Reign of Exiled

Chapter 109: The Usurper's Corrupted Guardians

The verdant heart of the Sylvan Courts, meant for peace and ancient gatherings, now crackled with escalating tension. Elder Morwen, his face a mask of bitter malice, stood revealed as the betrayer, his form twisted by the very corruption Kael had cleansed from the Desolate Maw. He was not alone. Behind him, from the deeper shadows of the Elder's Glade, emerged a menacing host. A hulking Stone Golem, its form carved with crude, dark runes, rumbled forward, its fists already clenching, its movements unnaturally swift for its mass. Alongside it, two amorphous Corrupted Elementals shimmered into existence, born of twisted Sylvan magic, their forms vaguely humanoid, composed of grasping vines and dark, swirling earth, eyes glowing with malevolent green light. And then, the most disturbing: several towering Sylvan Guardians, their once-noble features contorted, eyes dull and lifeless, now serving as Morwen's enslaved enforcers, their bodies covered in parasitic, glowing fungus.

"Kill them all!" Morwen shrieked, his voice laced with the same twisted power Kael had purged from the Maw. He lunged forward, not at Kael, but directly at Valeria, intending to strike at her heart, the very source of the true Sylvan bloodline he sought to extinguish.

"Valeria!" Kael roared, pushing her behind him as he exploded forward, his Infernal Domain flaring outwards. Waves of scorching sin-fire erupted, slamming into the advancing Stone Golem and forcing the Corrupted Elementals to recoil with a searing hiss. The very air shimmered, thick with Kael's unholy power, a stark contrast to the verdant beauty around them.

Selene moved with lunar grace, her movements a blur. Silver sigils ignited around the two most prominent Sylvan Guardians, attempting to bind them, their once-proud forms now struggling against the ethereal chains. Evelyne conjured searing starlit embers, unleashing them as a volley of incandescent projectiles that arced towards the Corrupted Elementals, their ethereal bodies sputtering and tearing where the pure celestial flames struck. Thalaria, with a thunderous cry, conjured arcing bolts of pure lightning that struck the Stone Golem, making its rocky hide groan and sending tremors through the earth, momentarily staggering its advance. Nysera, melting into the deepest shadows, began weaving complex hexes, targeting the distorted life force of the Corrupted Elementals, aiming to unravel their insidious magic.

The Sylvan Elder who had previously challenged them, now freed from Morwen's immediate control, stared wide-eyed at the unfolding chaos, unable to act, caught between ancient loyalties and the horrifying reality of his corrupted master.

The Stone Golem, though immense, possessed unnatural agility. Kael's flames scorched its surface, but it lumbered on, driven by Morwen's dark will. Its massive fist swung down, aiming to crush Kael. Kael met it with a devastating Sovereign Flame Crush, the raw power of his blow shattering the Golem's arm with a thunderous crack that echoed through the glade. Stone shards rained down, embedding themselves in the luminous moss of the forest floor.

The Corrupted Elementals, fluid and malicious, flowed around the edges of the battle, lashing out with tendrils of dark earth and poisoned vines. Nysera's shadow hexes began to take hold, causing one Elemental to shriek as its form flickered, its essence tearing apart, revealing the festering corruption at its core.

The Sylvan Guardians, their eyes blank and distant, pushed through Selene's lunar binds with chilling determination, their natural agility now twisted into a relentless assault. They were formidable warriors, skilled with ancient sylvan blades, and their corrupted strength was unnatural. Emberfang, having grown significantly since their last adventure, intercepted one Guardian, tackling the massive Sylvan with a force that sent them both tumbling into a thicket of glowing ferns. Vira, a blur of motion, darted around the other Guardian, her tiny fangs striking repeatedly at its vital points, forcing it to flail wildly.

Meanwhile, Morwen, seeing his allies engaged, redirected his sinister gaze to Valeria. He began to draw on the tainted life force of the Elder's Glade itself, the massive, ancient trees groaning as their corrupted essence flowed into him, empowering him with sickly green energy. His gnarled hands glowed with malevolent power, preparing a crushing, insidious strike, intended to wither Valeria's very spirit and claim her power for his own.

"He's trying to siphon the realm's essence directly!" Valeria cried, recognizing the dark magic as she prepared to defend herself. "He intends to use my own home's power against me!"

Kael saw it. Morwen was playing for time, using his monstrous allies as a shield while he charged his ultimate attack. He needed to break through.

"All power on Morwen!" Kael commanded, his voice cutting through the cacophony of battle. He activated Wrathflare Lance, focusing his most potent sin-fire into a piercing beam aimed directly at the Sylvan Elder. His wives, understanding the urgency, channeled their respective powers, augmenting Kael's strike, or unleashing their own focused attacks to clear a path. Selene, Evelyne, and Thalaria launched synchronized blasts, pulverizing a remaining Corrupted Elemental and pushing back the Guardian assaulting Emberfang. Nysera reinforced the remaining Guardian's hexes, binding it more tightly.

Lilith, from her unseen vantage point high above, merely observed. Her presence was cold, ancient, assessing every tactical decision, every surge of power. The destiny of the Sylvan Courts, and indeed, of Kael's growing Union, now hinged on this brutal, multi-faceted confrontation.

STATUS WINDOW: KAEL VIREN

System Level: 49

EXP: 2,522,850,000 / 80,000,000,000

Realm: Worldpiercer Realm — Tier 2/9

HP: 105,000 / 105,000

Mana: 118,000 / 118,000

Stats (with buffs applied):

Strength: 980 × 2.8 × 2 = 5,488

Endurance: 950 × 2.8 = 2,660

Willpower: 970 × 2.8 = 2,716

Charm: 1080 × 2.8 = 3,024

Intellect: 870 × 2.8 = 2,436

Dexterity: 980 × 2.8 × 2 = 5,488

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]

• Worldpiercer's Will [+New]

• Vision Beyond the Veil [+New]

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 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Mythic Eclipse Matron)

Evelyne — Skyshatter 9/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Starlit Ember Empress)

Thalaria — Skyshatter 8/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Stormheart Valkyrie — Advanced 11 tiers)

Nysera — Skyshatter 9/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Scarlet Hexmistress)

Valeria — Skyshatter 8/9 → Worldpiercer 2/9 (Verdant Windborne Queen)

Aelisa — Heaven's Echo (Peak Rank) (Lilin Duskkissed 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 → Worldpiercer ← Current (2/9) → Heaven's Echo → Celestiaflame → Worldbreaker → Eternal Crown → Primordial Ascendant

Next: Heaven's Echo (Unlocks at Worldpiercer Tier 9/9)

With Kael's decisive command, the combined might of his Union now aims directly at Elder Morwen. Will this concentrated attack break through the Elder's defenses, or does Morwen have more dark tricks up his sleeve, drawing on the corrupted power of the Sylvan Courts?