Chapter 42: The Tower of Light

A shadow stepped out of a collapsing building. In the daze, a young man was standing, looking up at the sky, as the shadow walked out. The man saw him walking out, and just then, the space around the house changed and disappeared when the young man raised his hands.

"So Corvin, how did it go?"

Corvin looked around as the space disappeared and the house was revealed—all black and ash and collapsed—as a loud crack followed, one after another. He sighed.

"No. I had to let her go."

"What are you talking about? We did everything to get there, and you just let her leave?" the man asked.

Corvin sighed. "I have my reasons. And besides, I owe Orson, and I don’t like being in debt."

"But still, after—"

"No buts, Ben. And besides, I don’t think she is going to be that easy to kill. Looks like she still has a few tricks up her sleeve."

Ben just nodded. "Okay. But what took you so long?"

"It was Orson. He got in my way."

"Wait, Orson can fight? I thought the clan abandoned him."

Corvin just sighed. "And worst of all, he fought me as an Awakened. Even if I outmatched him, if we were both Awakened, Orson might just kill me."

But he did not say anything out loud.

Ben said, "Okay," as the two walked into the car and hovered away.

As the night breeze blew through District 2, Corvin was lost in thought as Ben drove. He turned on the holo news in the car. The car was quiet except for the hum of light that blurred past and the hover energy sound. Just then, a sound broke the silence—it was a news alert from the holo news.

Corvin looked at it and turned it up.

"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. It has just been reported that after a drop in temperatures in the north that left experts baffled as to why, there has been an energy surge that is causing the temperature drop. And some are predicting that a breach will open in Heaven Crest City in the north, but for now it is only speculation."

Corvin sighed. "Another gate, hmm. It’s like there is news of this every day."

Ben just sighed as well. "It doesn’t matter for now."

Corvin looked at Ben. "Well, where is Steven? I need the second key. If I want to grow stronger, I need more power."

"Steven is a bit busy. And besides, have you even met your requirements before you enter the next trial?"

Corvin just smiled. "It doesn’t matter. I have to grow stronger if I want to beat someone."

Ben looked at him. "Wait, is it the Storm Saint? But she is crippled, so why waste your time?"

Corvin looked away. "No. It’s someone else."

The car moved through the city as the moon cast its shadow over the horizon.

---

Meanwhile, inside the Golden Sun Realm, Steven was locked in a battle against another wolf. He moved his hands, and black liquid gathered around them as it moved like a snake. The liquid looked alive and moved toward the wolf. As it touched the beast, it burned, turning the wolf to nothing but ash. The wolf let out a howl before falling.

Steven was covered in sweat as he looked at the corpse. He was currently in a dark room inside the temple. Just then, he heard the voice of the system before a notification appeared.

You have slain a Gold Dread Wolfless.

Steven just sighed and continued walking deeper into the temple.

The temple was like a cathedral. The buildings had very tall walls. As Steven walked, there were markings on the walls. He looked around the room, but what he was looking for was not there. It had to be somewhere around here. He just needed to find it.

After a while, Steven continued walking. There were bones all around—human bones—as he walked past pile after pile of bones all around the temple. He reached the center, with a path leading deeper and deeper into the ground.

Steven walked forward and saw what he was looking for. An altar.

He smiled to himself as he entered the room. It was dark, with markings all around. But Steven did not look around. He reached the altar before looking at the words carved around it. Just then, the system screen appeared, translating the runes. After a moment, the words that were carved into the altar appeared to Steven.

---

Three days later.

Meanwhile, the Silver Rain were about to reach the temple island.

Lucas had wanted to wait for his captain, Rain, but it had been three days since they last saw her, so they just kept moving toward the temple island.

"Alright, team. There remains just one more island. Okay?"

Everyone was already tired from the fighting, and getting to this island was not easy after one island almost fell on them. But they were close now.

Lucas opened his comms. Still nothing.

He looked at one of his team members. "You can deactivate it now."

And it remained just one more island.

Lucas and his team moved. It took them a while since there were beasts—wolves—all around the island. They had to clear them all, from a wolf with white fur shooting sun beams from his eyes to a wolf made of bone attacking them. So it was not easy to reach the edge of the island.

Even when they got there, there was a sleeping wolf, which gave them a lot of trouble. They even almost lost one of their team members, but with Lucas’s ice ability, they were able to take a win after some few casualties.

After resting for a while, they reached the edge of the island before Lucas jumped, making an ice step that would allow everyone to go to the temple very easily. And as they walked toward the temple island, a large beam of light shot from the temple to the sky.

Lucas and his team watched as the light shot to the sun. It was fast—it reached it—and then the sun at the center of the five suns exploded into a shimmering tower of light.

Lucas and his team were shocked by the sight, but before they could think, the temple island started to groan and shake. The ice Lucas made started to break into pieces.

Lucas shouted, "Get back!"

But it was too late. Some made it as the ice was breaking apart because the island was shaking, and some—like Lucas and three other members—fell off and started to fall from the sky. Their direction was straight into the sea.