The palace corridors gleamed with polished marble and gilded carvings, but Uther's thoughts were far from their beauty.
As he sat in the solar chamber with the early sun streaming through stained glass, the bloodied banner replayed in his mind — the Eye of the Cult, split in two, sewn beside the sigil of House Velmire.
It wasn't a coincidence. It was a message.
> "We see you. You're not untouchable."
He tightened his grip on the scroll of reports from Hollow's Edge. Minor casualties. Damaged wards. A wounded scout. Garrick's terse summary: "Attack repelled. They'll try again. Permission to escalate defenses."
Uther's vision burned with silent fury.
---
Memory – Clues Long Ignored
He thought back:
The masked cultist captured near the village months ago had whispered "the serpent sleeps in gold."
During the summit, a Velmire envoy had subtly diverted attention from Warden Core rumors.
At the academy, Thayne had mentioned private sponsors delving into Core research... House Velmire was one of them.
It all fit now.
"They've been funding fragments of the cult," Uther murmured. "Not for belief — for power."
"They want access to the Core," Elena said quietly from across the room. She had come in silently, carrying more letters. "And when you refused the Crown's leash… they backed the ones who'd burn you down."
Uther rose, cloak shifting like a storm cloud.
"No more waiting."
---
Return to Hollow's Edge
Two days later, Uther's party arrived through a freshly reinforced warp gate built by Thalen and the mages. The moment they stepped into the town square, Uther felt the tension — thick as mist.
Garrick greeted them at the gate. "They hit hard. Stealth and speed, no survivors. Elena's wards held for the most part. But we're on edge."
Uther placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did well. Now it's time we make a statement."
> [System Notice: Territory Defense Milestone Achieved – Hollow's Edge Fortified]
New Unlock: "Sentinel Core (Dormant)" – Requires Activation through Legacy Path
Defense Network: Tier II | Morale: High | Faction Loyalty: Hardened
The silver tree banners flew higher than before. The villagers — hardened warriors, trained scouts, even young apprentices — lined the roads, waiting for guidance.
They didn't look afraid.
They looked ready.
---
Strategy Council – War Table
In the newly expanded town hall, Uther convened his core team.
Thalen traced lines across a map. "Velmire is subtle. They use mercenaries, false flags, and third-party proxies to dirty their hands."
Borin growled. "I say we return the favor."
Mara folded her arms. "Hit back?"
"Not yet," Uther said. "First we cut their leverage. Expose them."
He laid out the plan:
1. Secure the region: Strengthen outposts, install mana sentinels, and upgrade communication links between nearby settlements that have begun to ally with Hollow's Edge.
2. Mobilize intelligence: Use Thalen's arcane network to track Velmire's supply routes. If the cult is moving through them, evidence will surface.
3. Leverage the king's favor: Send a sealed report — with copied proof — directly to the Emperor. Not as an accusation… but as a warning. Let the throne see who the real threat is.
> [System Update: Path Chosen – Independent Authority Established]
You are now recognized as a Regional Force.
Faction Influence: Spreading | Enemy Pressure: Escalating | Opportunity: Growing
---
Later That Night – The Core Beneath
Before rest, Uther descended alone into the sealed cavern beneath Hollow's Edge, where the long-dormant energy of the ancient Core pulsed quietly in its crystal coffin.
> [System Prompt: "Sentinel Core Activation Ready"]
Warning: Activating will mark Hollow's Edge on all high-tier faction radars.
Benefit: Permanent Enhancement to Village Defense Grid, Heroic Title, and System Legacy Upgrade
Uther stared at the interface.
Mara's voice echoed in his memory: "Let them come."
He pressed his hand to the crystal.
"Let them come," he whispered.
> [Core Activation Initiated...]
[Legacy Trait Awakened – Guardian of the Broken Threshold]
[System Rank Increased: Rank V – Corebound Warden]
New Skill Unlocked: Warden's Dominion (Passive): All allies within controlled territory gain +20% resistance to corruption, +10% morale, and +5% regen
Title Gained: Warden of Hollow's Edge
The crystal pulsed with light, rising into the air. Mana barriers shimmered across the land.
Outside, villagers looked to the skies as the tree banners glowed faint silver — as if the land itself now answered to Uther's will.
The Pulse of Power
The moment the Sentinel Core fully awakened, Hollow's Edge shifted.
Mana lines, once dormant beneath the soil, flared to life. Crystalline towers rose along the walls — ancient spires hidden within the land's memory. They shimmered with protective energy, forming a defensive grid like no mortal hand could replicate.
Villagers gathered in awe, whispering prayers, some falling to one knee.
> [System Broadcast – Regional Message]
Notice: Hollow's Edge has Awakened a Sentinel Core
Status Updated: Tier II Stronghold
Known Factions Alerted: The Crown, The Circle of Scholars, House Velmire, The Warden Concord, Independent Lords, Cult Fragments
World Response: Brewing…
In the hall, Thalen and Elena watched as energy diagrams redrew themselves in real-time.
"It's not just a defensive artifact," Thalen murmured. "The Core is rewriting ley lines. This village… it's becoming a beacon."
Elena's fingers trembled as she wrote. "We'll draw every eye now. Every hope, every hatred."
Uther stood before the new command node, its interface forming around him like a crown of light.
"Then let them look," he said coldly. "Let them understand this land is no longer theirs to exploit."
---
Operation: Break the Silence
With the Core active and Hollow's Edge secured, Uther launched the next phase of his plan — to expose the Velmire–Cult connection.
Encrypted messages were sent to trusted scribes, whistleblowers, and distant allies. Thalen hacked into old Guild archives. Borin's informants traced black-market shipments. Elena compiled an airtight dossier — with timestamps, witness records, and arcane contracts.
Then Uther did something bold:
He released the entire file publicly via the Kingdom's neutral Archive Halls, where information could not be lawfully destroyed — even by nobles.
> [System Event: World Trigger – "The Velmire Dossier" Released]
Reaction:
— Noble Houses: Fractured
— Civilian Faith in Court: Decreased
— Crown: Investigating
— Cult Activity: Disrupted
— Popular Support for Uther: +17% Kingdom-Wide
Within a day, riots broke out in two cities where Velmire had holdings.
In the capital, House Velmire denied the accusations. But their movements had already changed — more guarded, more desperate. And the Silent Accord responded as well.
---
A Midnight Message
That night, Uther found a letter on his war desk.
No seal. No sender. Just a small mark burned into the corner — a coiled serpent cut in half.
Inside, five words:
"You've made your move."
"Ours comes next."
Beneath the ink, his system flared:
> [System Alert: Faction Hostility Update – House Velmire (Hostile)]
[New Threat Detected: Assassins En Route]
Estimated Arrival: 48 Hours
Optional Quest: "Survive the Black Silence"
Reward: Unique Title – Shadowpiercer, Relic Weapon Drop, Reputation with Crown Forces
Failure: Death, Village Instability
---
Final Preparations
Uther called his council again — now battle-hardened veterans of war and strategy.
"We have two days," he said. "Velmire's response won't be soldiers. It'll be ghosts."
Mara nodded. "We've prepared for a siege. But this is an infiltration."
"Then we turn the village into a trap," Uther replied. "We let them come — and we bury their ambition with them."
He turned to Garrick. "You're bait."
The grizzled warrior grinned. "Been waiting for this."
Thalen cast protective wards across the perimeter. Elena drafted fake orders and decoy movements to mislead infiltrators. Even the villagers took part — setting traps, watching shadows, preparing safe zones.
As the final night before the attack arrived, Uther stood atop the watchtower, Sentinel Core humming behind him like a heartbeat.
The silver tree flew in the moonlight.
"We're done running," he said to the wind. "Let them try."