The Dead Zone Sovereign

Chapter 6: The Shattered Divine

A column of white light came down from the sky. It was not hot like fire or loud like thunder. It was silent and heavy. Moved really fast. The purple fog around it just disappeared, leaving an empty space.

Valen stood under the light. He thought fast like a computer. He knew that if he tried to move the air would tear him apart. If he used an item it would explode in his hand.

He had one hundred and thirty points of energy left. He needed to think of something that would not fight the light. Change what it was.

Valen thought, "System take the idea of speed out of the light."

A red warning screen appeared in front of him. It said that the light was really powerful and would use up all his energy. It might even hurt his body.

Valen said, "Do it."

He stamped his feet on the ground. The world became silent. The light stopped moving. Turned into a big shiny tower that went from the ground up to the clouds.

Valen fell to one knee gasping for breath. His energy went down to five points. Blood came out of his nose because he thought hard.. He was alive. The tower of light stood in front of him like a glass sword.

He got an item: Monument of Stationary Radiance. It was a beam of light that was stopped in time. If it broke it would. Destroy everything around it.

Valen looked at a girl with hair. She stood in the ruins of a carriage. Her eyes were golden. Did not show any feelings. The symbols above her head spun around. Made a low humming noise.

She said, "I found something. Valen stopped an attack using something I do not know. I will fight him now."

The girl stepped forward her feet floating above the ground. She raised her hands and her fingers curled up. She used a kind of energy that Valen had not seen before. It was cold and gray and smelled like electricity.

A man named Zarek jumped out of the shadows. He had a black sword and attacked the girl.. She just raised one finger and a small shield appeared. The sword hit the shield. It did not make a loud noise. The shield just absorbed the energy.

The girl said, "I will push you back."

A wave of energy hit Zarek and he flew backward into the wall. He coughed up blood. His health went down.

Valen stood up thinking about what to do. The girl was too strong. He was too weak. He needed something to help him.

He took out a ball of golden light from his bag. It was an item that could keep the bad things in the area away.

Valen shouted to Zarek "Keep her busy for five seconds!"

Zarek used his sword to make a cloud of dust and debris. The girl could not see Valen so he ran to the tower of light. He touched it. Thought, "System, make a small crack, in the base of the tower."

The tower started to shake and made a noise. Valen took the ball of light and threw it at the girls face. The light was so bright that it blinded her.

Valen ran to the girl. Grabbed her throat. He was close enough to touch her core.

He thought, "System, analyze her!"

A lot of error screens appeared in front of him. He found out that the girl was a machine controlled by a server.

Valen used all his energy to disconnect the girl from the server. The girls eyes. A powerful voice spoke directly to Valens mind.

You think you can cut the connection to the Core you worm? You are a tool, a useless piece of flesh. You will crawl back into the dirt.

Valen shouted to himself ignoring the terrible headache that felt like someone was splitting his skull with an axe. He put all his energy into the skill. His health dropped from 240 to 50 as he changed his physical strength into a special kind of power.

The invisible thread broke.

A loud empty sound echoed through the air. The golden light in the girls eyes did not just fade it disappeared completely leaving behind two empty hazel eyes that stared blankly into space. The silver hair around her shoulders fell down losing its buoyancy and hanging limp across her torn dress. The gray shapes above her head shattered like glass and the pieces turned into harmless gray dust that floated away.

The girls body went completely limp. She fell forward into Valens chest, completely unconscious.

Valen caught her. His arms went around her waist to keep her from hitting the rough ground. He was breathing hard. His chest was moving up and down as a warm feeling flooded his body fixing his torn muscles and clearing his cloudy mind. His status screen. His numbers got bigger making him look like a strong boss rather than a new student.

Zarek walked through the dust his big sword on his shoulder his face covered in ash and his own purple blood. He looked at the girl in Valens arms then up at the huge shaking monument of frozen light above them.

We need to leave this place the demon scout said, his voice shaking with tiredness and awe. That thing is going to explode. I do not think we can survive it.

Valen did not argue. He picked up the haired girl and put her over his shoulder like a bag of grain. He turned to the group of beastmen prisoners, who were staring at him like he was a god.

Move Valen said, his voice loud and clear. Get the earth drakes moving fast. Follow Zarek.

The beastmen started to move. They ran down the other side of the ravine fleeing the ambush site as fast as they could. Behind them the monument finally. A flash of pure white light filled the horizon. Then came a loud world-shaking boom that ripped through the air slamming into the backs of the retreating group.

Valen used his skill to protect the beastmen from the shockwave. They finally reached the outer wall of the fortress. The invisible dome of air was waiting for them, a calm oasis in the middle of the chaotic wasteland.

The beastmen collapsed onto the stone floor gasping for the air their bodies trembling from what they had just seen.

We survived Zarek said, leaning against the wall and breathing hard. We actually survived an attack from the High Core.

Valen carried the girl into the main keep and laid her down on the table. He turned to Zarek. Said, Secure the wall. Use the beastmen to unload the supplies from the carriages. We have food, iron plates and weapons. Make a schedule so everyone gets food. No one is idle.

Zarek bowed his head. Said, I will see to it.

Valen looked at the girl, who was lying still and unresponsive. Without the light in her eyes she looked human, soft and young.. Valen knew she was a special weapon, connected to the system that controlled this world.

He pulled out the Celestial Link Core from his inventory, an terrifying object that seemed to rotate in ways that did not exist.

Valen had a plan. He walked out of the keep carrying the core and a big orb of light. He climbed the stairs to the top of the gatehouse wall. Looked out over the courtyard, where the beastmen were working with Zarek.

They looked up at him expecting something. They had escaped the empires cages. They knew that without a strong barrier the purple fog would eventually come back or another imperial patrol would attack.

Valen put his hands on the wall. Said, System start a special sequence. Targets: the air around the fortress the strong walls the light orb and the Celestial Link Core.

The blue screen. A web of golden and blue lines wrapped around his vision.

Warning: this will change the fortress forever. Proceed?

Valen said, Execute.

A silver-and-gold grid exploded from his hands shooting down into the stone work and tracing its way, along the wall. The dark stone blocks began to shift and hum absorbing the silver lines. The iron bands glowed with a permanent golden light.

The skull-sized miasma core started to pulse its energy being drawn into the network. The invisible dome of air transformed into a shimmering translucent barrier that rippled like water.

Territory Evolution Successful.

Sanctuary Designation: The Sovereigns Cradle.

Valen looked out over his territory and the silver dome stretched high into the sky a strong shield that protected his people from the horrors outside. The beastmen cheered, realizing they no longer needed to fear the wasteland.

Zarek walked up the stairs and his red eyes looked like they were shining from the light of the barrier. It is really something, Sovereign. The border citadels of the Solarian Empire do not even have a defense system good as this one. We are really safe here.

For now Valen said. He was looking at the horizon where the Great Wall was really far away.. The empire will find out that their team is missing. The High Core will find out that Vessel 04 is not connected to the grid anymore. When they find out that a defective utility class has built a fortress on their border they will not send another small team to check. They will send an army.

He turned back to the keep. Was already thinking about what to do next. We have a start Zarek. Now we need to build an army.

Inside the room Valen went to the table where the girl with silver hair was lying. He sat down across from her. Was tapping his fingers on the stone edge of the table. He was waiting for her to wake up and be okay again. Without her connection to the gods she was like a piece of paper. She had the body of a special being but did not have a soul to control it.

Her eyes opened slowly. She looked up at the ceiling of the keep. She did not. Just looked around until she saw Valens face.

This time her voice was not robotic. It was soft. Sounded really human. She was scared. Sounded like a little kid who woke up in a dark room.

Where am I she whispered. She was holding onto her dress. Who am I.

Valen leaned forward. His face made a shadow on the table. You are, in the Dead Zone he said. His voice was calm and serious. Sounded a little scary.. You belong to me now. Let's talk about the people who made you and then threw you away.