Northern Settlement, Redspire district.

"What the hell," Darkness groaned as her maid finished fitting the ceremonial dress. She stared at her reflection with visible disgust. The makeup didn't help.

"You look beautiful, Lady Darkness," Emma said gently.

"It's your job to say that," Darkness snapped as she adjusted her eye patch. "I didn't think they'd actually hold a ceremony for this."

Emma remained calm. "You're the seventh person to open the Fourth Gate in this House. The God of War must be proud. And as usual, the other Houses will be attending—to show their support."

She handed over a sheathed gladius. Darkness took it and drew the blade, eyes narrowing in admiration.

It was forged from the melted core of the first Cursed Emperor she had ever slain.

The silver blade gleamed under the light. A small gemstone pulsed beneath the golden hilt, and a rune sat etched at the top edge. This rune was meant to channel her Zenshi and Aura now that she had ascended to the fourth gate and earned the title of sorcerer.

"Pretty neat," she muttered, giving it a few test swings. The sword was light—dangerously so. Each slash left a crisp whistle in the air.

Emma allowed a rare smile. "I know. Best work I've done yet."

No surprise. House Ares had always excelled at crafting weapons for war.

Once she was dressed and armed, Darkness and Emma headed for the courtyard, where the celebration had already begun.

The moment she stepped outside, her eye locked onto a group of familiar faces—survivors from the tragedy two years ago.

Mira, Shin, Rita, Monic... even a few others who had escaped by sheer chance.

A rare smile crossed Darkness's face.

Most of them were alive because of Shin's foresight ability. He had foreseen the destruction thirty minutes before the Sovereign of Corruption descended and led a mass evacuation. The operation hadn't been a total success, but without it, there would have been no one left at all.

Darkness descended the courtyard stairs with measured steps, walking straight toward them.

"Looks like almost everyone answered my invitation," she said, her voice light but firm.

"Lady Feng will be here soon—with her mother," Mira said from the side. She wore a light blue dress that stopped at her knees. Her usually unruly brown hair was tied back, and a pair of round glasses framed her intelligent green eyes.

"You look beautiful, by the way," Mira added, quieter this time.

Darkness raised a brow but nodded. "I know. Not my style, though."

Her gaze shifted to Rita, who was looking at her with a strange expression.

"What?" she asked.

Rita opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. "I'm still getting used to seeing you in a dress. I didn't think our battle-darling was hiding such a figure."

Emma giggled behind her.

Darkness turned and shot her maid a glare sharp enough to cut steel—but Emma just laughed harder.

"Whatever," Darkness muttered, brushing it off.

Today wasn't about fashion or feelings. It was about honor for House Ares, for those they'd lost, and for the legacy she had no choice but to uphold.

Today, she stood not just as a warrior but as a symbol of progress in a world still recovering from the fall of the Phoenix.

Over the past two years, only three humans had managed to break through to the fourth gate. This was due to the emergence of more dungeons across the world and the great need for strength now that stronger threats had entered the picture.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Lady Darkness, what an honor."

She turned at the familiar voice and was met with a charming smile she recognized instantly.

"Lord Snow…" she replied with a mock bow, lips tugging into a grin. "It's an honor to have The Reaper at a party I very much don't like."

"Well… thank you," Snow chuckled, returning her smile. His dark, tousled hair hadn't changed much, though the air about him had. Since breaking through his fourth gate, he looked even more composed, handsome in a way that turned heads without trying.

"Is Lady Feng here yet?" she asked.

He nodded. "We've just arrived. Her mother is with your father now. She'll be here in a few minutes."

Darkness gave a short nod, her expression unreadable. "I see. Well then… I hope you enjoy this party."

With that, Darkness hurried to the main building to meet with her father and the Fengs.

Over the past two years, she and the Feng heiress had grown quite close since the first dungeon.

Their partnership had led to the reestablishment of the Northern Settlement by wiping out all infected and driving away most cursed creatures to the mountains. Mundane could now live on the surface thanks to the ether filters that cleaned the air every week. This invention came as an idea to Lena Feng after the Blood Tower. Later, the idea was realized by House Ares's engineers--hence creating a tight bond between the two great houses.

In just two years, three Feng Sects had been established in the Northern Settlement to help with the growth of ascenders now that more and more people were awakening by the day due to the divine realm's influence.

More and more technology was being put together to support both the mundane and the superpowered defenders of Humanity. This was all to ensure the survival of the human race.

After climbing a short flight of wooden steps, Darkness pushed past the grand mahogany doors and stepped into her father's meeting chamber. The room, dimly lit by the amber glow of the setting sun, fell silent the moment she entered.

"Look who's here," said a muscular man with a grizzled grey beard and piercing sapphire eyes. He stood at the edge of the polished wooden table, mid-conversation with a regal, silver-haired woman whose expression was as frosted as her hair. Next to her sat a younger woman—clearly her daughter—who offered Darkness a respectful bow and a soft, welcoming smile.

Other figures were seated around the table as well. One of them was a dark-haired woman in sleek sunglasses who leaned back casually, while a few unfamiliar faces from House Feng turned to observe her with mild curiosity.

Darkness stepped forward with poise. "It seems I'm missing out on something important," she said, her voice steady. She wasn't her father, nor was she Lady Astrid or Mao Feng—but she was no less. She had passed through the Blood Tower and returned. She had opened the Fourth Soul Gate, and Monks of the Eastern Settlement had named her Lord Mountain's Might, a title earned by blood and resilience. That name carried weight now.

Her father, Lord Ares, chuckled with warmth. "We didn't want to burden you on such a day, but I should have known you'd come anyway." He gestured to an open seat. "Please, join us, Mountain's Might."

She inclined her head and sat, the chair creaking slightly beneath her weight. The old meeting room, lined with shelves and old banners, smelled like aged cedarwood and varnished oak. It was both comforting and grounding. Perhaps that was why she liked this place so much.

Outside the tall windows, dusk spilled over the distant peaks like molten gold, casting long shadows across the chamber's wooden floor.

Then, a thick and unspoken tension wove itself through the space.

Her father, no longer smiling, leaned forward slightly. His fingers interlocked.

Darkness already knew what was coming. The silver-haired matriarch, the gathering of the Feng Clan's top members, the sudden private meeting—it could only mean one thing. Something was stirring in the world again.

"My fellow House members...."Lord Ares began. "Two years have passed since the tragic encounter with the sovereign and the successful subjugation of what could've been the end of the East. I have been the Head of this House for thirty years now, and I've learned more and more about what awaits and the fact that we as humanity are falling behind. Two years ago, we had failed this continent, and our pride had pushed us to the underground like moles."

Many of House Ares's top members lowered their heads when they heard that statement.

"But all of that changed when the Feng Clan decided to become our partner and lent us its forces to push back the impending doom and take back our continent. During this extermination...we saw the emergence of new talents and witnessed the growth of our technology, starting a new era for mankind. And for that, I thank you, Lady Mao Feng."

Mao Feng elegantly bowed with a rare smile.

"And because of what you have done for my Continent, Lady Mao Feng, the great house of Ares will no longer serve as an allied house but as a direct subdivision of the Feng Clan.

No one reacted to this because it had already been discussed by the House members. Only Lena Feng and Darkness reacted to this announcement.

On the other hand, Lord Ares continued.

"This brings me to the next part of why I am doing this. As many of you already know, House Artemis has decided not to yield and has allied itself with House Val in the Central Region. It is unfortunate to believe that they might become our enemies someday, but we must be prepared for war. We have also received multiple reports from the Government confirming that they have begun exploring the divine realm. They have even started building citadels to support the ascenders sent there."

The room was silent as he explained the current situation within the little time they had.

Lord Ares was never a man of many words. But today, he needed to speak a lot. He was a warrior most of the time, so the language he was used to was the one that involved weapons.

He turned to Mao Feng and Lenaria Feng. The pair almost looked like twin sisters, with one having snow white hair. The seriousness in their eyes was similar to that of two white wolves. Indeed, they were incredible and righteous allies.

Next to them was Astrid Feng, the Moon Siren, a survivor of the Moon Settlement incident.

"Then shouldn't we also find a way of entering the divine realm?" Darkness suddenly asked.

"We already have a way of entering the divine realm, Lord Darkness." Astrid jumped in with an answer. She had a weak sneer on her face as she stared at Darkness with reassurance.

Her pale skin was now glowing under the orange light, and little of her reds could be seen through her shades. "If we defeat the Great Dragon on the moon, we might find ourselves a very big Gateway to the divine realm."

"You want us to kill a dragon?" Darkness sneered. To her, this was exciting news because a dragon was a legendary threat. And even more exciting, it was a Cursed Emperor.

"It seems so. Most of the recorded two-way gates are small-scale--including the one in the West. However, the one on the moon is more grand and its energy signature is off the charts." Astrid replied. "The former moon base has already been scanned for life forms, and we've confirmed that it is harboring hundreds of tyrants and a Cursed Emperor. According to the gate's energy signature, it has been active for almost ten years and has only been growing in size since then. We'll be sending our satellites to confirm again, then deal with the cursed creatures and their master if they have any. But this would require a lot of planning, so we'll have to wait for a while before moving forward."

"How long?" Mao Feng suddenly asked.

"A year at least. I am not sure we have enough sorcerers on our side yet. The Great Dragon isn't just any Emperor, after all."

She was right, the Great Dragon on the Moon was not just any emperor. Cursed emperors were strong, but the ones currently on earth were mostly inactive and were being monitored by the government and the Houses that ruled those specific territories. So far, only three cursed emperors had displayed any hostility towards them. And all three had been killed, the latest being the one Darkness turned into her sword.

However, the Dragon on the Moon could control Cursed Tyrants like an alpha, turning it into one of the scariest and mightiest cursed creatures humanity had ever seen.

And to think there were more creatures like it in the Divine Realm!

***

The meeting ended once the night set in and all the guests had finally shown up. The courtyard was now filled with important government officials, high-ranking citizens, and people Darkness considered friends. She had made many over the years, but she always felt like something was missing.

She paused, glancing toward the distant stars. Something was missing. Not a person… not exactly. More like a presence that should have been here. A warmth that once stood beside her. And yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember the face.

Did her colleagues experience the same feeling?

"Sigh. I must be way over my head this time."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.