Chapter 135: Weakling
[The Child of Origin has taken her first action against fate.]
Amon stared at the notification.
Kayla was still holding Ciara tightly against her chest.
The golden light in the child’s eyes had already vanished.
For several seconds, nothing else happened.
Then the system changed.
[Hidden bloodline condition fulfilled.]
[Origin Fate has entered its first awakening stage.]
[Current awakening progress: 1%.]
Amon’s expression hardened.
"Explain."
The system responded immediately.
[Origin Fate is a unique fate attribute capable of generating new destiny pathways rather than merely interacting with existing ones.]
[Current bearer: Ciara Moonstone.]
[Due to the bearer’s age, development remains incomplete.]
[Premature awakening detected.]
Amon looked at the black residue on the floor.
"Because of him."
[Confirmed.]
Kayla glanced at him.
"What is it saying?"
Amon turned toward her.
For a moment, he considered lying.
Then he looked at Ciara.
That option disappeared.
"Something awakened inside her."
Kayla’s arms tightened.
"Is she hurt?"
"No."
Amon answered immediately.
The system confirmed it.
[No physical damage detected.]
[No spiritual damage detected.]
[Origin Fate remains stable.]
Amon exhaled slightly.
"She’s fine."
Kayla looked down at their daughter.
Ciara had already stopped crying.
Her tiny hand clutched the front of Kayla’s clothing.
She looked almost exactly the same as before.
Almost.
Amon could sense something now.
A faint pressure.
Not energy.
Not aura.
Possibility.
Every time Ciara moved, the world around her seemed to contain slightly more ways for things to happen.
Amon hated how impossible that sounded.
The system continued.
[New protective function unlocked.]
[Origin Guardian Link.]
[Master may now detect major changes affecting the Child of Origin regardless of distance.]
[Master may consume Fate Points to intervene in limited fate distortions surrounding the Child of Origin.]
Amon’s eyes narrowed.
That was useful.
He opened the details.
[Origin Guardian Link]
[Current range: Unrestricted.]
[Current intervention capacity: Low.]
[Intervention strength increases with Fate Authority.]
Amon looked at his status.
[Fate Authority: 2.]
Still far too low.
The fight tonight had made one fact painfully clear.
He was stronger than most things in this kingdom.
That no longer meant anything.
The threats had changed.
Amon looked toward the residue again.
"Entity death incomplete."
The system responded.
[Confirmed.]
"Where is it?"
[Unknown.]
His expression darkened.
"Can you track it?"
[Foreign entity has disconnected from current vessel.]
[Primary fate signature temporarily concealed.]
Amon crouched beside the residue.
Azrael reacted faintly.
The black particles moved.
Not much.
Enough.
Amon touched one with the tip of the blade.
The particle disappeared into Azrael.
The sword vibrated.
Then pulled.
A direction.
Northwest.
Amon’s eyes sharpened.
Interesting.
The system could not track it.
Azrael could.
He stood.
Kayla immediately noticed.
"You’re leaving."
Amon looked at her.
"Not yet."
He walked toward the nursery doors.
The bodies of the royal guards remained outside.
More footsteps approached from the corridor.
Dozens.
Amon heard steel.
Orders.
Then the doors opened.
Royal Guard soldiers flooded the entrance.
The commander entered behind them.
He stopped immediately.
His eyes moved across the destroyed nursery.
Dead guards.
Blood.
Broken furniture.
Kayla holding Ciara.
Amon covered in wounds.
And the black residue on the floor.
The commander looked at Amon.
"What happened?"
Amon gave him a flat look.
"Your palace was infiltrated."
The man’s face tightened.
"By what?"
"Something that has been inside your kingdom for eleven years."
Silence.
Amon watched recognition appear.
Small.
But undeniable.
"You know."
The commander did not answer.
Amon crossed the room.
The guards instinctively tightened formation.
He ignored them.
"I said you know."
The commander looked toward Kayla.
Then back at Amon.
"Not everything."
"Start with what you do know."
The man remained silent for several seconds.
Amon’s killing intent returned.
The guards visibly struggled to remain standing.
The commander raised one hand.
"Stand down."
No one moved.
"Stand down!"
Weapons lowered.
The commander exhaled.
"After the previous king returned from the Dead Expanse, several strange incidents began occurring inside the capital."
Amon listened.
"People disappeared."
"Others returned changed."
"Changed how?"
"Memory loss. Personality differences. Some became violent."
The commander looked at the black residue.
"Some bled black."
Amon’s eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"We confirmed seventeen."
"Confirmed."
The commander understood the implication.
"There may have been more."
Amon’s voice became colder.
"And you kept this quiet."
"We did not understand what was happening."
"That is not an answer."
The commander looked tired.
"The King ordered containment."
"Current king?"
"Yes."
Amon stared at him.
So the palace leadership knew.
Not the full truth.
But enough.
"Where are the bodies?"
The commander hesitated.
Amon stepped closer.
"Where?"
"Underground."
"Show me."
The man looked toward Kayla again.
"We should first secure your family."
Amon turned.
Kayla met his eyes.
No fear.
Only anger.
Not at him.
At everything.
"Go."
Amon frowned slightly.
Kayla adjusted Ciara in her arms.
"I’m not staying in this room anyway."
The Royal Guard commander immediately gestured.
"Take them to the inner royal residence."
Amon shook his head.
"No."
The commander stopped.
Amon looked at Kayla.
"Home."
"Lord Moonstone, the palace is more secure."
Amon looked at the dead guards.
The commander said nothing else.
"Twenty guards."
Amon continued.
"Your best."
The commander nodded.
"I’ll assign forty."
"Good."
Kayla walked toward Amon.
He touched Ciara’s forehead.
Warm.
Normal.
The faint possibility pressure remained.
Ciara reached toward him.
Amon allowed one finger into her hand.
She grabbed it.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
Then the Fate Devouring Seed pulsed.
Amon’s expression changed.
Something had attached itself to his finger.
Invisible.
Thin.
A strand of golden fate.
It ran from Ciara to him.
The system reacted.
[Origin Fate interaction detected.]
[Master has been selected as primary guardian.]
Amon stared.
Another message appeared.
[New passive effect acquired.]
[Guardian’s Fortune.]
[When acting directly to protect the Child of Origin, probability will shift slightly in Master’s favor.]
Amon almost smiled.
Slightly.
Ciara released his finger.
The golden strand vanished.
Kayla noticed his expression.
"What?"
"Nothing bad."
That was enough for her.
She nodded.
Then walked out with the guards.
Amon watched until she disappeared.
The commander waited.
"Now."
Amon turned.
"Take me underground."
They moved through the palace.
Two floors down.
Then four.
Then beneath the main foundation.
The architecture changed.
Gold disappeared.
Decorative stone became reinforced black brick.
Formation lines covered every wall.
The commander stopped in front of a massive door.
Three formation masters waited nearby.
They opened it.
Cold air flowed out.
Amon entered.
The chamber beyond contained seventeen stone tables.
Bodies lay on thirteen.
Four were empty.
Amon stopped.
"Where are the missing four?"
The commander looked confused.
"They shouldn’t be missing."
Amon turned slowly.
"What?"
The commander walked to the first empty table.
His face changed.
"The seals are intact."
Amon activated Seal Recognition.
Formation lines became visible.
The commander was right.
No breach.
No damage.
No opening.
The bodies had simply disappeared.
Amon walked toward the nearest corpse.
Male.
Middle-aged.
Black veins covered the face.
He touched the skin.
Cold.
Then Azrael vibrated.
Northwest.
Again.
Amon looked toward the empty tables.
"How long have these bodies been here?"
"Years."
"Which one was the first?"
The commander pointed toward an empty table.
Amon stared at it.
Empty.
Of course.
"When did it disappear?"
"I don’t know."
Amon looked at the surrounding formations.
No disturbance.
No broken seals.
That meant the body had not escaped physically.
Or had never been a body to begin with.
The Fate Devouring Seed pulsed.
[Foreign fate residue detected.]
[Multiple vessels identified.]
Amon’s eyes narrowed.
"Multiple?"
[Confirmed.]
The system highlighted the chamber.
Not one corpse.
All thirteen.
Amon stepped backward.
"Everyone out."
The commander frowned.
"What?"
"Now."
Something moved beneath the skin of the nearest body.
The commander’s face changed.
Amon drew Azrael.
Every corpse opened its eyes.
Black.
The chamber seals activated.
The door slammed shut.
The thirteen bodies sat upright at the same time.
Then all of them smiled.
One voice came from every mouth.
"You really should have stayed with your daughter."
Amon’s expression became cold.
Azrael darkened.
The thirteen bodies stood.
The Fate Devouring Seed reacted violently.
[Foreign entity network detected.]
[Warning.]
[Current target is not a single entity.]
Amon looked around the sealed chamber.
The bodies began changing.
Bones cracked.
Skin stretched.
Black symbols appeared across every surface.
Then the voice came again.
This time from the walls.
The floor.
The ceiling.
Everywhere.
"You killed one vessel and thought you found me."
Amon raised Azrael.
The darkness around the blade expanded.
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"I killed one vessel because you were holding my daughter."
The nearest body lunged.
Amon cut it in half.
Black blood struck the wall.
He stepped forward.
"Now I’m going to kill the rest because you annoyed me."