Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 76: Obsidian Covenant

"You see, they are called the Obsidian Covenant..."

The Obsidian Covenant was a secretive society operating in the shadows of Dirarnia. They were infamous among the noble class, but for the general public, their name was nonexistent. Each time they acted, they left no witnesses—only cold corpses in their wake. This made tracking them nearly impossible.

Among the nobility, the Covenant was an open secret. Officially, it didn't exist. No records acknowledged its operations, no banners bore its name, and no public figure dared to speak of it openly. But within the upper echelons of society, its shadow was ever-present.

Rumors circulated in hushed tones, describing the Covenant as a clandestine network that pulled the strings behind Dirarnia's political and economic power struggles. Its true strength was a mystery, but fragments of information painted a picture of a terrifying entity.

The Obsidian Covenant was said to possess resources rivaling the strongest duchies—some even claimed it could challenge the Mystoria Kingdom itself. They were rumored to command an army of loyal followers, as well as elite warriors and mages capable of contending with the kingdom's finest. Entire noble families had crumbled under their unseen hand, their lands seized and influence eradicated without leaving a trace of evidence.

What made the Covenant truly horrifying was its control over information. While nobles whispered their fears in private, the general populace remained blissfully unaware. Attempts to expose the organization were met with disappearances, deaths, or retractions, leaving only fragmented accounts dismissed as conspiracy theories.

Still, the nobility knew some things for certain. The Covenant's power was vast—an SSS ranked leader was suspected, though the specifics remained unconfirmed. More disturbing were their motives: the Obsidian Covenant wasn't just a criminal syndicate. They were fanatics.

The Covenant worshiped demonic entities from another dimension known as Nexoria. Whether these entities were real or symbolic, and what the Covenant sought to achieve through their devotion, was unknown. Their operations were shrouded in mystery, leaving even their most basic goals unclear.

For Amelia, the Obsidian Covenant wasn't merely a shadowy threat that nobles whispered about—it was personal.

"My mother," Amelia began, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions behind her words, "was an SS ranked mage. She rose from humble beginnings to become one of the kingdom's most powerful, marrying my father, Cadmus Mournsky, despite the disapproval of his family. They were happy together, and a few years later, I was born.

"When I was four, my mother was working as a royal investigator. She came across crime scenes—entire villages sacrificed in horrific rituals. She couldn't look away, especially when she saw children my age among the victims. The more she dug, the clearer it became that these atrocities were linked to the Obsidian Covenant."

Mikael listened intently, his expression grim as he began to grasp where the story was leading. She continued.

"She was ordered to stop the investigation, told it was dangerous and beyond her authority. But she refused to back down. She'd seen too much—too many innocents slaughtered. My mother was never one to stand by and do nothing."

Amelia's voice wavered slightly as she spoke of what came next. "The Covenant responded swiftly. While investigating another site, she was ambushed by multiple SS rankers. Alone, she fought valiantly, but the odds were impossible. She held out long enough to send a distress call to my father, but when he arrived, it was too late. All he found was her lifeless body."

Mikael remained silent, his gaze unwavering as he absorbed her words.

"My father was devastated, furious. He wanted to go after them, to make them pay. But before he could act, he received a threat: if he pursued vengeance, they would come for me. He couldn't take that risk, and ever since, he's been shackled by their warning. It broke him."

She paused, her green eyes glinting with determination. "That's why I want to become stronger. Right now, I'm the weakness holding my father back. But if I become strong enough, not only will I stop being a liability, but I'll be able to stand by his side and help him fight back."

Amelia hesitated, her voice faltering. "I know this makes us targets. The Covenant doesn't tolerate opposition. I'd understand if you didn't want to associate with us."

Mikael's lips curved into his usual playful smirk. "Powerful enemies? So what? We just need to become stronger than them," he said, his tone calm and resolute, without even a hint of fear.

His confidence caught Amelia off guard. "Mikael..." she murmured, touched by his unwavering support.

At that moment, something shifted within her. If Mikael was willing to stand against such powerful enemies for her, couldn't she also accept the complexities of his life—including his harem?

A decided expression crossed her face. Rising from her seat, she approached him. Without a word, their eyes met, and then she leaned in, her lips brushing against his.

Mikael responded in kind, closing the distance between them. Their lips met, the kiss tender and charged with unspoken emotions.

"Muah."

Their lips parted after a brief moment, their foreheads still touching. Mikael wrapped an arm around her waist, while Amelia draped hers around his neck, the intimacy of the moment enveloping them.

"Tasty," Mikael teased, glancing at her pink lips.

Amelia flushed red, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she stayed close, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.

"Another?" he asked, his tone light.

She gave the slightest nod, shy but willing. This time, the kiss was deeper, more intense. Their tongues clashed briefly, but Amelia's inexperience was no match for Mikael's boldness, leaving her tongue defenseless and subject to his playful dominance, teasing and "bullying" her without mercy.

"Knock, knock."

The sound of knocking startled them, pulling them out of their shared moment. Their lips separated, though not without a playful flick of their tongues.

Moments earlier, Cadmus sat in his study, receiving real-time updates from the head of his shadow guard unit who is also the personal designated bodyguard of Amelia. She is a SS rank warrior. When he heard Mikael's response when he learned about the Covenant, Cadmus grudgingly began to respect the young man.

But then he learned about the kiss.

"BAM!"

His desk splintered under the force of his fist, shards scattering from the impact. Furious, he barked, "Send for them! I want them in the dining hall—now!"

Back in the private room, Mikael calmly cast a 1st-circle spell, Immaculate Presentation, using intent casting to smooth Amelia's hair, which had become slightly tousled during their kiss. She offered him a grateful look before moving to answer the door.

On the other side stood a maid, her posture composed as she bowed slightly. "The lord requests your presence for supper."

Amelia sighed, inwardly cursing the ill-timed interruption. Taking Mikael's hand, she led him toward the dining hall, their movements now more connected, a subtle intimacy woven into their steps.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Cadmus was already seated at the head of the table, his sharp eyes sending daggers toward Mikael. Upon seeing Amelia's "intimacy" with Mikael, he let out a sigh, his expression turning gloomy.

Amelia and Mikael took their seats beside each other. When the food arrived, the meal progressed quietly, with Cadmus eating in brooding silence, a gloomy aura surrounding him. Amelia and Mikael exchanged occasional glances, wisely ignoring the atmosphere.

The supper concluded this way, with Cadmus gradually seeming to accept the reality that his little girl was no longer so little and was paving her own path. His expression softened slightly as they exchanged goodbyes.

After leaving the manor, Mikael and Amelia returned to the teleportation room at the edge of the estate's territory. The teleportation process went smoothly, and soon, they reappeared in the capital.

Walking through the streets, they held hands, their bodies close. Even when they entered the Academy grounds, their closeness remained, drawing curious stares and hushed conversations from passersby. Neither cared about the attention, focusing instead on the moment.

After a short walk, they parted ways, each returning to their dormitory.

The moment Mikael entered his room, he collapsed onto the couch, letting out a tired sigh as he stared at the ceiling. "That was exhausting," he murmured. A small smile crept onto his lips as he recalled the time spent with Amelia, the memory brightening his mood.

After a few moments of rest, he forced himself to get up, remembering the "gift" he had received earlier. While he was eager to reap its benefits, he wasn't looking forward to the process.

"I hate this part," he muttered, knowing from experience just how painful the transformation would be. Though he had endured worse than most could imagine, the idea of voluntarily subjecting himself to agony wasn't something he relished.

Mikael activated the Do Not Disturb mode on his dormitory and cast a Silent Ward spell to ensure that no sound escaped. He didn't want to risk anyone hearing the screams he knew might slip out. While he could have done this at the Records, where privacy was guaranteed, he didn't want Kiara to see him in such a state which would undoubtedly pain her and cause her to worry.

Stripping down to his underclothes, he moved to the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Records, I want to change my race to Human (Dirarnia World Genius Variation)."

[Race change to Human (Dirarnia World Genius Variation) will begin in 10 seconds.

Warning: Individuals from pain-sensitive races have reported extreme pain during this process.]

"Great," he muttered sarcastically, watching the timer count down with growing dread.

When the timer hit zero, a suffocating pressure wrapped around his body. His bones began to crack and break, sending searing pain through him. "Fuck this!" he growled through clenched teeth, the agony making his entire body spasm.

The pressure didn't stop at his body. It invaded his mind and soul, crushing and reshaping them. The pain was indescribable—his mind felt as if burning spikes were being driven into it repeatedly, while the pain in his soul was an all-encompassing torment.

Despite the unbearable agony, Mikael refused to scream. Blood trickled from his lips as he bit down hard, his teeth sinking into his lower lip to suppress any sound that might escape. He had cast a sound-warding spell around his room, but doubt lingered in his mind. 'What if it's not foolproof? What if someone hears through magical means?' The thought fueled his resolve to stay silent, even as the pain threatened to consume him.

As his body was reduced to dust and began to reform, the torment reached its peak. His mind and soul followed, being destroyed and rebuilt simultaneously. Each second felt like an eternity, but finally, the pressure began to fade.

Lying on the bathroom floor, Mikael stared at the ceiling, his chest heaving. "I hate this shit," he muttered weakly before losing consciousness.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The bathroom was a horrifying scene of blood, bone fragments, and unidentifiable organ parts strewn across the floor—a sight that would terrify even the most hardened individuals.

When Mikael woke, he sat up slowly, groaning as a splitting headache wracked his skull. Holding his head, he muttered, "What's that awful smell?" Opening his eyes, he recoiled at the sight of his surroundings.

"What the hell?" he murmured, scanning the grotesque scene. For a moment, he thought an enemy had attacked him during the transformation. Then realization struck.

"Wait... this is from the race change?" he asked aloud, disgusted. Confirming with the Records, he let out a long sigh. "Ah... just great."

Not wanting to waste time cleaning manually, Mikael conjured flames and controlled them to burn away the larger remnants of his old body. The remains didn't burn as quickly as normal flesh would, a testament to his enhanced physicality.

"I guess that's the downside of being stronger," he muttered, intensifying the flames.

As smoke and the stench filled the room, Mikael used wind magic to condense it into a single spot before casting Clean to eradicate it completely. While the spell worked wonders on the smoke and scent, it wasn't created to be able to handle the large mess that was the rest of the room.

Author Note:

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