CHAPTER 140: THE SANCTUARY’S TRIAL

Elisa’s punch was not a light tap, it was a solid blow that made Nox’s entire arm ache. He did not stumble, but the force was genuine.

’Great, another one who likes to hit people.’

Elisa laughed, a loud and open sound. "Hah! You took that better than I expected. Most humans would have cried."

Vexia just shook her head, her expression severe. "Elisa, do not assault our guests. It is unseemly." She turned her attention to the entire group, her gaze sharp and analytical. "You have traveled far. Come, you will be given food and quarters. We have many questions for you."

She led them into the Sanctuary. The inside was as clean and strange as the outside, with walkways woven from living wood and homes that were hollowed-out, glowing fruits. It was all very bright and made Nox’s eyes hurt a little. They were brought to a large, open-air dining hall where other Sun Elves, maybe twenty of them, stopped their conversations to stare.

’Why are they all staring at me? It’s annoying.’

They were seated at a long table, and food was brought out. It was a simple meal of roasted vegetables and some kind of white, flaky fish. It was much better than Mela’s burnt rabbit.

Vexia sat at the head of the table, her hands folded neatly in front of her. She waited until they had all started eating before she began her interrogation. "So, you came from the south. Through the Ashen Glade. Please, tell us everything that has happened."

Serian took the lead, recounting their journey. She spoke of the corrupted farewolves, of being captured by Mela’s sisters, of the Rot in the forest, and of the dungeon. She was a good storyteller, but she left out some of the more... violent details. She did not mention Nox crushing Lola’s skull.

Elisa, however, was not interested in the diplomatic version. "Yeah, yeah, the forest was sick, you fixed it, whatever. What about the fights? This human, he actually fought?" She pointed her fork at Nox. "You don’t look like much. How many did you kill?"

Nox swallowed a piece of fish. "Enough."

Mela, who had been silently fuming this whole time, finally spoke up. "He is a reckless brawler. He nearly got us all killed a dozen times. His plans are idiotic."

"Hey, my plans worked," Nox shot back. "We’re here, aren’t we? And you’re not a pincushion, so you’re welcome."

"You only survived because Her Highness and I were there to save you from your own stupidity!"

"That is enough," Vexia said, her voice quiet but carrying an authority that made both of them shut up. Her cold eyes settled on Nox. "Your power is... unusual. A chaotic void, held within a human shell. I have never seen its like. Where did it come from?"

’Here we go. The third degree.’

"I have a sponsor," he said, the lie coming easily now. "A powerful one. They gave me a gift."

Vexia did not look convinced. "A sponsor who would grant such a dangerous, corrupting force to a mortal? That is not a gift, that is a curse."

"Works for me," Nox said with a shrug.

The dinner continued in a tense silence. After the meal, Vexia stood. "Nox. I would have a private word with you. Now."

Vexia led him to a small, quiet room that was clearly a study. The walls were lined with shelves filled with ancient scrolls and leather-bound books. A single, glowing crystal floated in the center of the room, casting a soft, white light.

She did not ask him to sit. She just turned to face him, her arms crossed. "Let us dispense with the pleasantries. Your ’sponsor’ is a convenient fiction. That power you wield is not a blessing from a higher being. It is something parasitic. Something... broken."

’Shit, she’s smart. Way smarter than Fena.’

He just stared at her, his face a blank mask.

"I can feel it," she continued, her eyes narrowed. "A deep, ancient hunger at your core. It is a piece of something that should not exist. What are you?"

He was getting tired of this. "I’m just a guy trying to get a job done. I helped your sister get here. That’s all that matters."

"That is not all that matters," Vexia said, her voice dropping. "You are an unknown variable in a world that is already tearing itself apart. I cannot allow such an unstable element to remain near my sister."

Runes, intricate and glowing with a silver light, began to appear on the floor around Nox, forming a perfect circle. A heavy, immense pressure pushed down on him, trying to crush him to his knees.

[Analysis: Tier-5 Runic Seal. Designed for containment and suppression. High mana cost. Hostile intent confirmed.]

’So that’s how it’s gonna be. Fine.’

He did not fight the pressure. A shroud of pure, silent void energy, blacker than the stone floor, bled from his skin. It met the pressure of the runes not with force, but with a quiet, devouring emptiness.

The silver runes flickered. The pressure lessened.

Vexia’s eyes widened. "You are not just wielding it. You are it."

The runes on the floor flared, the pressure doubling. The void-shroud around Nox held, but he could feel the strain. ’She’s strong. Maybe stronger than Fena.’

"Tell me the truth," Vexia demanded, her voice tight with strain. "What is the source of your power?"

’The truth is none of your damn business.’

He did not speak. He just looked at her, and the purple star in the center of his black eyes began to burn a little brighter. The void energy around him did not just push back against her magic; it began to actively consume it.

The silver runes on the floor cracked. The light within them sputtered and died as the void drank their power.

Vexia cried out and stumbled back, her hand flying to her chest as the magical backlash hit her. The containment circle shattered into nothing.

She stared at him, her face pale, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. She was not just shocked; she was afraid.

"What... what are you?" she whispered.

He let the void recede back into himself. "I’m your sister’s bodyguard," he said, his voice flat. "And you’re wasting my time."

He turned and walked out of the study, leaving her alone and trembling in the silent, glowing room.

Nox went to the room he had been given. It was simple, clean, and a hundred times better than sleeping on the ground. He sat on the edge of the bed, the encounter with Vexia replaying in his mind.

’She’s dangerous. They all are. Serian has her secret power-up, Elisa hits like a truck, and Vexia can try to crush you with magic words. This whole family is a bunch of monsters.’

The thought was not a complaint. It was a benchmark.

’I’m still too weak.’

A sleek black window appeared in his vision.

[Designation: Nox]

[Level: 35]

[Unallocated Stat Points: 215]

He had been saving them, waiting. But Vexia’s little test had made one thing perfectly clear. He needed more. He needed to be so strong that no one, not an Elder, not a princess, not some bookworm with glowing floor tiles, could ever try to put him in a cage again.

’Liona, allocate points.’

He dumped a hundred points into Strength and another hundred into Endurance, reinforcing his core. The remaining fifteen went into Perception. He needed to be able to see an attack like Vexia’s coming before it even started.

A wave of pure, condensed power washed through him. It was a good feeling.

’Better. But still not enough.’

He looked at his inventory. The World Seed Fragment from the Ashen Glade mission was sitting there, a small, pulsating shard of black and green light.

[World Seed Fragment (Mythic)]

[Description: A crystallized piece of a world’s life force, tainted by an unknown corruption. It contains an immense amount of raw, chaotic energy.]

[Warning: Attempting to absorb this fragment with an unstable or low-grade core will result in catastrophic system failure and certain death.]

’Well,’ he thought, a slow, reckless grin spreading across his face. ’My core is Grade A, and my system just got a reboot. Let’s see what happens.’

He did not hesitate. He pulled the fragment from his inventory.

’Liona, absorb it.’

[Acknowledged. Initiating core assimilation.]

The fragment dissolved in his hand and shot into his chest. This time, there was no agony. There was no internal war. His new, upgraded core, the Fragment of a Dead God, simply opened and accepted the new power.

It was like pouring a cup of water into an ocean.

[World Seed Fragment successfully assimilated.]

[Void-Touched Core has been stabilized and enhanced.]

[Synchronization Rate increased to 100%.]

[Core evolution has unlocked a new paradigm ability.]

[Ability Acquired: Territory.]

[Description: You may now designate a small, fixed area as your ’Territory’. Within this zone, your authority over the void is absolute, and your passive regeneration of mana and stamina is dramatically increased. The Territory acts as a personal sanctuary and a workshop for advanced void forging. Initial size: 10 square meters.]

Nox’s grin widened. It wasn’t just a room anymore. He could make it his room. His own personal slice of reality where he was the undisputed king.

He stood up and placed his hand on the floor. "Liona. Designate this room as my Territory."

[Acknowledged.]

A faint, almost invisible ripple of black energy spread out from his hand, washing over the walls, floor, and ceiling before vanishing. The room looked the same, but it felt different. It felt... his. The air was still, the light from the glowing fruit outside seemed softer. It was quiet. It was safe.

For the first time since he had woken up in this new, insane world, Nox felt like he might actually be able to get a good night’s sleep.