The Iron Gates of Aethelgard weren't built to keep monsters out; they were built to keep the Kingdom's secrets locked in. Rising three hundred feet into the freezing air, the gates were forged from black steel and inlaid with glowing golden veins of the Taurus Constellation.
"The locking mechanism is Pre-Covenant," Mina said, her teeth chattering as she connected her brass device to a rusted access panel hidden in the snow. "But it's been overlaid with a massive star-mana seal. I need time to separate the tech from the magic, or the gate will detonate if I hack it."
"Take your time," Solan said, his voice flat and metallic.
He didn't look at the gate. He was staring at the lone figure standing in the center of the gorge, blocking the path.
It was Lord Balor, the Gatekeeper of Aethelgard and a Star-Paladin (Rank A+). He was a giant of a man, encased in layered golden plate armor that made him look like a walking fortress. In his right hand, he held the Seismic Hammer, a weapon so heavy the ground cratered slightly every time he rested it.
[THREAT DETECTED: TAURUS PALADIN]
[ATTRIBUTES: IMMENSE DURABILITY / KINETIC ABSORPTION]
[WARNING: DO NOT ENGAGE IN MELEE]
"A 'Null' surviving the Ashen Forest and the White Death," Balor's voice boomed, echoing off the canyon walls like thunder. "You are an anomaly, boy. But anomalous code is still deleted at the firewall. This is where your glitch ends."
Balor didn't wait. He hoisted the massive hammer and slammed it directly into the snowy ground.
"Taurus Covenant: Earth-Shatter!"
The shockwave wasn't just physical force; it was concentrated kinetic mana. A jagged fissure ripped through the earth, racing toward Solan like a subterranean torpedo, throwing up tons of rock and ice.
Solan's violet, geometric eye spun. His Void-Tech arm calculated the velocity and density of the incoming attack in a microsecond.
"Mina, stay behind the panel," Solan ordered.
Instead of dodging, Solan stepped directly into the path of the fissure. He drove the Fang of Ophiuchus into the snow and raised his blackened left hand, the digital purple veins flaring.
"Override: Kinetic Reversal."
The shockwave hit his open palm. The air compressed, emitting a deafening CRACK. Solan's boots were pushed back two inches into the dirt, but his body didn't break. The Void-Tech absorbed the kinetic energy, translated it into raw data, and fed it directly into his core.
[KINETIC ENERGY STORED: 100% CAPACITY]
[VOID CORRUPTION: 35%]
Balor's eyes widened behind his golden visor. "Impossible. You blocked the weight of a mountain with one hand!"
"I didn't block it," Solan said, his dual-toned voice chilling the air. "I downloaded it."
Solan vanished. Phantom Step.
He reappeared directly above Balor, inverted in the air. The Fang of Ophiuchus ignited with pitch-black plasma, but Solan didn't swing it. Instead, he channeled the stored kinetic energy from the Earth-Shatter directly into his blade.
"Astral Void Style, Sixth Form: Meteor Drop!"
Solan brought the blade down. Balor roared, raising his massive hammer to block.
The collision was apocalyptic. The impact of the black glass against the golden hammer created a vacuum sphere that sucked in the falling snow before exploding outward. The sheer force drove Balor to his knees, his impenetrable golden armor cracking under the pressure.
"Raaagh!" Balor spat blood inside his helm, pushing upward. "I am the Unmovable Object!"
"Then I am the eraser," Solan replied coldly.
He activated Decay Touch through the blade. The black corruption bled from Solan's arm, down the hilt, and into the Paladin's hammer. The indestructible golden weapon began to rust, then crumble into grey ash in Balor's hands.
Before the Paladin could react to his weapon disintegrating, Solan spun, delivering a devastating kick fueled by Void energy directly to Balor's chest plate. The giant was launched backward, crashing into the massive Iron Gates with a sickening crunch.
Balor slumped to the ground, his chest plate caved in, unconscious.
[MAJOR BOSS DEFEATED: TAURUS PALADIN]
[LEVEL UP: VOID NOBLE (STAGE 5)]
"Solan! I did it!" Mina yelled, her brass device emitting a sharp, triumphant chime. "The tech-lock is bypassed!"
A deep, mechanical groan resonated through the gorge. The glowing golden veins on the Iron Gates flickered and died, and the massive black steel doors slowly began to grind open, revealing the path into the High Kingdom.
But as the gap widened, the cold wind carrying the scent of the city hit them. Through the opening gates, Solan didn't see an empty road.
Standing on the other side, waiting in perfect, terrifying silence, were five hundred Silver-Tier Knights, backed by three floating Star-Cruisers. The Kingdom hadn't just sent a Gatekeeper; they had mobilized an entire army to welcome him.
Solan didn't flinch. His expression remained a mask of cold, digital calm. He wiped a streak of black blood from his cheek.