Free Web NovelChapter 205: Chapter 205: The Founder’s Ghost, Alpha Hive
The twenty-four-hour timer on the Precursor Military Trial was a joke.
Lucifer stood in the center of the devastated southern command center of Sector Delta-Nine. The thick, dark green fleshy webbing that had coated the durasteel streets was completely burned away, leaving only scorched metal and purple ash.
He didn’t need a day. He had cleared his five Hives in under two hours.
[System: Objective Progress: 19 / 20 Hives Eliminated.]
[Time Remaining: 21 Hours, 45 Minutes.]
"The final target is dead ahead, Warlord," Celeste reported over the comms rune. The High Ranger sounded exhausted but deeply satisfied. "The Rangers and Elves have converged on the central coordinates. Elara and Isolde are holding the perimeter with the heavy cavalry and the Wyrms. We have the Alpha Hive surrounded."
"Hold your fire," Lucifer commanded smoothly. "I am walking in."
He strode down the wide, ruined avenue. The 30% stat suppression from the Ringworld’s automated defense grid was still annoying, but the sheer, overwhelming firepower of his army rendered it irrelevant.
He reached the final plaza.
The Alpha Hive was not a mere fifty-foot mound of pulsating flesh. It was a massive, towering biological fortress that had completely consumed a grand, domed precursor temple. The dark green, chitinous resin stretched for hundreds of yards, forming thick, spiked defensive walls.
At the apex of the structure sat a colossal, swollen, glowing green sac. It pulsed with a terrifying, rhythmic heartbeat, radiating intense, localized heat.
[System Warning: Alpha Hive Engaged!]
[Target: Xenophage Central Node (Level 70 - Legendary Structure)]
[Status: Hyper-Gestation Active.]
Lucifer didn’t stop. He walked straight past the massive, golden wall of the Paladin-Mechs and the dark-armored Void-Breaker Dragoons holding the perimeter.
Elara stood near the front line, her Twilight spear resting on her shoulder. The Eclipse Valkyrie looked at the massive structure, then at Lucifer.
"It’s a Level 70 structure," Elara warned softly. "The biological armor is incredibly dense. It took the combined fire of fifty Dragoons nearly ten minutes to burn through the outer wall of the standard Hives. The Alpha will be significantly thicker."
"I am not going to burn through it," Lucifer stated coldly.
He raised his right hand. The Gauntlet of the Void King crackled with fierce, pitch-black lightning.
"I am going to crush it."
Lucifer channeled a massive surge of his Void Arcanist mana directly into the gauntlet. He didn’t use the Star-Shatter Cannon this time. He wanted absolute, localized annihilation.
"System," Lucifer commanded. "Gravity Crush. Maximum output."
He didn’t aim for the outer walls. He aimed for the massive, glowing green sac at the very top of the Alpha Hive.
"Apply the Apex Multiplier," Lucifer whispered. "Ten thousand times."
[Divine Talent: Apex Multiplier Activated!]
[Applying 10,000x multiplier to Spatial Density and Gravitational Pull...]
A microscopic, pitch-black singularity materialized directly inside the glowing green sac.
The intense, localized gravity didn’t just pull the biological matter inward; it instantly compressed the entire, massive structure. The heavy, chitinous walls of the Alpha Hive groaned, buckling under the sudden, immense weight.
*CRUNCH.*
The towering biological fortress imploded.
The massive, spiked walls were violently yanked upward, ripped off the durasteel pavement, and sucked into the tiny black hole at the apex. The glowing green sac detonated, but the explosion was entirely contained by the singularity. The explosive kinetic force was crushed into nothingness.
In a fraction of a second, the entire Level 70 Legendary structure was pulverized into a dense, marble-sized sphere of dark green sludge.
Lucifer closed his fist.
The singularity vanished. The marble of sludge dropped onto the cracked durasteel floor with a wet, pathetic *splat*.
[System: Primary Objective Complete!]
[All Hives Eliminated (20/20).]
[Time Elapsed: 2 Hours, 15 Minutes.]
The entire plaza was dead silent. The deafening clicking and hissing of the Xenophage swarm was completely gone.
"That was anticlimactic," Isolde noted, stepping forward in her human form. The Winter Sovereign crossed her pale arms, looking at the tiny puddle of green sludge. "I was hoping it would spawn a massive, screeching Queen for me to freeze."
"I don’t have time for cinematic boss fights today, Sovereign," Lucifer replied smoothly, lowering his arm. The black lightning on his gauntlet faded. "I have a city to park."
The heavy, oppressive weight of the 30% stat suppression suddenly vanished.
Lucifer took a deep, steadying breath. His Archmage core flooded with unrestricted mana, his physical strength returning to its absolute peak.
A massive, blinding blue interface exploded across the sky above the ruined plaza.
[Precursor Military Trial Concluded.]
[Status: SSS-Rank Achieved.]
[Quarantine Protocol Lifted. Access Granted.]
The blue light from the interface didn’t dissipate. It swirled, pulling together in the center of the plaza, directly over the destroyed Alpha Hive.
The light solidified into a towering, translucent holographic figure.
It was a man. He wore an elegant, flowing robe made of shifting, geometric light patterns. His face was stern, aristocratic, and incredibly old. A heavy, glowing crown of floating silver rings rested above his brow.
[System: Interactive Hologram Initiated.]
[Entity: Ghost of Emperor Hindley (Founder of the Kentari Dominion).]
The massive hologram looked down at Lucifer. It didn’t look like a mindless, pre-recorded message. Its glowing blue eyes scanned the Warlord, the Valkyrie, the Dragon Queen, and the massive army of mechs and elves securing the perimeter.
"You are not of the Dominion," Emperor Hindley stated. His voice was a deep, resonant echo that vibrated through the durasteel floor. "You wear the armor of a savage. You wield the magic of the deep Void. And yet... you cleared the Quarantine Zone in a fraction of the allotted time."
"I don’t dawdle," Lucifer said smoothly, crossing his arms over his dark leather breastplate. "You locked the door. I broke it. Are you going to open the gate, or do I have to break that too?"
Hindley’s holographic eyes widened slightly in surprise. He let out a low, static-filled chuckle.
"Arrogance," the ghostly Emperor noted. "I recognize that. It is the hallmark of a true conqueror."
The hologram lowered its massive, glowing hands.
"You have proven your martial worthiness, outlander," Hindley declared. "The automated defense grid recognizes your strength. I, the echo of the Founder, bestow upon you the reward for an SSS-Rank clear."
The blue light of the hologram pulsed violently. A massive, glowing silver orb materialized in Hindley’s hand.
He tossed it down to the plaza.
The orb didn’t hit the ground. It floated gracefully toward Isolde. The Winter Sovereign’s white reptilian eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she didn’t step back.
The orb struck her chest and exploded into a shower of brilliant, sparkling starlight. The magic washed over her, and instantly, a powerful, resonant hum echoed from the sky above the Ringworld.
The fifty thousand Star-Forged Wyrms, circling in the upper atmosphere, roared simultaneously. Their golden scales flared with sudden, intense, blinding light.
[System: Faction Reward Acquired!]
[Buff: The Emperor’s Star-Blessing.]
[Target: The Crown-Tier Legion (Glacial Wyrms).]
[Effect: Permanent +500% increase to Breath Attack Range and Projectile Speed. Grants Orbital Artillery capability.]
Isolde gasped, clutching her chest as the massive influx of buffed stats hit her core. A fierce, predatory smile stretched across her pale face.
"My brood," Isolde whispered in awe. "They can fire from the edge of the atmosphere. They are unreachable."
"A fitting reward for a Sovereign’s fleet," Hindley stated softly.
But the glowing hologram didn’t vanish. The proud, aristocratic posture of the ghostly Emperor slumped. The bright blue light shifted, turning a faint, sickly gray.
"The trial is complete. But my purpose is not," Hindley said, his voice dropping into a desperate, hollow echo.
He looked directly at Lucifer.
"I built this Ringworld to be a paradise," the ghost confessed, the shame heavy in his voice. "A sanctuary of knowledge and absolute order. But I am dead. And my descendants... they have ruined it."
Lucifer didn’t speak. He listened. In his past life, the Kentari Dominion was a rumor, a distant, arrogant empire that ignored the cries of the terrestrial kingdoms when the Abyss invaded.
"They became complacent. Then they became greedy," Hindley continued, his glowing form flickering with static. "When the Xenophage first breached the outer hull centuries ago, my bloodline did not fight them. They made a pact with the swarm."
Elara gripped her spear, her golden eyes flashing with disgust. "They allied with a parasitic plague?"
"They allied with survival," Hindley corrected bitterly. "The Royal Family feeds the lower-tier citizens to the Hives. In exchange, the Xenophage ignores the upper echelons of the capital.
And worse... they have opened negotiations with the surviving, exiled gods of the old pantheons. They use the dark deities to maintain their grip on the throne."
The ghost of the Founder fell to his knees on the durasteel floor. A hologram begging a mortal.
"They have turned my paradise into a slaughterhouse," Hindley whispered. "I cannot act. I am just a recorded echo tied to the quarantine grid. But you... you are a conqueror. You wield the Void. I beg of you, outlander."
The gray light flared one last time.
"Purge my bloodline," Hindley commanded, his voice filled with ancient, absolute sorrow. "Tear the Dominion down. Eradicate the swarm. Reclaim the Ringworld."
A massive, blood-red system interface exploded across Lucifer’s vision.
[System Override: SSS-Class Cosmic Quest Offered!]
[Quest Name: Purge the Dominion.]
[Objective: Execute the Kentari Royal Family. Eradicate the Xenophage Hives. Conquer the Ringworld.]
[Rewards: Absolute Sovereignty over the Kentari Dominion. Access to all Precursor Technologies.]
Lucifer read the prompt.
He didn’t hesitate. He was already planning to conquer the massive, floating continent anyway. Getting a system-backed quest with legendary rewards was just a bonus.
"I accept the contract," Lucifer stated smoothly. "I will clean your house, Emperor."
Hindley looked up. A faint, relieved smile touched his glowing blue lips.
"Thank you, Warlord of the Void," the ghost whispered. "Take this. You will need it to break their nests."
The hologram dissolved entirely.
In the center of the plaza, where the ghost had knelt, a massive, heavy iron crate materialized out of thin air. It was stamped with glowing, complex Precursor runes.
Lucifer walked up to the crate. He kicked the lid open.
Inside sat rows of small, perfectly spherical, pitch-black bombs. They pulsed with a terrifying, contained destructive energy that made the air around the crate smell of ozone and burning metal.
[Item Acquired: Nova-Bombs (Quantity: 100,000)]
[Tier: Mythic Consumable / Demolition]
[Effect: Unleashes a localized, thermonuclear explosion capable of vaporizing high-tier biological and metallic structures.]
Lucifer smirked. A cold, highly satisfied expression. freewebnσvel.cøm
He opened his Dimensional Vault and casually swept the entire crate of Mythic-tier nuclear explosives into his soul storage.
"The trial is over," Lucifer announced, turning to his commanders. "We have our tickets. We are going back to Zephyria."
He tapped his comms rune.
"Sarah. Vexia," Lucifer ordered. "We are returning to the city. Prepare to move Zephyria out of the holding pattern. We are pushing directly toward the Kentari capital."
"Understood, Lucifer," Sarah replied instantly. "I am plotting the course now."
Lucifer activated Zephyr’s Grace. The Warlord, Elara, Isolde, and Celeste vanished from the ruined plaza in a series of localized teleportation flashes, leaving the dead Xenophage Hives behind.
They materialized on the high balcony of Zephyria’s central keep.
The floating black mountain hummed smoothly, the Void-Core Reactor powering up for transit.
But as Lucifer stepped to the railing, his void-swirling eyes narrowed sharply.
The sky outside the pitch-black Void-shield was no longer an empty expanse of starry cosmos.
Hovering just ten miles away, perfectly blocking Zephyria’s flight path toward the Ringworld capital, was a massive, heavily armed armada.
Hundreds of sleek, silver, massive precursor dreadnoughts floated in formation. They bristled with heavy plasma cannons, magical artillery batteries, and glowing blue energy shields. The ships were pristine, elegant, and entirely hostile.
[System Warning: Hostile Fleet Intercepting!]
[Faction: The Kentari Royal Armada.]
"Well, that was fast," Elara noted, stepping up beside Lucifer. The Twilight Sovereign did not look intimidated by the massive fleet. She leaned on her spear. "It seems the Royal Family noticed we finished the trial."
A loud, crackling burst of magical static interrupted her.
The communication arrays on Zephyria were forcefully overridden. A massive, holographic projection appeared just outside the Void-shield, mirroring the communication style of the late Emperor Hindley.
But this projection was not a wise, sorrowful old man. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
It was a young, incredibly arrogant, heavily jeweled noble. He wore a pristine, silver military uniform plastered with unearned medals. His blonde hair was perfectly styled, and his blue eyes sneered down at the floating black mountain.
"Attention, unidentified terrestrial garbage," Prince Phil announced, his voice dripping with absolute, insufferable condescension.
He lazily swirled a crystal goblet of wine in his hand.
"I am Prince Phil, heir to the Kentari Dominion," the noble declared. "You have successfully triggered a defunct, archaic automated quarantine protocol. Congratulations. However, the Dominion does not accept unwashed vagrants into our capital."
Prince Phil leaned forward, pointing a manicured finger at Zephyria.
"You will power down your engines immediately," the Prince ordered. "You will surrender all weapons, hand over whatever Precursor technology you used to lift that ugly rock into my sky, and submit your crew for processing. Refuse, and I will have my armada reduce you to cosmic dust."
Lucifer stood on the balcony.
He didn’t activate the comms rune to reply. He didn’t order the Paladin-Mechs to charge the cannons.
He looked at the arrogant, whining Prince. He looked at the hundreds of sleek, silver dreadnoughts pointing their weapons at his city.
Lucifer raised his right hand. The Gauntlet of the Void King crackled with violent, aggressive black lightning.
"You point your little toys at me?" Lucifer whispered softly, a dark, terrifying smile spreading across his face.
He didn’t cast a massive, city-destroying spell. He didn’t use the Star-Shatter Cannon.
Lucifer raised his hand.
He snapped his fingers.
The Void Arcanist magic didn’t travel through the air. It bypassed the physical space entirely.
Ten miles away, Prince Phil’s massive, heavily shielded flagship, the pride of the Kentari Armada violently, instantly imploded.
The localized singularity Lucifer planted directly inside the ship’s engine core crushed the entire vessel into a microscopic point of infinite density before it could even trigger an alarm. The flagship vanished with a sharp, silent *pop*, leaving only a brief flash of blue light.
Prince Phil was gone. The flagship was gone.
The holographic projection outside Zephyria’s shield sputtered and died in a burst of static.
The remaining hundreds of Kentari dreadnoughts floated in absolute, stunned silence.
Lucifer lowered his hand.
"I think negotiations have concluded," Lucifer stated smoothly to his council. He drew the Blade of Ruin. "Elara. Tell the fleet to open fire."
