Chapter 203: Gathering of factions

The messages went out at dawn, Nathan used every option they had. Captain Aldric sent her fastest runners. Captain Rhea dispatched quick ships across the green water. Elder Sylvara used vines to pass the word through the forests. Corvus sent his hidden scavengers into the ruins.

The message was short and clear: The Throne is healing. The curse is gone. Come to the old palace and see for yourselves.

Three days passed. The team used the quiet time to sleep, bandage their cuts, and get their gear ready for whatever happened next. Corvus looked better every single day. The dark circles under his eyes faded. The heavy, grey light in the throne room changed. It wasn’t cold and dead anymore. It felt warm and steady. The giant stone chair was actually pulling itself back together.

On the third morning, the faction leaders finally arrived.

Nathan stood by the broken Throne, watching them walk into the massive hall. Lady Seraphine came first. She brought Captain Aldric and a few quiet guards. Her grey eyes scanned the room, looking at the clean walls, the missing shadows, and the soft glow of the Throne. She didn’t say a word, but her shoulders relaxed just a little bit.

General Kael walked in next. He didn’t bring guards. He just carried his massive warhammer on his back. His scarred face was totally blank as he looked around. When he looked at Nathan, the anger from their duel was gone. In its place was a quiet, heavy respect.

Elder Sylvara arrived with a small group of older men and women from the Vine Council. Her bright green eyes locked right onto the Throne. Nathan saw her lips moving in a quiet prayer. Her people had almost been eaten alive by the Shepherd’s magic. She understood how big this was.

Admiral Kaelen came in last, walking next to Captain Rhea. The old sailor’s metal arm clicked softly in the quiet room. He looked at the glowing stone chair, and then over at Nathan.

"You actually pulled it off," Kaelen said, sounding surprised. "You killed the curse."

"We all did it," Nathan said. "Together."

Kaelen just grunted. "We’ll see about that."

The Crownless were already waiting. Corvus’s people stood in the shadows by the walls, wearing their dirty grey cloaks. They were a living reminder of everything this World had lost. Corvus stood quietly at the bottom of the steps, waiting for the shouting to start.

The room felt like it was about to explode. General Kael glared at Sylvara. Seraphine kept her hand resting right on her sword hilt. The Deep Fleet sailors mumbled to each other, looking at the exits. These people had spent hundreds of years trying to murder each other. Nathan could actually feel the hate in the air.

He stepped forward, putting himself right in the middle of them.

"You all know why you’re standing here," Nathan said, keeping his voice calm and steady. "The Throne was poisoned. The Shepherd broke it to keep you fighting. But we killed his magic. The curse is gone. The connection is coming back. Now, this World needs someone to sit in that chair. You need someone who wants to guard this place, not conquer it."

General Kael’s jaw clamped shut. "And who exactly is that? You, outsider?"

"No." Nathan pointed at Corvus. "Him. He is the last of the old royal blood. A scavenger who spent his whole life guarding this room without ever wanting to sit on the Throne. He’s a guard."

The room went completely silent. Kael narrowed his eyes. "A Crownless rat? You expect the Iron Court to kneel in the dirt for a rat?"

"I expect you to listen," Nathan fired back. "The Throne picked him. The World picked him. He sat in that chair when it was still trying to kill him. And he lived because he doesn’t care about power. He only cares about keeping people safe. That is exactly what this place needs."

Corvus took a step forward. He looked tired, but he didn’t look scared.

"I know none of you trust me," Corvus said, looking right at Kael. "I’ve spent my life hiding in these broken buildings. I watched my friends starve while you all fought over scraps of land. I guarded this Throne because I thought it was evil. I thought no one should ever sit on it. But I was wrong."

Corvus paused, his voice getting harder. "This World is dying. Your war is killing whatever is left. If we don’t stop fighting today, there won’t be a single piece of rock left to rule over."

Nobody moved. The silence was heavy.

Nathan decided to push. He walked right up to Seraphine. She crossed her arms, looking at him closely.

"You fought your whole life to bring the empire back," Nathan said softly. "You wanted a leader who respected the old rules. Corvus is the last royal. He stayed here and did his duty for decades. He earned that seat."

Seraphine stared at him for a long time. Then, she gave a slow, tired nod. "You make a fair point. The Legion will back him."

Nathan turned and walked over to General Kael. "You only care about strength. You think the toughest guy should be in charge. Corvus took the Shepherd’s magic straight to the chest and lived. He beat the curse. That takes real strength."

Kael frowned. "He didn’t swing a hammer. He just sat in a chair."

"He survived something that instantly killed three other kings before him," Nathan said, looking the giant man in the eyes. "That isn’t weakness. That is endurance. The Iron Court respects people who can take a hit."

Kael stayed quiet. He rubbed his scarred chin. "We’ll see."

Nathan moved on to Sylvara. "The Vine Council was almost destroyed from the inside out. Corvus knows exactly what it feels like to fight a hidden monster. He will listen to you. He will keep the balance."

Sylvara’s green eyes softened. "You speak the truth, Climber. The Council will stand with him."

He stopped in front of Admiral Kaelen. "You told me the Deep Fleet just wants to survive. Corvus will make sure you do. He doesn’t want to steal your ships or your land. He wants peace. And peace means open trade."

Kaelen gave a dry, rusty laugh. "You missed your calling as a salesman, kid. Fine. The Fleet will give the man a chance."

Nathan walked back to the center of the room. "The Crownless have guarded this place forever. Corvus is their leader. They already support him."

He looked around the room at the faction leaders. "I just went to every single one of you and asked for trust. I’m not asking you to forget all the people who died in your war. I’m asking you to actually build a future. The World is fixing itself. The Throne is ready. Someone just needs to take the first step."

For a long, painful minute, absolutely nothing happened.

Then, General Kael let out a heavy sigh. He stepped forward. He reached over his shoulder and drew his massive warhammer. Half the people in the room jumped, grabbing their weapons.

But Kael didn’t swing.

He slowly lowered his huge body down onto one knee. He rested the heavy iron head of his hammer on the stone floor and bowed his head.

"The Iron Court swears to the new king," Kael grunted. His voice was rough and unhappy, but he said the words loud and clear.

The room let out a collective breath. Then, Seraphine dropped to one knee. "The Legion swears to the new king."

Sylvara bowed at the waist. "The Vine Council stands with the Throne."

Kaelen tapped his metal arm against his chest. "The Deep Fleet recognizes the ruler."

All around the edges of the room, the Crownless pulled back their grey hoods and kneeled on the floor. "We guard the Throne," they said together. "We always have. We always will."

Nathan watched them, feeling a tight knot release in his chest. These people had hated each other for centuries. Now, they were kneeling together on the same floor.

Corvus slowly walked up the stone steps. He stopped in front of the broken chair. He placed his scarred hands on the armrests and turned around to look at the kneeling leaders. There were tears on his face, but he stood tall.

"I am not a king," Corvus said clearly. "I never wanted this job. But I will be what you need. I will be a guard. I will speak for the people who cannot speak for themselves."

He sat down.

The Throne exploded with light.

The clean, silver-grey glow shot out from the deep crack in the center. The light acted like heavy glue. The two broken halves of the stone chair ground together with a loud scraping noise until the crack completely vanished.

Nathan felt his B-Rank core hum warmly as the World woke up. The magical bond snapped into place. It was strong and totally clean. A wave of warm grey light washed over the entire room, spilling out of the palace, across the floating islands, and out into the empty sky. Everywhere the light touched, the dead, rotting feeling faded away.

Then, the blue boxes popped up.

[Ding! Shattered Throne — Clear Condition Met: Unity Through Alliance]

[Overall Clear Rank: S]

[Level Up! Nathan Cross: Level 75]

[Level Up! Mirko: Level 62]

[Level Up! Kuro: Level 52]

[Level Up! Shiro: Level 33]

[Level Up! Garrett Voss: Level 57]

[Level Up! Elise Winterhart: Level 60]

[Level Up! Dillon Briggs: Level 55]

[Reward: Broken Crown Fragment (Legendary Material)]

[Reward: Tower World Map Fragment (Updated)]

Nathan stared at the blue screens, breathing hard. They actually did it. They saved the Shattered Throne. And they didn’t have to burn it down to do it.

The bright light slowly faded. The team gathered at the bottom of the steps. Mirko was grinning from ear to ear. Shiro looked incredibly proud.

’We did it, Summoner,’ Kuro whispered in his mind. She sounded truly happy.

Garrett gave Dillon a heavy pat on the back. Elise stepped close to Nathan, her fingers gently brushing against his hand.

"We did it," Elise said softly. "It’s really over."

"We did it together," Nathan smiled.

Corvus stood up from the fixed Throne and walked down the steps. He looked straight at Nathan, his face very serious.

"There is something you need to know," the new king said quietly, making sure the others couldn’t hear. "When the Throne connected to me, it shared its memories. It remembers the Shepherd. And it remembers what he is building right now."

Nathan lost his smile. "What is he building?"

"A Pale Court. It sits at the dead center of all the Worlds. It is where his real body hides." Corvus’s grey eyes were dark with worry. "The Throne says he is waiting for you there."

Nathan opened his inventory and looked at the updated map piece. The very last symbol was glowing brightly. It was a picture of a white stone castle, surrounded by nothing but pure white space.

The Pale Court.

They only had one World left to clear. And the Shepherd was waiting at the end of the road.