Aaron lifts the earth above him and flies back to Eldoria. Theo, Auren, and Klaus rush to Traven, demanding answers. Moments later, Aaron appears and calmly says, "I used the Testament of Stones."
The grimoire floats out. Klaus touches it—and instantly, his power surges. His eyes glow bright, icy blue. Ice spreads furiously as a massive wall erupts from the ground, and deadly spikes form. Snow begins to fall heavily over Eldoria.
Klaus is cast into a vision. A thunderous voice echoes:
> "I—vengeance upon the Divine Lords—have awakened."
Theo quickly helps stabilize Klaus, who gains control of the power. A glowing pair of blue wings appears, floating near his head. Klaus shares the vision with the others. Auren, shaken, asks:
"Why would anyone want vengeance on the Divine Lords? What have they done?"
Disturbed, Traven quietly leaves and returns to his room. There, while studying his grimoire, he notices blank pages. A line appears before them:
>"As you grow in power, the words within these pages will reveal themselves."
Suddenly, he's drawn into the book and appears in a chamber lined with glowing inscriptions once hidden. One stands out:
"Learn the Soul-Stone Fusion."
It is a sacred ability that allows the user to merge with stone—enhancing strength, defense, and size. Traven calls it Golem Form and begins training immediately, mastering the technique.
Theo, Klaus, and Auren agree to keep the vision and Traven's discovery hidden from the Divine Lords. Klaus visits the Imperial Library, searching for the Lords' origins, but finds only records of their accomplishments. The trio begins a secret investigation.
On the night of a full moon, Theo sneaks into Lord Aaron's quarters. The Lords are away in council with King Xavier. Theo searches carefully, hoping for answers—but finds nothing.
As he turns to leave, the wall behind him begins to glow. Theo touches it. Far away, Lord Aaron's jade pendant glows—a signal that someone has breached his chamber. Taking leave of the King, he rushes back.
Theo escapes just in time, vanishing through a portal before Aaron arrives.
Returning home, Theo discovers Deborah is missing again. He finds her deep within the Forest of Eloh, whispering to a hidden, shadowy figure veiled beneath the leaves. Theo doesn't call out—just watches. She senses him. The black figure fades, and Deborah's eyes return to normal. She regains her senses and turns to find Theo standing there. Tears stream down her cheeks. He steps forward and hugs her.
"It's okay," he whispers. "Everything will be alright."
Later, Theo runs into Lily and leaves Deborah in her care. Deborah explains everything that's been happening.
Lily listens closely and replies:
"This isn't pregnancy. It feels like someone—or something—is calling not just to you... but to something inside you. But don't worry. You're not in danger."
The next morning, the First Divine Lord—Lord William, a tall, white-haired man radiating divine power—makes a proclamation:
"It is time for me to ascend into immortality. I must name a successor—one who surpasses all others in wisdom and strength. Someone worthy of Eldoria's secrets and safety.
Today, I declare the beginning of the Rite of Ascendancy."
The Rite of Ascendancy is a sacred duel among the Divine Lords, held when the First Lord steps down. Only one may rise to inherit the mantle.
That afternoon, at a city diner, Traven meets with Theo, Klaus, and Auren. He shares what he learned in the cave. Theo tells them about the glowing slit in Lord Aaron's room. With new determination, they return to training.
Theo, now past the basic Phoenix Sword Techniques, begins mastering the intermediate level. Traven is steadily perfecting his Golem Form.
Soon, the date for the Rite of Ascendancy is announced. It will take place in one week.
That same day, urgent reports arrive—a massive evil soul is attacking the eastern regions of Eldoria. The students of the Divine Lords mobilize immediately.
When they arrive, they are stunned by its sheer size and dark power. Klaus names it the Titan Soul. The battle begins.
Theo uses Solar Flare, landing a solid blow, but the Titan Soul starts to regenerate. Its dark aura explodes outward, sending the students flying. Blood splatters as they crash to the ground.
Klaus responds with spiraling ice attacks. Luke, a student with divine arrows, unleashes a flurry of golden bolts, slowing the soul's healing.
"We can't stop!" Theo shouts. "Keep attacking nonstop!"
He activates Falling Meteorite—annintermediate Phoenix sword technique that multiplies Val'thar's sword into dozens of fireballs that rain down from above. Klaus adds crushing ice spikes. Auren launches razor wind slashes. Traven summons stone spikes and swirling spirals, avoiding use of the Testament of Stone. Luke fires again, and other students join in with their powers.
Their combined assault weakens the Titan Soul's regeneration. Theo sees an opening. He takes flight and delivers the final blow—Refined Bladeless Slash—severing the creature's head.
The soul is destroyed.
They return to the palace and report what happened. The Divine Lords are shocked—they have no idea where the Titan Soul came from.
But this... was only the beginning.