The Darkness System: Rise of the Broken Sovereign

Valdris raised one translucent hand.

From behind the dais, something stirred. Stone shifted—grumble—and a pedestal rose from the floor. Resting on it was a flag.

Kael’s eyes widened.

His Spirit Eyes activated, analyzing the object before him.

[Artifact Grade Treasure Detected.]

Artifact Grade.

Kael had encountered only a handful of Artifact Grade items in his life. Cassandra’s axe alongside the other artifact grade weapons that were in Cassandra’s training room. Things that existed beyond the normal grading system—weapons so powerful they approached conceptual existence.

The flag was roughly a meter long. The pole was black—absorbing light rather than reflecting it. The flag itself was tattered—dark grey cloth that shifted between solid and translucent, as though it existed partially in the physical world and partially somewhere else. The cloth was covered in runes—thousands of them—so small they were nearly invisible. Each one a soul-binding inscription.

”The Netherworld Soul Locking Flag,” Valdris said. ”The greatest treasure of the Immortal Soul Sect.”

His voice carried pride and at the same time, grief intertwined.

”At its peak, the Netherworld Soul Locking Flag was a Semi-Divine Grade weapon. But over time, and due to the battles five thousand years ago, its quality degraded into Artifact Grade.”

He paused. ”However, it is still a very powerful treasure.”

Kael listened without interrupting as Valdris explained.

”It’s core function is Soul Absorption. The flag can absorb the souls of dead beings. Humans. Beasts. Any creature with a soul that has died can be absorbed. Once absorbed, the soul is bound to the flag’s internal space—a pocket dimension within the cloth. The soul cannot resist. Cannot escape. Cannot be extracted by external forces once bound.”

”But of course, it has combat function, Soul Release. Absorbed souls can be released as attacks. The flag commands absorbed souls to attack enemies—swarming them with soul energy, overwhelming their defenses. More powerful absorbed souls create more devastating attacks. The souls can be partially released as soul barriers, soul chains, soul projectiles—or fully released as temporary summons.”

”It also has a growth function—Soul Feeding. The flag grows stronger the more souls it absorbs. Each soul increases the flag’s power, density, and capacity. The quality of the soul matters more than the quantity. A single Mana Heart soul is worth dozens of Foundation Establishment souls. Spirit Soul souls are worth even more.”

Valdris’s form flickered. Fzzzt. He was fading faster now.

”As the flag grows, its internal space expands, its soul-binding runes become more potent, and its combat applications increase. But now, it’s current capacity is only about one hundred souls.

There would have been available souls in the flag but all souls within the flag were expended during the battle five thousand years ago.”

”At full restoration, the flag could hold thousands of souls and manifest as a Soul Domain—a pocket dimension of pure soul energy that traps enemies.”

Then Valdris looked at Kael directly.

”There is one more function. Soul Enhancement. The flag can feed soul energy back to its wielder—temporarily boosting soul sense, soul technique power, and soul power.”

His expression hardened. ”This is a double-edged sword. Borrowing too much from the flag can make the wielder dependent on it. Weakening or damaging their own soul over time.”

Kael nodded slowly. Understood. Use it as a tool, not a crutch.

”The flag requires a soul blood bond,” Valdris continued. ”Feed it your blood and a portion of your soul essence. Once bound, only you can use it. If you die, the flag seals itself until another worthy wielder appears.”

He extended his translucent hand. The flag floated from the pedestal—drifting across the chamber toward Kael.

Kael caught it.

Hummm.

He could feel the pocket dimension within it—a small space, maybe ten meters across.

Kael pricked his thumb with the tip of his Shadow Slayer blade. A drop of blood welled up. He infused it with his soul power, concentrating his essence into that single drop.

He let it fall onto the flag.

Plop.

The cloth absorbed it instantly. The blood infused with soul essence spread—dark red veins pulsing through the grey fabric, branching outward like roots. The runes flickered, each one igniting in sequence, recognizing a new master.

Vvvvm.

Kael felt the bond form. An unbreakable connection threaded between his soul core and the flag’s internal space.

Valdris watched the bonding complete. His form was barely visible now—translucent as glass, his features fading.

He looked at Kael with eyes that held five thousand years of loneliness.

”The Immortal Soul Sect is gone. But its knowledge lives in you. The flag will grow. It will become powerful.”

His voice faded. Hhhh...

”But remember—souls are not fuel. They are echoes of lives. Respect them. Even in death.”

His body began dissolving—particles of soul energy drifting upward like smoke. His robes crumbled. His hair dispersed. His blue-white eyes dimmed—flicker—and went dark.

...fzzzt...

Gone.

Kael stood alone in the chamber.

CRACK.

The chamber began collapsing. Stone groaned—groaaan—cracks spreading across the walls and ceiling. The painted sky shattered—crack-crack—fragments of constellation falling like broken stars.

A portal opened in front of Kael. Valdris’s final gift. An exit out of the ruins of the once mighty Immortal Soul Sect.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He stepped through.

WHOOSH.

He appeared on the surface as he expands his soul sense for any danger. Behind him, the portal sealed and vanished.

Kael stood for a moment, processing everything. Then he unrolled the flag and rolled it tightly around its pole. He secured it to his back, beside his Shadow Slayer blades, inside his shadow storage.

He thought about the lightning rats he’d killed earlier. Their souls would have been easy to absorb—except souls normally dissipated within a second of death. Only Spirit Soul cultivators’ souls lingered long enough for reliable absorption.

Besides, I’m not wasting my hundred soul slots on rats. I need powerful souls.

Kael oriented himself. The shattered tower—the rendezvous point he and Cassian had agreed upon—was northeast. He could see its broken spire above the canopy of the forest.