The morning mist clung to the jagged cliffs that bordered the easternmost range of the Scarlet Dominion. These were the Ashen Peaks, once the heart of a forgotten empire now blanketed by silence and the whisper of old wars. Few dared to venture here. Fewer still returned. But it was here that Aeron was headed.
His footsteps were steady on the uneven path carved into the cliffside. His cloak fluttered behind him, his black hair damp with dew. The sun barely pierced the overcast sky, and the wind howled through the narrow canyons like distant cries of the dead.
He wasn't alone.
Kael strode a few steps behind, a massive axe strapped to his back. His expression was grim, eyes scanning every crevice. "I still think this is a mistake."
Aeron didn't turn. "You said that already."
"I'll keep saying it. That warlord—Ravok—he's not the kind of man you reason with."
"I'm not going to reason with him," Aeron replied coldly. "I'm going to make him listen."
Dalia hovered overhead, standing on a thin plate of wind. Her hair danced with the air currents, and her eyes glowed with pale light. "We're being watched."
Aeron stopped. "Where?"
"Two hundred meters behind. Five of them, cloaked in dust."
Kael cracked his knuckles. "Bandits?"
"No," Dalia said. "Too quiet. Too disciplined."
Aeron sighed. "Looks like Ravok wants to greet us personally."
He knelt and placed a hand on the rocky path. A golden rune spread beneath his palm, forming a wide circle of light.
> "Tracing Array – Reflective Echo."
A pulse shot out through the terrain like a wave. Seconds later, ghostly images of five masked figures flickered into view, crouched behind rocks and ridges, weapons ready.
Kael grinned. "I'll handle the two on the left."
"I've got the high ridge," Dalia said.
Aeron nodded. "Leave the center to me."
Without another word, they moved.
Kael charged forward, the ground shattering beneath his feet as flames erupted from his fists. The first scout raised a crossbow, but Kael was already upon him. With a deafening roar, he punched downward—fire engulfed the scout and reduced him to cinders.
The second tried to flee, only to be caught by Kael's sweeping leg. As the man flew into the air, Kael's axe whistled, slicing clean through him.
Dalia, from above, drew wind into her palms. It crackled with sharpness, forming a horizontal blade. She slashed downward.
> "Heaven's Shear!"
A compressed arc of wind tore through the ridge, slicing stone and flesh alike. The scout tried to block with a spirit barrier, but it shattered like glass. Blood misted the air.
At the center, Aeron moved calmly.
The two remaining scouts lunged at him, blades drawn. They moved fast—Spiritual Warrior level, likely level 35 or above.
Aeron drew Hollowfang in a blur. The black blade shimmered with red veins of energy. He deflected the first strike, then sidestepped and drew a complex rune in the air with one finger.
> "Crimson Binding!"
Golden chains of light burst from the rune, wrapping the legs and arms of both scouts in an instant. They struggled, gritting their teeth, as the chains pulsed with suppressive energy.
"Who sent you?" Aeron asked.
They didn't answer.
Aeron raised his hand. Hollowfang pulsed.
"Last chance."
Still no answer.
> "Soul Rend."
The blade hummed as Aeron slashed in an X-pattern through the air. A crimson shockwave exploded from the tip, cutting through the two scouts' spirit barriers and severing their consciousness in a single breath.
Their bodies dropped, lifeless.
Kael stepped over the ridge, whistling. "Clean."
Dalia landed beside Aeron. "These weren't Ravok's elites. More like his sentries."
Aeron nodded. "Then we're close."
---
A Forgotten Fortress – Ravok's Domain
They reached the outer ruins by late afternoon.
The fortress was carved into the mountain, dark spires rising like jagged teeth. Stone walls bore scars of ancient battles, and braziers flickered with blue fire despite the absence of guards.
But they weren't alone.
As they stepped past the outer gate, a dozen cultivators appeared from the mist. All wore black cloaks with a silver claw embroidered on the chest.
"State your purpose," one growled, his eyes glowing red.
Kael growled. "We're not here to talk to lapdogs."
Aeron raised a hand. "We seek Ravok the Ashen. Tell him Aeron, son of Aegis of the Sovereign's Vale, has come to speak."
The guards tensed.
Then, slowly, they parted.
One turned. "Follow me."
---
Inside the Fortress
They were led through winding halls into a massive chamber filled with banners, weapon racks, and stone thrones. At the center sat a towering figure, shirtless, his skin covered in ritual scars. His hair was silver-white, falling past his shoulders, and his eyes gleamed like burning coals.
Ravok.
He studied Aeron for a long moment. "You've come far for a conversation."
"I came for an alliance."
Ravok laughed, a deep, cruel sound. "Boy, I've burned ten alliances in my time. Why should yours matter?"
"Because the enemy we face now isn't a tribe or a kingdom. It's something worse. The Wraithborn."
Ravok's smile faded. "I've heard whispers. Corrupted cultivators?"
"They're real. We've already fought them. And they're multiplying."
Ravok stood, and his presence was like a boulder crashing into the room. The pressure alone cracked the floor. He was a Spiritual Emperor—Level 60, at least.
"Even if you speak the truth... why should I help you? What's in it for me?"
Aeron met his gaze. "The right to destroy the Sect that once cast you out. And when this war ends, a seat at the table that will rule what's left of this continent."
Silence.
Then Ravok chuckled. "Bold. Dangerous. I like it."
He extended a massive hand. "Very well, Aeron of the Vale. I'll lend you my blade. But betray me, and I'll carve your name into my bones before I kill you."
Aeron gripped his hand. "Deal."
The deal was struck, but Aeron knew the real challenge had just begun.
Ravok's warriors were some of the most brutal cultivators on the continent—rogue generals, exiled sect leaders, and merciless bounty hunters who had carved a kingdom out of ashes and ruins. Now, they would fight under Aeron's banner.
But loyalty would need to be earned.
That night, the sky above the Ashen Peaks darkened with heavy clouds. Thunder rolled across the jagged mountains, and lightning forked across the sky. In a stone courtyard outside the fortress, Aeron stood in a circle of warriors, each eager to test the man who dared to command Ravok's allegiance.
"Trial by Combat," Ravok had said with a crooked grin. "If you survive the circle, they'll follow you."
Aeron stood in the middle of the stone ring, shirtless, his black blade in hand. Opposite him stood three challengers—Spiritual Warriors, all at least level 35, their auras flaring like wildfire.
Kael grunted from the sideline. "He's insane."
Dalia didn't reply. Her eyes stayed on Aeron, lips tight.
A horn blared.
The battle began.
The first challenger, a spear wielder, dashed forward with ghostly speed. He spun, thrusting a flaming spear at Aeron's ribs.
Aeron shifted his stance.
> "Shadow Step."
He vanished and reappeared behind the man. Hollowfang cut diagonally, cleaving the spear in two.
The second warrior, a twin-sword cultivator, lunged from the left. His blades whistled as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Aeron deflected one slash, then bent backward, letting the second blade pass inches above his chest. He gritted his teeth and drove his elbow into the man's chin, sending him staggering.
But the third warrior, an earth-elemental cultivator, slammed his foot into the ground.
> "Stone Grasp!"
The floor cracked and surged with jagged rocks, forming a claw that shot upward, grabbing Aeron's leg. The twin-sword user recovered and lunged again.
Aeron didn't panic.
He slashed his blade downward.
> "Void Severance."
Hollowfang pulsed, and a crimson arc of energy erupted in a wide arc. The shockwave disintegrated the stone claw and hurled both opponents off their feet.
Aeron dashed forward. In a blink, he appeared behind the twin-blade warrior.
> "Soul Echo – Fourth Movement."
He struck once—clean, deep, and deliberate. The blade cut through armour, flesh, and spirit barrier alike. The man collapsed, unconscious but alive.
The spear wielder tried to rise, only to be met by Aeron's cold eyes.
> "Crimson Spiral."
Aeron spun and unleashed a vortex of energy from Hollowfang. It slammed into the man like a hammer, flattening him into the ground.
Only the earth cultivator remained.
He raised both hands and roared, forming a thick stone wall between him and Aeron.
> "Iron Fortification!"
Aeron narrowed his eyes. He stabbed his blade into the ground.
> "Piercing Domain."
A red rune exploded underfoot, and dozens of crimson spikes erupted from the earth in a wave, tearing through the wall.
The earth cultivator tried to shield himself, but it was too late. A final pulse of Aeron's spiritual energy struck him square in the chest, sending him flying across the courtyard.
Silence fell.
Then Ravok's thunderous laughter echoed. "Well done! My dogs have teeth, but you've got fangs."
He raised a hand. "From this moment, the Ashen Blades serve the Sovereign's Vale."
The warriors knelt. Aeron stood amidst the broken stone, breathing slowly.
Another army had joined his cause.
---
Three Days Later – Strategic Meeting
Inside the war chamber of the fortress, maps were spread across a massive stone table. Colored markers indicated troop positions, enemy sightings, and resource lines.
Aeron stood beside Ravok, Dalia, Kael, and two of Ravok's captains. The room pulsed with tension.
Dalia pointed to the southeast edge of the map. "The Verdant Alliance is mustering forces near the Everspring Pass. If they take that pass, they'll have direct access to our northern settlements."
Kael scowled. "That's a bottleneck. Perfect place for an ambush."
Ravok grunted. "They've got a Spirit General leading them. Taren the Vinebinder. Nasty reputation."
Aeron nodded. "We'll hold them. Kael, take a strike team and disrupt their supply line. Dalia, I want you in the sky—monitor troop movements and call reinforcements if needed."
Ravok raised an eyebrow. "You're giving orders like you've already won."
Aeron looked him in the eye. "Confidence isn't a crime. And we don't have time to doubt."
Ravok grinned. "Fair enough."
---
That Night
Aeron sat alone in the highest tower of the fortress, watching the horizon. His hands rested on the hilt of Hollowfang, and his eyes burned with thought.
His campaign was growing. Allies were joining. Enemies were watching.
But the real war hadn't even begun.
Behind him, Dalia approached silently. "You're building something... but what exactly is it?"
"A future," he said without turning. "One where we don't bow to crumbling thrones or greedy sects."
"Ambitious," she said softly. "But dangerous."
He smiled faintly. "So am I."