The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 11: The Second Fragment

CRACK!

The crystal shattered the instant Ethan's hand touched its surface.

Golden light exploded outward.

The entire chamber vanished beneath a storm of radiant energy.

Orion immediately stepped back.

Fenrir narrowed his crimson eyes.

Even Aurelius became silent.

All of them knew the same thing.

The second fragment was awakening.

And with it, another piece of the Sovereign would return.

Ethan felt countless streams of energy rush into his body.

The fragment entered his chest like liquid fire.

Pain followed.

Intense.

Overwhelming.

Every bone in his body felt as though it were being broken and reforged.

His muscles tightened.

His veins glowed gold beneath his skin.

Yet the physical pain was nothing compared to what came next.

Memories.

Thousands upon thousands of memories.

They crashed into his mind like an endless ocean.

Battles.

Victories.

Kingdoms.

Worlds.

Faces.

Names.

Entire lifetimes seemed to unfold before his eyes.

He saw armies kneeling beneath a sea of stars.

He saw countless rulers bowing before a golden throne.

He saw himself standing atop the Nine Heavens, gazing across worlds without number.

Power.

Authority.

Responsibility.

All of it returned in fragments.

Then—

The memories shifted.

The atmosphere darkened.

The Night of Shattered Heaven.

The moment everything changed.

Ethan found himself reliving it.

Not as an observer.

But as the man who had lived it.

The Sovereign Palace floated above the stars.

Golden towers stretched endlessly into the heavens.

Millions of loyal warriors stood guard.

And inside the throne hall—

Nine figures knelt before him.

The Nine Generals.

The future betrayers.

Aurelius.

Valen.

Selene.

Kael.

And the others.

Each one among the strongest beings in existence.

Each one someone Ethan had trusted.

A voice echoed through the memory.

His own voice.

"Rise."

The nine generals obeyed.

Yet something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

Fear.

The emotion surprised him.

The Sovereign had been afraid.

Not of his generals.

Not of war.

Something else.

Something hidden.

Then another figure appeared.

A shadow.

Standing beyond the throne hall.

Watching.

Waiting.

The memory blurred whenever Ethan tried to focus on it.

As though some force prevented him from seeing clearly.

The shadow spoke.

Its voice sounded ancient.

Inhuman.

"You have seen too much."

The memory immediately distorted.

Reality cracked.

The throne hall trembled.

Then—

Aurelius drew his sword.

The other generals attacked.

The betrayal began.

But this time Ethan noticed something different.

Their expressions.

None of them looked victorious.

None of them looked eager.

Several appeared furious.

Others looked desperate.

And one—

One was crying.

The realization hit him like lightning.

This wasn't the image of ambitious traitors seizing power.

This looked like something else.

Something forced.

Something planned.

The memory shattered before he could learn more.

Ethan gasped.

His eyes opened.

The chamber returned.

The tomb.

The crystal fragments.

The waiting figures.

He immediately felt the difference.

His cultivation had advanced dramatically.

Energy flowed through every part of his body.

His senses expanded.

The entire underground realm seemed clearer.

Sharper.

Stronger.

The second fragment had transformed him.

But more importantly—

He now possessed answers.

And new questions.

Aurelius stepped forward.

"You saw it."

Ethan looked at him.

"Not everything."

Aurelius nodded.

"You never would."

"Not yet."

Before Ethan could question him further—

Applause echoed through the chamber.

Slow.

Mocking.

Arrogant.

Everyone turned.

Lucas King stood at the entrance.

A wide grin stretched across his face.

Behind him were dozens of guards.

The three cultivation elders stood nearby.

And all of them were staring greedily at the shattered crystal.

Lucas laughed.

"So that's where the treasure was."

His eyes locked onto Ethan.

"And somehow you got it first."

Ethan remained silent.

Lucas interpreted that as weakness.

His confidence immediately returned.

The young master stepped forward.

"Hand it over."

Nobody moved.

Lucas frowned.

Then his gaze shifted toward Aurelius.

Toward Orion.

Toward Fenrir.

For a brief moment, confusion appeared on his face.

He could sense something unusual about them.

Something dangerous.

But greed quickly overwhelmed caution.

"Did you hear me?"

Lucas snapped.

"Whatever treasure he obtained belongs to me now."

Fenrir blinked.

The giant beast looked genuinely surprised.

Then he started laughing.

A deep booming laugh that shook the entire chamber.

"Hahaha!"

The chains rattled violently.

Even Aurelius smiled.

Orion simply shook his head.

Lucas's face darkened.

"What is so funny?"

Fenrir wiped away an imaginary tear.

"Human."

The giant beast leaned forward.

His crimson eyes locked onto Lucas.

"You stand inside the tomb of gods."

"You speak to ancient beings older than civilizations."

"And you're demanding treasure."

Lucas instinctively stepped back.

Fear flashed across his face.

But one of the elders immediately moved forward.

The old cultivator released his aura.

Power surged through the chamber.

"We don't care who you are."

The elder pointed at Ethan.

"The inheritance belongs to the King family now."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

Orion's expression turned cold.

Fenrir stopped laughing.

Aurelius sighed.

Almost sadly.

The elder mistook their silence for fear.

His confidence grew.

"Capture the boy."

"Kill anyone who resists."

The guards charged.

Dozens of men rushed forward simultaneously.

Their weapons gleamed beneath the ancient lights.

Lucas smiled.

Victory seemed inevitable.

Then—

Ethan moved.

The second fragment pulsed within him.

A memory surfaced.

A technique.

An ancient movement used countless times across countless battlefields.

He raised a single finger.

And pointed forward.

The world seemed to pause.

Then a wave of golden energy erupted from his hand.

BOOM!

The charging guards were launched backward instantly.

Weapons shattered.

Armor cracked.

Bodies flew through the air.

The shockwave blasted across the chamber like a hurricane.

Silence followed.

Every guard lay unconscious.

The three elders stared in disbelief.

Lucas's smile vanished.

Ethan slowly lowered his hand.

Even he was surprised.

That single attack was far stronger than anything he had performed before.

The second fragment hadn't merely restored memories.

It had restored power.

Not much.

But enough.

Enough to begin walking the path back to the throne.

Then suddenly—

The fragment inside his soul trembled.

A warning.

A powerful one.

Ethan looked upward.

Far beyond the tomb.

Far beyond the mountains.

Something was watching.

Something ancient.

Something terrifying.

And for the first time since his rebirth—

It had noticed him.