Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 183: Necessary sacrifice

Thrain Athrimir, the Golden Knight, stood at the battlements that overlooked the grand castle of the Athrimir Clan. It was night, and the moon cast a gentle glow down on everything. The castle grounds were strangely silent and dark; the guards that should be making constant patrols were nowhere to be seen, and the glowing crystals set into the stones were dark.

And the Master Knight, who should be on watch somewhere in one of the towers surrounding the castle, wasn’t on duty. She had rushed home after hearing some disturbing news about her dear daughter and husband.

"My Lord, I have received news that the enchantment has been dealt with," Chief Ryvlan Choxa said. He was a thin man with sharp eyes. He was one of the four chiefs who ruled under the Athrimir Clan, he ruled the Choxa Clan.

Of course, he didn’t have to tell him that the enchantment had been dealt with. They all could feel the heaviness disappear from the air, but Thrain nodded just as well. "Good work. When is he coming?"

Before he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared beside him, and a man clad in heavy armor emerged. Terrix Choxa, the only Master Knight of the Choxa Clan. He had been adopted into the core family.

"I am here." He bowed to Thrain.

Thrain nodded, his face heavy. What he wanted to do tonight was kill the Clan leader, his father. He wanted the position and didn’t want to wait for his father to die anymore, not when he learned that the man might not pass the position to him.

Just days ago, he finally learned something, Vale wasn’t dead, and for some reason, he was now making some kind of way for himself back in the Borderland!

It was laughable at first, but then Thrain understood what the Clan leader was planning,the reason why he hadn’t named him heir even though he was the only son remaining.

He was going to name Vale his heir!

This had made Thrain hasten his plan and not play the waiting game anymore. There were three factions... four, before Vale was wiped away, in the Clan’s court.

The Clan leader, the Chiefs, and the Elders.

Each of them had something they wanted. The Clan leader naturally wanted to remain in his position, but he had not been performing his duties as he should.

Each day, the Ryujin Clan grew more powerful and took more of their lands, yet the Clan leader hadn’t made any moves. The strength of the Athrimir Clan had taken a big blow through the years. Their Master Knights were wasting away in the Borderland, and most had been seduced away by other small Clans where they could gain better results.

This was what naturally gave birth to the other factions. The Chiefs were alarmed by the other smaller Clans’ growth in power, afraid that they would soon be at war, and they had lost trust in the Athrimir Clan.

So why didn’t they take over and rule the Athrimir Clan themselves?

Thrain Athrimir convinced them otherwise. The Athrimir Clan might be weaker than it usually was, but it was nothing mere Chiefs could hope to conquer, especially since the Chiefs’ decisions were not unified.

Instead, why not wish for a new leader? Thrain created the faction because he thought his father would name Vale the heir. After all, Thrain’s birth wasn’t that legitimate.

The Elders’ faction was made up of bitter old men and women. They were mostly core members of the Athrimir Clan, uncles and aunties who were trying to grab their share of power.

Thrain smiled again because, after tonight, there would be only one faction.

Just then, a new person entered the castle grounds. He was clad in grey metal armor, tall with a broad face, a dangerous aura surrounding him as if he might draw his sword and start killing at any moment.

Commander Wrt, also a Master Knight and part of Thrain’s faction. He had left the territory he was guarding and moved the bulk of his soldiers toward Rikon, the Clan of the chief who didn’t support Thrain.

He knew that after he finished the cleanup here, that chief would want to challenge him. There was truly only one neutral chief, and even then, Thrain had an assassin close to him.

With two Chiefs’ absolute support, he had confidence.

"Lord Lieutenant Thrain, all the Elders are not in their places. I’ve sent my men looking for them, but they have not been seen yet."

Thrain raised his brows. "They disappeared? So they know something like this is going on. No matter, those old men are of no use anyway, they are hounds without teeth. But still, keep looking."

Commander Wrt nodded and then cupped his hands as if scooping water with his bare palms. Silver light gathered, solidified, and then expanded, forming a bright shield around the castle.

Commander Wrt, Master Knight, also known as Moon Shield! Out of all the Commanders, he was known as the one with the strongest defense, and when the Clan leader was still active, he was his best guard.

Thrain stood on the battlements with his hands folded, his purple cloak limp behind him. His eyes were on the main castle. Beside him was Chief Ryvlan Choxa, who was also waiting with anticipation.

"You may begin," Thrain ordered, testy.

Terrix, from the Holy Order, raised his hand and condensed a blinding holy spear in his right hand that burst with golden light. He moved his hand back and aimed.

The spear flared through the air and struck the castle... and then melted into the building as if it was absorbed. But then, the stone of the castle began to shine from the inside before it collapsed into sand.

The front half of the building had turned into sand!

It was then that the screaming began. The guards might be absent, but nothing was said of the countless servants and people living inside the castle.

’...a necessary sacrifice...’ Thrain thought.

Then, the silence of the night was shattered by a bellow that came from inside. The roof of the castle trembled and then collapsed inward as if something strong had sucked it. Darkness spilled from the now gaping hole.

A man stood there, nearly naked, cold eyes boiling with fury. His mouth was curved in the most joyous smile ever, twisted into something with the cruelty that enveloped him.

"Hehehe, finally, boy, you’ve shown your fangs. I thought it would be Vale. Come, I will gladly leave this burden to you!"

Then his figure swelled, and he began to blur forward, seemingly carrying all the darkness of the city with him.

Just then, Thrain didn’t feel what he thought he would be feeling.