Recap:
Kael Vire has taken control of the Echo Maw and bound Ashmaw the Crownless, gaining new domain traits and drawing the attention of the System and its covert enforcers. Meanwhile, the Chainbreaker is stirring, and the Guild is starting to set up suppression zones. Sovereignty now comes with a price — and Kael is about to face it.
---
The Hollow Crown pulsed ominously.
Kael stood in the heart of his throne hall, observing lines of System script flickering in the air — glowing red instead of the usual blue.
An anomaly.
A warning.
[System Directive: You have exceeded Sovereign Growth Threshold 3.]
[Your existence has been marked as a destabilizing influence.]
[Guild Protocol 17-Black initiated.]
[Prepare for Audit.]
---
"What's an Audit?" Elric asked, his hands shaking.
"Judgment," Sel murmured.
From the ancient tomes, from the tales long forgotten — Sel understood.
The Audit wasn't just about reviewing code.
It was about *erasing anomalies*.
Sovereigns who grew too quickly.
Too violently.
Too unpredictably.
They were labeled as "Errors."
And they were *deleted*.
---
Joran dropped his warhammer to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Then we fight."
Kael paused before responding.
Instead, he stepped out onto the balcony of the Hollow Court and gazed at the lands below.
"Fighting won't be enough," he finally said. "They're not sending armies this time."
"They're sending ideas. Truths that shatter your mind. Contracts that sign themselves while you sleep. Blades that only linger in memory."
Elric whispered, "So, how do we fight?"
Kael turned, his Hollow Crown glowing like a sun hidden behind clouds.
"We don't."
"We *evolve*."
---
[Throne of Silence Interface Accessed]
[Warning: Initiating Sovereign Evolution too soon may lead to partial identity fragmentation.]
[Proceed?]
Kael didn't think twice.
"Yes."
---
Flames consumed the Court.
His body ignited — not in pain, but in *transcendence*.
His realm twisted, reshaped, and reformed around him.
The Throne shattered into a thousand pieces, each shard reflecting a fragment of Kael's will.
He saw himself.
As a child — left behind.
As a warlord — ridiculed.
As a tyrant — dreaded.
And then...
...as something entirely new.
---
[You have unlocked: Proto-Tyrant Form]
**Effect:** You can now bring fragments of your domain into reality beyond your territory.
**Drawback:** Time spent in this form drains Sovereign Will. Overuse may lead to soul dissociation.
---
Kael emerged from the fractured flames, half-enshrouded in shadowy light, half-armored in blazing silver.
His voice shattered the silence.
"Send your Audit."
"I'll rewrite it."
---
Far away, the Chainbreaker halted mid-stride.
Something shifted.
A ripple.
A surge.
"Another one embraces pain," it whispered. "Let's see how long he can withstand the truth."
---
End of Chapter 12