Jack stared at the three quest notifications floating in his vision, his exhaustion from months of travel momentarily forgotten.

[Quest: Peacemaker]

[Objective: Help the Aurion and Thal'Gorin clans reach a peaceful resolution]

[Reward: 100 Stat Points, 100 Skill Points]

[Quest: Choose Your Allegiance]

[Objective: Side with either the Aurion (Light) or Thal'Gorin (Dark) clan]

[Reward: +50% Reputation with chosen clan, Access to their respective city]

[Quest: Uncover the Truth]

[Objective: Discover the true reason for the clan war]

[Reward: Astrapon's Reign (Skill)]

Jack's eyes widened at the third quest. A skill reward. Those were rare, and usually meant the skill was something the system couldn't teach through normal progression.

'System, what does Astrapon's Reign do?'

[Astrapon's Reign (Active)]

[Call forth lightning to rain down around yourself for 60 seconds]

[Cooldown: 20 minutes]

[Mana Cost: 50% of mana]

[Damage: Magic Talent × Magic]

[Area: 30-meter radius]

Jack's heart rate spiked. His Call of the Lightning skill could stack charges when lightning struck near him, but it required an external lightning source. This skill would let him generate that lightning at will.

The synergy was perfect. He could activate Astrapon's Reign, let it generate lightning for sixty seconds while he fought, and Call of the Lightning would stack charges the entire time. By the end, he'd have enough stored power to unleash devastating attacks.

A grin spread across his face before he could stop it.

"Your expression suggests you've received good news," S observed from his position at Fluffy's head. "Or you've finally lost what remained of your sanity. Either seems equally likely at this point."

Jack forced his face back to neutral, though his excitement still bubbled beneath the surface. "Just happy we finally have something to do other than sit on Fluffy for months."

"Ah." S's tone suggested he didn't believe that for a second. "And this 'something' wouldn't happen to involve a tribal dispute currently unfolding several kilometers ahead?"

Jack blinked. "You noticed something?"

"I'm a demon who's existed for centuries," S said dryly. "Of course I noticed. The question is whether you're foolish enough to involve yourself in clan politics that have nothing to do with you."

Fluffy's pace didn't slow as they crested a ridge, and suddenly the source of S's observation became clear.

Below them stretched a massive valley, easily Twenty-five kilometers wide. A river cut through its center, and on either side stood settlements that could generously be called cities.

Crude fortifications, buildings carved from dark stone, banners that snapped in the wind.

And between the two settlements, was a mountain of chaos.

Hundreds of demons clashed on the valley floor. On the left side, creatures wreathed in radiant light, the Aurion. Their forms were elegant, almost angelic, with wings that blazed brightly.

Rather weird considering they were demons.

On the right, the Thal'Gorin. Dark demons whose bodies were dark as a blackout. Shadows clung to them, and their weapons dripped with what looked like liquid darkness.

The battle was brutal. Demons tore at each other with claws and magic, bodies falling on both sides. The ground was already littered with the dead.

"A war," S said, settling more comfortably on Fluffy's back. "Light versus Dark. A tale as old as creation itself, really. We can simply go around. The detour will only add a week to our journey."

"No." Jack's voice was firm. "We're solving this."

S turned to look at him fully, one eyebrow raised. "We have three hundred and twenty-four days of travel ahead of us, and you want to spend time mediating a tribal dispute?"

"We have plenty of time," Jack countered. "And the rewards are too good to pass up."

"Ah, so it's about rewards." S's smile was knowing. "I should have guessed. A fine selection of demon hearts, yes I could go for a snack. Very well, if you're determined to involve yourself in demon politics, what's your plan?"

Jack studied the battlefield below. Two cities. Two clans. Hundreds of demons locked in combat. He needed to make an impression strong enough that both sides would stop fighting and listen to him.

"What's the best way to make an entrance?" Jack asked.

S's smile widened into something genuinely pleased. "Make it as dramatic as possible. Let everyone know exactly who you are and what you're capable of. Fear and respect go hand in hand in demon culture."

Jack nodded slowly, a plan forming. He looked at Corvin, who had been observing the battle with interest.

"Corvin," Jack said. "Go and annoy some of them before I start this battle."

The great raven launched into the air, his form expanding to full size as he dove toward the valley. His shadow passed over the fighting demons like a dark omen.

Corvin's beak opened, and shadows erupted from his throat.

The Carrion Swarm, dozens of spectral ravens formed from death energy, descended on the battlefield.

They targeted demons from both sides indiscriminately, ten creatures caught in the initial assault.

[Covenant of the Storm Activated]

[Faith Stacks: 10/10]

[Effect: +20% Magic, +20% Healing]

[Max Stack Bonus: Spells explode on impact and chain to 2 nearby enemies]

Jack had never considered himself religious.

Faith wasn't something he'd cultivated or even thought about.

But the Lightning Apostle class didn't care about traditional worship, it channeled conviction itself.

And Jack was absolutely convinced of one thing.

He would survive this tower, no matter what it threw at him.

That certainty was faith enough.

He activated Thunder Mantle, and lightning crackled across his body like living armor. Blue electricity arced between his fingers, his hair standing on end from the raw power.

His Lightning Spear materialized in his hand, the weapon humming with energy.

Jack stood at the edge of the ridge, looking down at the battlefield where demons continued their war, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

He raised his free hand toward the crimson sky.

"Celestial Descent."

The words left his mouth with absolute authority, and the heavens answered.

A pillar of blue lightning erupted from the sky, twenty meters wide, crashing down into the center of the battlefield with the force of divine judgment.

The sound was deafening, not a crack of thunder, but a continuous roar like reality itself was tearing.

Demons on both sides looked up just in time to see death descending.

The lightning didn't strike once. It fell continuously, bolt after bolt hammering the battlefield in a relentless assault. Each strike carried Jack's full power, amplified by his Faith stacks and boosted stats.

[-7,278 HP]

[-7,278 HP]

[-7,278 HP]

[-7,278 HP]

The first demons caught in the radius died instantly, their bodies unable to withstand the concentrated energy. But Jack's Covenant of the Storm passive was still active.

Every demon that took damage became a lightning rod.

The electricity chained from the initial targets to two nearby demons, then from those demons to two more. The cascade effect turned the center of the battlefield into a storm of branching lightning that spread like a spiderweb.

[Chain Damage: -4,367 HP]

Demons screamed. Some tried to flee, but the spell lasted twenty seconds, an eternity when lightning was falling from the sky.

Aurion and Thal'Gorin alike fell, their tribal allegiances meaningless in the face of indiscriminate destruction.

[Sanguine Accelerator Activated]

[Lifesteal converting damage to healing]

Jack felt the familiar surge as his equipment activated.

His eyes blazed red, the whites flooding with crimson light. His white hair, still partially stained from months of demon blood, seemed to be even darker.

Even his armor took on a reddish tint as power flooded through him.

Jack watched from the ridge, his red eyes tracking every bolt, every chain, every death. The Sanguine Accelerator pulsed with each kill, converting the damage into healing energy that flooded his system.

When the spell finally ended, silence fell across the valley, everyone was silent as they stared at Jack.

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