Chapter 74: The Vault's Final Trial
The Vault hadn't gone still. Not entirely.
Though the flames had dimmed and Kael stood sovereign over the sin-forged battlefield, a new pulse rumbled beneath the obsidian floor—a heartbeat deeper and older than the structure itself.
He sensed it before the system confirmed it.
[Warning: Final Trial of the Vault Initiating]
[Trial Objective: Overcome the Sovereign of Nullity]
[System Rule Override: All Bonded Wives Temporarily Restricted from Entry]
[Time Compression Enacted — 1 Second Outside = 6 Hours Inside]
[EXP Bonus: +100% upon Trial Completion]
[Boss-Level Threat Detected — Realm Tier: Skyshatter (9/9)]
Kael's breath misted despite the heat. "Of course there's a final trial."
Selene, already halfway through the closing rift, froze as the system barred her exit. "Kael?"
"I'm locked in," he said calmly. "Stay with the others. This one's mine."
The moment the rift sealed, the world around him groaned and began to shift.
Walls melted. The floor shattered. The vault transformed into an abyssal coliseum, with black spires reaching endlessly upward, and a single throne hovering above a void of stars.
From that throne rose a figure.
It had no face—only a jagged crown of black antlers, a body carved from darkness, and wings that pulsed with a deep emptiness. Its presence wasn't absence—it was negation.
The Sovereign of Nullity had awoken.
Kael dropped into a combat stance, flame coiling tight around his limbs. His Sin Crown glowed faintly, reacting to the new threat.
[Boss Identified: Sovereign of Nullity]
[Title: Vault Architect — Corrupted Watcher of the Old Epoch]
[Realm Tier: Skyshatter 9/9]
[Special Mechanic: Null Aura — Disables all non-Sin-based active skills for 120 seconds upon contact]
[Caution: Regenerates Mana through destruction of matter. Avoid sustained elemental contact.]
"Perfect," Kael muttered. "Time to test the Sin path."
He charged.
No preamble. No stalling.
Just raw momentum and a streak of red-gold flame as he crashed into the Sovereign's space. His fist met an aura of nothingness that absorbed all kinetic force—but the divine flame pierced.
The Sovereign responded with a sweep of its arm, and Kael's body slammed backward into a crumbling platform.
[HP: -4,800]
He rolled, bracing, before launching back into the air. The Sin Crown pulsed.
[Skill Activated: Infernal Chains — Sin Variant]
[Potency Boost: +25% (Crown of Dominion)]
[Cooldown Reduction: -30%]
Chains of burning scripture erupted from Kael's hands, seeking to bind the Sovereign's limbs. The enemy countered with a soundless pulse—Null Shockwave—ripping through the arena.
[Warning: Null Field Expanding — 30-meter radius]
Kael grimaced as the shockwave stripped his active buffs. Flames flickered. The field had devoured all standard augmentations.
But not Sin.
[Passive: Flame Sovereign's Will — Unaffected by External Nullification]
He grinned.
"Nice trick. But I'm not bound by your laws anymore."
Kael dashed forward again, this time ducking under the Sovereign's claws and jabbing a sin-forged spear into its ribs.
[Critical Strike]
[Sin Damage Dealt: 19,760]
[Boss Integrity: 97%]
"Going to take a while," he muttered.
Meanwhile — Outside the Vault
The rift had stabilized, but the aura radiating from within was far from calm.
Thalaria stood near it with her halberd drawn. "We should go in."
"We can't," Selene snapped. "The system locked us out. It's a solo trial."
Nysera narrowed her eyes. "Then we prepare for what comes after."
Valeria's expression darkened. "If he fails—"
"He won't," Evelyne said. "He can't. He's carrying us all now."
Back Inside — Hours Later
Kael bled freely now. His body battered. His sin points had dipped dangerously.
[Sin Points: 2,160,000 / 100,000,000]
[HP: 8,900 / 49,800]
He had fought with everything.
Still, the Sovereign endured.
[Boss Integrity: 19%]
Kael dug deeper.
[New Action Unlocked: Sin Sacrifice]
[Convert 1,000,000 Sin Points into 100% Damage Amplification for next strike. Health cost: -50% Max HP.]
He didn't hesitate.
[HP: 4,450 / 49,800]
[Sin Points: 1,160,000]
Kael leapt.
[Skill Combo: Hellfire Collapse + Sovereign Brand + Sin Sacrifice]
The explosion inverted light itself.
[BOSS DEFEATED — Sovereign of Nullity (Skyshatter 9/9)]
[EXP Gained: +50,000,000,000]
[Sin Points Gained: +250,000,000]
[Level Up! — System Level: 35 → 46]
[Realm Breakthrough — Moonglade 7/9 → Skyshatter 9/9]
[Heavenly Tribulation: Skipped — Sin Crown Override Active]
Outside
As the Vault cracked and dissolved, Kael emerged—scorched, eyes glowing with sinfire and something deeper: Nullflame.
His aura shook the air.
Selene caught him first. Evelyne, Thalaria, Valeria, and Nysera formed a circle around him.
Kael looked at them all. "The Vault is ours."
STATUS WINDOW: KAEL VIREN
System Level: 46
EXP: 49,634,240,000 / 58,982,400,000
Realm: Skyshatter Realm — Tier 9/9
HP: 75,800 / 75,800
Mana: 86,200 / 86,200
Stats (with buffs):
Strength: 870 × 2.4 × 2 = 4,176
Endurance: 820 × 2.4 = 1,968
Willpower: 845 × 2.4 = 2,028
Charm: 912 × 2.4 = 2,188
Intellect: 750 × 2.4 = 1,800
Dexterity: 850 × 2.4 × 2 = 4,080
Sin Points: 263,160,000 / 100,000,000,000
Sin Tier: Warlord Rank
New Trait: Nullfire Core — Passive
➤ Grants 10% resistance to nullification effects
➤ Adds Null-element to all flame-based Sin skills
Bonded Wives:
Selene — Skyshatter 9/9 (Moon/Shadow)
Evelyne — Moonglade 8/9 (Ice/Lunar Flame)
Thalaria — Sunbound 3/9 (Lightning)
Nysera — Skyshatter 1/9 (Blood/Curse)
Valeria — Skyshatter 3/9 (Nature/Wind)
Pet Panel:
Emberfang — Flame Tiger Cub (Tier 3)
Vira — Sky Serpent Hatchling (Tier 2)
Cultivation Realms:
Initiate → Essence Drawn → Veinwoven → Soulroot → Starforged → Sunbound → Moonglade → Skyshatter ← Current (9/9)
Next: Worldpiercer (Locked at Level 47)
Heaven's Echo → Celestiaflame → Worldbreaker → Eternal Crown → Primordial Ascendant
Origin Flame (Locked)
Next: Chapter 75 — Evelyne's Decision