provide illumination. The shadows gathered around his hand, creating a dim glow that pushed back the absolute darkness."What the hell...?" he muttered, looking around.
Chapter 115
"There it is again," Akiya whispered, her flame briefly flaring brighter. "Did you see it?"Liam and Lyra followed her gaze into the swirling fog, where a faint ripple of movement had disturbed the otherwise uniform mist."Probably just air currents," Lyra replied, though her tone lacked conviction. She'd been saying similar things for the past hour as they wandered through the endless fog, but even her professional skepticism was wearing thin."No," Akiya insisted, taking a step closer to the disturbance. "It's reacting to us. Watch."She extended her free hand toward the fog, not quite touching it. The mist immediately withdrew from her approach, creating a small pocket of clear air around her fingers."See? It's avoiding direct contact. That's not how normal fog behaves."Liam moved beside her, cautiously extending his own hand. The fog retreated from him as well, though less dramatically."She's right," he said, looking back at Lyra. "This isn't just some corruption manifestation.
Chapter 114
Shadows swirled around Miko's fingers as he navigated through the impenetrable fog. Without his Ash element, he would have been completely blind in the shifting mists that erased all sense of direction."Come on," he muttered to himself, extending his awareness through the shadows. "Give me something to work with."His Ash element responded, spreading outward like tendrils searching for solid references in the chaotic environment.Most of what the shadows found was just more fog, but occasionally they detected something solid—massive tree trunks, root structures, the occasional corrupted vegetation. Not enough to create a map, but sufficient to avoid walking into obstacles."Akiya!" he called out, more from habit than expectation. "Liam! Anna!"His voice seemed to travel only a few meters before the fog swallowed it completely. The neural link remained silent except for occasional bursts of static that made him wince.Miko closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the void. If no
Chapter 113
"What is that?" Liam asked, pointing at the strange haze that had appeared on the horizon as they continued their journey through the massive forest.The fog wasn't like anything they'd seen before in the Abyss. it shimmered with an oily iridescence, neither solid nor gas, spreading across their path like a living curtain.Elena stepped forward, her expression grave as she studied the phenomenon. "It's an illusion barrier," she said. "A defense mechanism that typically appears near the core. The Church has documented these, but few who enter ever return to report what they experienced.""What exactly does it do?" Anna asked, moving closer to examine the strange fog from a safer distance."It distorts reality," Elena explained. "Makes you see things that aren't there, hide things that are. Some say it can even separate groups by making each person experience a different version of reality."Gregor snorted dismissively. "Church superstition. It's just another corruption manifestation."
