Chapter 4: The Rise of Kael Atris
The Blackfang Fortress was silent. Where once the cries of battle and agony had echoed, now only the crackling of burning debris remained. The enemy was gone, either slain or converted into pure mana, their very essence consumed by Kael Atris.
Standing amidst the ruins, Kael felt something shift within him.
A surge of power exploded from deep within his core, an overwhelming force that coursed through every fiber of his being. His vision blurred for a moment before clarity returned, sharper than ever. His level had increased tenfold, rising from Level 1 to Level 10 in an instant.
His body, though still mortal, now contained an incomprehensible divine force. He could feel the will of Castellion Arisium flowing through him, guiding him. And then, the celestial voice of his benefactor echoed in his mind:
"Your journey has just begun, Kael Atris. I grant you a greater gift—one befitting a ruler of divine armies."
The Power of Divine Conversion
A glowing golden sigil appeared beneath Kael's feet. He instinctively understood what it meant.
The ability to convert essence into mana... and mana into heavenly soldiers.
This was a power beyond imagination. No longer would he merely absorb the strength of fallen enemies—now, he could reshape it into an army of divine warriors.
Kael turned toward the kneeling remnants of Zerath's forces. Fear was etched onto their faces, knowing what fate awaited them. He raised his hand, and a golden vortex erupted around them, consuming their very existence.
Their screams were brief—they were not dying. They were being transformed.
As the last of the essence was absorbed, Kael focused his will, and from the glowing sea of mana, ten more four-winged heavenly soldiers emerged.
Each one radiated divine energy, their armor gleaming as though forged from pure light. They knelt before Kael, their master, pledging their eternal service.
Kael now had twenty heavenly soldiers at his command.
He looked at them, his heart steady. This was only the beginning.
A Kingdom Within Himself
As the divine power settled within him, Kael became aware of something else—a vast new space unfolding within his very soul.
It was a pocket dimension, one large enough to house living beings. A world inside him, created by the will of Castellion Arisium. It was a quarter the size of Varis Primus, his home planet—large enough to contain entire civilizations in the future.
He could see it now, this internal realm. It was a blank slate, empty yet limitless in potential.
A domain where he could build his own heavenly kingdom.
A place where he could gather his forces, his people, and his future empire.
He turned to his twenty heavenly soldiers and issued his first divine command:
"We march forward. The world shall know my name."
And thus, the legend of Kael Atris, the Divine Conqueror, had begun.
The Chains of Eternal Servitude
As Kael Atris stood amidst the ruins of Blackfang Fortress, his golden eyes burned with newfound understanding. His power was not limited to mere absorption—he could do more than simply consume the essence of his enemies.
He could bend them to his will.
A revelation struck him like a divine decree. The moment he defeated an enemy, he no longer had to choose between converting their essence into mana or eliminating them. Instead, he could corrupt their very existence, reshaping them into submissive, loyal soldiers who would fight for him until their inevitable deaths.
And when that time came—when they finally perished—their essence would not escape. Their power would not be lost. It would return to him.
The First Experiment
Kael turned his gaze toward the last surviving warriors of Zerath the Butcher's army. They stood trembling, their weapons slipping from their grasp as his celestial presence bore down on them.
With a single thought, black and gold chains of energy erupted from his hands, snaking through the air like living serpents. They lashed out, striking the remaining soldiers, binding them in divine servitude.
Their eyes widened in horror as the chains coiled around their bodies, sinking into their flesh, marking them with Kael's sigil.
At first, they resisted. They screamed, thrashed, and struggled—but it was futile. The divine will of Castellion Arisium, flowing through Kael, was absolute.
Then, one by one, their expressions changed. Their rage became reverence. Their hatred became loyalty. Their defiance became submission.
Their souls had been rewritten.
The once-defiant warriors knelt before Kael, their heads bowed. Their voices, unified, rang through the air:
"We serve you, O Divine Master."
Kael exhaled, feeling the depth of his power settle within him.
They were his now. Forever.
An Army That Never Diminishes
With this newfound ability, Kael no longer had to worry about losing forces. Every enemy he defeated would become either:
A heavenly soldier, forged from their essence.A bound servant, loyal until death.Mana to fuel his ever-growing power.
And when his servants finally fell in battle, their essence would return to him automatically—reabsorbed into his body like an eternal cycle of conquest.
This was true domination.
Kael clenched his fist, feeling the immense potential within himself. With this ability, he could conquer nations, worlds, even entire multiverses.
He turned to his twenty four-winged heavenly soldiers and his newly converted warriors.
With a single command, they rose to their feet, weapons in hand, awaiting his decree.
Kael's golden gaze stretched toward the horizon.
This was only the beginning.