The Sovereign Chronicles novel Chapter 41

Titus Ironridge's sudden intervention plunged the proving grounds into a stunned silence. He had always been a lone wolf, doing exactly as he pleased. He belonged to the most arrogant, fiercely independent faction within The Azure Sky Sanctum, and no one had ever heard of him sticking his neck out for anyone. It was as if no one was worthy of his regard. Today was an unprecedented first.

"Titus Ironridge, you'd best stay out of this!" A coldly handsome youth stepped out from a crowd of a hundred Initiates.

It was Horace Vane, Prime Initiate to the Grand Elder and senior to Maelor. He was also one of the thirty elite candidates for the upcoming Conclave of the Eight Sanctums.

"Your petty squabbles aren't worthy of my time. I'm just warning you—don't do things that make me sick," Titus said, sheathing his warblade, his words devoid of any courtesy.

Horace glared at Titus, a surge of dark Aether gathering around his fists. But after a tense standoff, he retracted his aura, signaling for his group of male and female Initiates to fall back. There was no need to make a deadly enemy out of Titus right now. Once they were deep in the forest, there would be plenty of opportunities.

"We'll see about that. Hmph." The Initiates sneered, retreating into their ranks.

Titus glanced back at Kaelen Stormridge. "Want to partner up?"

Those words sent another wave of shock through the nearby Initiates. What kind of insane luck had Kaelen stumbled into to catch the interest of The Unbreakable? If Titus guarded him throughout the entire Grand Hunt, Horace and the others would have a hell of a time trying to kill him.

Kaelen was equally baffled as to why Titus was helping him. However, he politely declined the invitation. "I'm a walking magnet for trouble. I won't drag you down with me."

"Are you sure?" Titus stared at him.

"I'm sure." Kaelen smiled and nodded. He was planning to sneak back to The Ironcrag Quarry, and he couldn't let anyone know his true destination.

"Watch your back." Titus didn't push the issue. Hoisting his heavy warblade over his shoulder, he walked away.

"You fool! What a waste of a golden opportunity!" someone muttered, shaking their head with a sigh. It was a miracle for Titus to offer his protection, and Kaelen didn't even appreciate it.

Before long, nearly all the Initiates participating in the expedition had arrived. Over nine hundred of them swarmed the proving grounds in a massive, buzzing crowd.

Among them were more than a dozen Prime Initiates—elites like Titus Ironridge and Linnea. They stood out like beacons in the crowd, drawing awe and reverence from the lesser ranks.

At high noon, five Elders arrived at the proving grounds, flanked by over fifty veteran guards.

During the upcoming Grand Hunt, the five Elders would anchor themselves around the perimeter and the center of The Sacrificial Peaks. The fifty veteran guards would patrol the forest. Their sole responsibility was to handle catastrophic emergencies; they would not interfere with the Initiates' trials or conflicts.

"Move out!" The Elders wasted no time on speeches. The warnings and preparations for the trial had been drilled into them long ago.

The massive legion of nearly a thousand Initiates marched out, leaving the grand gates of The Azure Sky Sanctum behind as they pushed deep into the treacherous expanse of the ancient woods.

Along the road, they crossed paths with several mercenary bands. Some immediately backed away, unwilling to provoke the disciples of the Sanctum. Others flashed lecherous grins at the female Initiates before vanishing into the dense canopy. A few brazenly trailed the column from a distance, following them for dozens of miles before the veteran guards finally drove them off.

These mercenaries were ruthless outlaws who feared nothing and dared to commit any atrocity.

Compared to the Spirit Beasts lurking in the wilderness, these men were far more terrifying.

This was Kaelen's second time leaving The Azure Sky Sanctum, so he had a fair bit of experience. He lingered at the very back of the formation, keeping a wide berth from Horace Vane's faction while carefully mapping the route in his mind.

Three days later, the massive expedition reached the edge of The Sacrificial Peaks.

The thousand Initiates scattered slightly, observing the terrain. They needed to memorize this environment flawlessly; if they forgot the rendezvous point thirty days from now, they'd be left behind to rot.

Kaelen kept a low profile, blending into the sea of people.

Horace and his sycophants shot glances his way, their eyes brimming with lethal intent.

They had numbers on their side. A hundred Initiates could easily split into ten hunting squads. Snuffing out a cripple like Kaelen would be child's play.

One of the Elders noticed the brewing hostility, casting a sympathetic look toward Kaelen. However, as an Elder, it was beneath him to intervene in disciple disputes—especially one orchestrated by the Grand Elder's faction.

Kaelen wandered the perimeter, studying the landscape.

The terrain here was distinct: a sprawling expanse of red iron-firs stretching for miles, known as The Cinderwood. Because of its unmistakable fiery canopy, it had been chosen as the rally point. If any Initiate got lost, all they had to do was climb the highest peak and look for the sea of crimson leaves.

At midday, the five Elders summoned the Initiates for a final assembly.

"Memorize this environment. Memorize this exact location. Thirty days from now, we assemble right here!"

"Manage your own time. We wait for no one."

"Understand this clearly: this is the wild. This is not the Sanctum. Your life and death are in your own hands. Am I understood?"

"Scatter!"

At the Elders' command, the legion splintered, rushing into the dense forest in every direction.

Kaelen mixed in with the main vanguard, surging forward with the tide.

Horace didn't pursue him immediately, opting to track him from a distance.

They couldn't just execute him in plain sight. They needed an isolated spot where they could finish the job without leaving a trace. Even if everyone suspected them, there would be zero proof.

The moment Kaelen broke away from the crowd and vanished into the ancient woods, Horace snapped his fingers. "Hunt him down! Whoever catches Kaelen first gets a bounty of two Glimmerpearl Herbs!"

A Gale Panther locked onto him from afar, bursting out of the underbrush with a savage, deafening roar that shook the ancient woods.

Kaelen tried to shake it off, but the beast was relentless. Its massive, muscular frame tore through the forest, smashing aside anything in its path.

"I don't have time for you!" Kaelen abruptly pivoted, hurling two throwing daggers. The razor-sharp blades spun violently through the air, screaming with kinetic force.

The Gale Panther dodged with terrifying agility, but the daggers were too fast and struck too hard. With two sickening thuds, blood sprayed into the air. The kinetic energy behind the throw was so immense that the blades punched straight through the beast's flank and embedded themselves deep into the trunk of a nearby tree.

Kaelen charged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat. With a low, guttural roar, crackling blue Aether surged into his right fist.

BOOM! The lightning-infused punch slammed perfectly into the Panther's jaw. The sheer explosive force of the martial strike tore its flesh open, driving the electric arcs straight into its maw. The beast shrieked in agony, hurtling backward through the air. The moment it hit the ground, it scrambled wildly to its feet, let out a pathetic whimper, and bolted into the shadows.

It was a Spirit Beast; its pelt would have fetched a small fortune. But Kaelen had no interest in hunting. He retrieved his daggers and resumed his sprint toward The Ironcrag Quarry.

He had planned to cover thirty miles before nightfall, but the jagged terrain and the suffocating density of The Sacrificial Peaks made it far harder than he expected. Ancient trees, towering dozens of feet high with weeping, impenetrable vines, acted like natural fortresses blocking his path.

It was easy to lose his bearings, forcing him to stop and reorient himself constantly.

Not long after, he detected the savage aura of another Spirit Beast and decisively altered his route.

A bit later, just as he was about to climb a canopy to check his direction, a cacophony of chaotic, shrill screeches erupted from the forest ahead. Through the dense foliage, he spotted a swarm of white blurs hurtling toward him.

Kaelen squinted. Apes?

A massive troop of Ghost-pelt Apes was swinging wildly through the branches. They moved like lightning, their eyes glowing a demonic blood-red. They bared their fangs, screaming maniacally and sending flocks of terrified birds scattering into the sky.

Danger!

Evade!

By nightfall, Kaelen stood atop a ridge, chewing on a piece of hardtack as he gazed toward the horizon where The Ironcrag Quarry lay.

The journey home was far more brutal than he had mapped out. He had aimed for thirty miles, but had barely managed twenty.

Spirit Beasts were far more active at night. Their bloodcurdling roars echoed endlessly beneath the pitch-black canopy.

He had no choice but to swallow his burning impatience. He had to take this slowly. Rushing would only get him killed.

He certainly didn't want to stand before his family covered in his own blood.