More whispers came. Many understood what was happening, they were trying to make a move on Malakai. But none of them could ignore the claim Varnel had just made.
If the behavior of darkness creatures could be weaponized, it would solve almost all of their problems.
They could place a beacon, leave it active 24/7, and any darkness creature would move toward that point to be easily eliminated.
More and more eyes turned to Malakai, and many of them were now filled with greed.
Eyes narrowed. Had they heard that right? Two Pulses had just spoken, and that voice hadn't come from another Pulse. No, it came from where the captains of the different factions were standing.
Heads turned, landing on the scene of Laila desperately trying to stop Rhett from making the most idiotic mistake of his life. But Rhett wasn't having it.
His gaze was serious. And as all eyes landed on him, he stepped forward and sank to one knee before the Sovereign.
"All blood flows to you, Sovereign. May your will shape the veins of the world."
The Sovereign gave a small nod, prompting Rhett to speak quickly.
"My name is Rhett Sanguine, a captain of the Sovereign's faction. I respectfully request permission to speak."
Whispers broke out instantly.
"Rhett? Wasn't he Valerian's second in command?"
"I heard he joined the Sovereign's faction after Valerian died…"
"Maybe he's still loyal to Valerian. Maybe he's doing this for his son?"
"But he's challenging the Pulses. He probably won't live to see tomorrow."
As the murmurs continued, Drennos and Varnel locked their cold eyes onto Rhett, their auras pressing down heavily. But Rhett didn't so much as flinch.
Before either of them could respond, the Sovereign's voice rang out.
Rhett bowed. "The Third Pulse's proposal is… remarkable. But I believe we're straying from what truly matters. Today, the actions of the Ninth Vein reminded the world of who we are. He didn't just represent himself, he brought glory to our clan. People will sing his praises. They will sing the clan's praise. That deserves respect. Anything less is cowardice, plain and simple."
"Choose your words carefully, Captain," Drennos said coldly, his voice like iron. "We are speaking of the dome's survival. He should be honored to be part of something greater."
"No." Rhett's voice was steady. "The Sovereign himself has said, our lineage must rise, not dwindle. This isn't honor. It's a death sentence. And it's not something you throw at someone who's done what the Ninth Vein has."
"How dare you," Varnel snapped, his killing intent spilling out like blood.
A mere captain challenging two Pulses, it was unthinkable.
The other captains stared with wide eyes. They had always thought Rhett was reckless, even stupid, but this… this was suicide.
Even Laila was stunned. Lineage? Honor? Who was this man? His ideal night involved whores and wine, and not a drop of honor in sight. Who the hell was speaking?
The tension grew thick. And just as it was about to snap, the Sovereign's voice rang out again.
The whispers died. The courtyard froze.
Every eye turned toward the Sovereign, who now shifted his gaze to Malakai.
Everyone fell silent and listened attentively. The Sovereign had asked Malakai a direct question, how had it happened?
More than a thousand darkness creatures had surged toward him, ignoring everything else. What had he done?
Malakai's mind moved fast. The fact that the Sovereign himself was asking this question meant it was a test, one meant to gauge his ability to handle situations .
Had he taken action without considering the consequences?
He didn't know if the Sovereign would still support him if he failed this question.
Just as the thought passed, Malakai's entire body froze.
He had just felt something take control of his blood. His heart, which had been beating slightly faster than usual, suddenly returned to a perfectly rhythmic pace.
No matter how much he tried to take back control, speed it up, slow it down, it wouldn't budge.
'This level of control…'
Only someone at least at the Bloom rank could do something . But that wasn't the real problem.
This space was filled with Blooms, and one Zenith. No one could tamper with his blood unnoticed. Unless…
Malakai's thoughts halted.
He lifted his gaze and met the Sovereign's eyes. The man stared back calmly, waiting for an answer.
Malakai understood perfectly. He knew what he had to do.
Without hesitation, he reached for a pouch at his waist and emptied the contents into his palm. Instantly, the Vita in the air spiked.
Drennos and Varnel's eyes widened as they saw the orb of greenish light glow in Malakai's hand.
A Grade Three Vita Core.
"Sovereign, I believe this was the cause of the darkness creatures' strange behavior. During my fight with the Sixth Vein, it must have fallen from its pouch. The creatures likely sensed the Vita radiating from it."
Drennos and Varnel's expressions darkened.
They could all feel it, Malakai was telling the truth. His pulse was calm. No fluctuations. Not a single stutter in his rhythm.
It was so calm, it was unnatural.
"Where did you get a Grade Three Vita Core?" Drennos asked coldly.
"I have a lot of visitors at night."
At Malakai's response, Drennos' eyes narrowed, and so did the other Pulses'. He was implying that it came from one of the assassins that had tried to kill him.
Grade Three Vita Cores were nearly impossible to obtain, even with immense wealth.
Not only were their uses endless, but for one to form, a Grade Three creature had to spawn.
Killing one required multiple synergy-stage evolvers. So the idea that a youth like Malakai had one in his possession was absurd, yet here it was.
Still… it was a logical explanation.
Darkness creatures were always drawn to the highest source of Vita nearby.
If a Grade Three core had been revealed during the hunt, then the convergence of the darkness army made perfect sense.