Chapter 93: The Desolate Maw
The search for a suitable Tribulation site became their singular focus. Days blurred into a determined trek across varied landscapes, from sun-baked plains to ancient, craggy mountains. Kael and his wives moved with purpose, their senses extended, their conversations a constant strategic exchange. They discussed energy convergences, seismic stability, and the potential for drawing unwanted attention, both mortal and otherworldly.
"The northern reaches of the Whispering Peaks," Selene suggested one evening, her finger tracing a holographic map projected by Kael's system interface. "They're largely uninhabited, and the sheer height might offer some natural isolation from stray observers."
"The ambient mana there is sparse though," Evelyne countered, "which would mean a heavier drain on Kael during the Tribulation itself. It might hinder his breakthrough rather than aid it."
"Perhaps a volcanic region?" Thalaria offered, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Plenty of raw energy. And it's naturally inhospitable to most life."
Valeria, ever practical, shook her head. "Too unstable. A Heavenly Tribulation already warps reality. Add seismic activity, and we're risking a direct portal to the abyss."
Nysera, usually quiet in these tactical discussions, suddenly spoke, her gaze fixed on a particular, scarred region of the map. "There's a place. Far to the west, beyond the Shadowed Wastes. It's called the Desolate Maw."
Kael's eyes narrowed. He hadn't heard of it. "The Desolate Maw?"
"An ancient battlefield," Nysera explained, her voice tinged with a solemnity that suggested deep, historical knowledge. "Not of mortals. A place where primal powers clashed long before the current empires rose. The earth itself is rent, scarred beyond recognition. It's barren, devoid of life, and saturated with the echoes of catastrophic energy. Nothing grows there. No sentient beings choose to reside."
"A place where primal powers clashed…" Kael mused, the words resonating with Aelisa's warnings. Such a place would surely contain the destructive energies, as Valeria had suggested. More importantly, it might already be accustomed to world-shaking events.
"Is it stable enough?" Selene asked, her brow furrowed.
"Stable in its desolation," Nysera affirmed. "The energies are chaotic, but contained within that specific region. It's a wound on the world, but a closed one. And its sheer emptiness... it would offer unparalleled isolation."
Kael felt a pull. A premonition. This was the place. The whispers of the Worldpiercer Realm felt stronger when he considered the Desolate Maw. It was a place for something truly profound to happen.
"The Desolate Maw it is," Kael declared. "We leave at first light."
The journey to the Desolate Maw was arduous. They traversed the arid plains of the Shadowed Wastes, a land of perpetual twilight and shifting dunes. Even Emberfang, usually boisterous, seemed subdued by the oppressive atmosphere, staying close to Kael. Vira, the sky serpent, often flew ahead, her keen senses searching for anything out of place.
As they drew closer to the specified coordinates, the very air began to change. The ground became brittle, cracked like shattered pottery. The sky, even during the brightest part of the day, took on a bruised, purplish hue. The silence was absolute, save for the crunch of their boots on the crystalline earth.
Then, they saw it.
The Desolate Maw was not merely a scarred plain; it was a vast, sunken basin, miles across, as if a titanic fist had punched a hole in the world. The basin's floor was a mosaic of obsidian shards, petrified ash, and twisted, metallic-looking rock formations that clawed at the bruised sky like frozen screams. Ancient energy, chaotic and raw, pulsed faintly from the depths, an uncomfortable thrum against their senses. There was no vegetation, no water, no sign of any life at all. This truly was a place of ultimate desolation.
"By the stars," Evelyne breathed, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "The sheer scale of it…"
"This is it," Kael stated, his voice ringing with a strange mixture of solemnity and anticipation. The hairs on his arms stood on end. The spiritual pressure here was immense, yet strangely… neutral. It wasn't actively hostile, but it was utterly indifferent, a perfect stage for a cosmic judgment.
"We set up our perimeter here, at the rim," Selene instructed, already surveying the barren landscape with a strategic eye. "Far enough to be safe from the immediate impact, but close enough to lend whatever support we can if the Tribulation manifests in ways we don't anticipate."
They began to establish their temporary camp, laying down protective arrays that drew on their combined power, not just to shield themselves, but to channel and stabilize the wild energies of the Maw itself, ensuring they didn't bleed out into the wider world. Each wife worked with practiced efficiency, their unique powers complementing each other: Selene's moonlight weaving protective wards, Evelyne's ice and flame stabilizing the ground, Thalaria's lightning scaring off any lingering, primordial echoes, and Valeria's nature energy grounding the entire operation. Nysera, meanwhile, used her curse affinity to subtly detect and neutralize any latent malevolence in the energy flows.
As the sun, a pale disc in the bruised sky, began its descent, Kael walked alone to the center of the vast basin, standing amidst the jagged obsidian shards. He closed his eyes, centering himself. He could feel the accumulated power within him, the overflow EXP pressing against the ceiling of his current realm. The Throne of Ascendancy trait vibrated, resonating with the raw, untamed energies of the Maw.
He was ready. Or rather, he had to be.
A faint hum began to emanate from the ground, growing steadily louder. The bruised sky above him seemed to darken further, gathering dense, swirling clouds that were not of this world. Arcane symbols, like ancient script, began to coalesce within the ominous cloud cover, pulsating with an ethereal light.
The air grew heavy, charged with an unimaginable force. It was the summons. The call of the Heavenly Tribulation.
Kael took a deep, steadying breath, his resolve unyielding. His wives watched from the perimeter, their faces etched with a mixture of concern and absolute trust. Emberfang let out a low, rumbling growl, his eyes fixed on Kael, while Vira coiled tightly, her gaze piercing the gathering storm.
This was it. The ascension. The true test of his sovereignty. And beyond it, perhaps, the answers to Aelisa's tantalizing, dangerous game.
STATUS WINDOW: KAEL VIREN
System Level: 47
EXP: 59,822,850,000 / 58,982,400,000 (Cap — Heavenly Tribulation Required)
Overflow EXP (Stored): +12,000,000,000 (Locked until breakthrough)
Realm: Skyshatter Realm — Tier 9/9 (MAX)
HP: 85,900 / 85,900
Mana: 97,200 / 97,200
Stats (with buffs applied):
Strength: 890 × 2.6 × 2 = 4,628
Endurance: 870 × 2.6 = 2,262
Willpower: 890 × 2.6 = 2,314
Charm: 960 × 2.6 = 2,496
Intellect: 790 × 2.6 = 2,054
Dexterity: 890 × 2.6 × 2 = 4,628
Sin Points: 30,480,000 / 100,000,000,000
Sin Tier: Warlord Rank
SKILL WINDOW
Active Sin Skills:
• Sovereign Flame Crush [+Max]
• Wrathflare Lance [+Max]
• Flamebind Chains [+Max]
• Infernal Domain [+Max]
Passive Traits:
• Crown of Dominion → Throne of Ascendancy [+Mythic]
• Sovereign Union [+Enhanced]
• Nullfire Core [+Enhanced]
• Phoenix Mantle [+Enhanced]
Bloodline / Physique Traits:
• Carnal Sovereign Core [+Enhanced]
• Sin Catalyst Matrix [+Enhanced]
[Skill Upgrade Available — Spend Sin Points to enhance or evolve active/passive/bloodline skills]
[Bonded Partner Skills Eligible for Sin Point Upgrade]
Bonded Wives (Mythic Bloodlines/Physiques Active):
Selene — Skyshatter 9/9 (Mythic Eclipse Matron) — Requires Tribulation
Evelyne — Skyshatter 9/9 (Starlit Ember Empress)
Thalaria — Skyshatter 8/9 (Stormheart Valkyrie — Advanced 11 tiers)
Nysera — Skyshatter 9/9 (Scarlet Hexmistress)
Valeria — Skyshatter 8/9 (Verdant Windborne Queen)
Pet Panel:
Emberfang — Infernal Flamebeast Cub (Tier 5)
Vira — Sky Serpent Hatchling (Tier 2)
Cultivation Realms:
Initiate → Essence Drawn → Veinwoven → Soulroot → Starforged → Sunbound → Moonglade → Skyshatter (MAX) → Worldpiercer → Heaven's Echo → Celestiaflame → Worldbreaker → Eternal Crown
Next: Worldpiercer (Requires Heavenly Tribulation)
What form will Kael's Heavenly Tribulation take in the ominous depths of the Desolate Maw?