Chapter 6: The Rise of Valtheris
Kael Atris stood atop the ruins of an ancient fortress, his celestial soldiers kneeling before him. The wind howled across the war-torn land of Valtheris, a nation once proud but now fractured by endless conflict. His golden eyes burned with purpose—this was the world he was tasked to fix, and he would reshape it with his own hands.
A Divine Mission
The voice of Castellion Arisium still echoed in his mind.
"Restore order to your world. Forge a kingdom worthy of my light."
Kael had already decided. He would unite Valtheris, a land torn apart by warlords, tyrants, and ancient rivalries. He would end the chaos, rebuild its glory, and lead its people to an era of strength.
But to do that, he needed a stronghold, a capital.
The First Step: Securing Varthun
Kael set his sights on Varthun, one of the last remaining cities in Valtheris with the potential to become its beating heart. Once a thriving center of trade and culture, it had fallen into ruin after years of war. Now, it was a battlefield for rival factions, all seeking to claim it as their own.
Kael had no intention of negotiating.
Standing before his twenty four-winged heavenly soldiers, Kael issued his command:
"We take Varthun. Leave no room for defiance."
His soldiers descended upon the city like a storm. Their golden spears tore through enemy ranks, their divine radiance sending mortals into submission. The warlords who once ruled the city fell within moments, their essence absorbed into Kael's growing power. Those who resisted were either converted into his loyal soldiers or vanished into oblivion.
By nightfall, Varthun belonged to him.
The Birth of a Nation
Standing before the city's remaining people—merchants, warriors, farmers, and refugees—Kael raised his voice:
"No more warlords. No more senseless bloodshed. From today onward, Valtheris is united under one banner. My banner."
The people hesitated, but the power he exuded was undeniable. Some knelt in submission. Others, seeing the celestial warriors at his side, bowed in reverence.
Kael was no mere ruler—he was the chosen of a god.
With Varthun as his capital, Kael Atris, the Champion of Castellion Arisium, began his conquest.
The age of chaos was ending.
And the age of Valtheris the Eternal had begun.
The Divine Seed of Varthun
Inside the grand halls of his newly claimed castle in Varthun, Kael Atris felt a familiar presence descend upon him. The air shimmered with golden radiance, and in his mind, the voice of Castellion Arisium echoed once more.
"For your faith and conquest, I bestow upon you a gift—a Divine Seed. Nurture it well, for it shall be the foundation of your eternal dominion."
As Kael opened his hand, a small, radiant golden seed pulsed with divine energy. Even as he held it, he could feel the immense power slumbering within.
Planting the Seed of Divinity
Without hesitation, Kael made his way to the center of his castle, where the remnants of an old garden lay in ruin. He knelt and pressed the Divine Seed into the fertile soil, channeling his mana into it.
The ground shook violently, and a golden light erupted from where the seed had been planted. Before Kael's eyes, the shoots of the Divine Tree surged upward—growing at an unnatural, godly speed.
Within mere seconds, a colossal 30-meter tall tree stood before him, its branches spreading 60 meters wide, glowing with divine energy. The trunk pulsed like a heartbeat, and golden leaves shimmered, exuding waves of pure mana. A crystalline mana-lake formed at its base, swirling with ethereal blue and gold energy.
The Birth of Divine Soldiers
As Kael gazed upon the wonder he had created, something descended from the branches—fruit unlike anything of this world.
The golden fruits ripened instantly, and then, one by one, they split open—revealing humanoid figures with radiant wings of light. These beings floated gently to the ground, their glistening two-winged forms kneeling before Kael the moment their feet touched the earth.
"We are yours, Lord Kael Atris," they spoke in perfect unison, their voices filled with reverence. "Command us."
Kael's eyes burned with determination. This was only the beginning.
From this day forward, Kael's Divine Tree would birth 100 two-winged divine soldiers every day—an ever-growing army that would bring his dominion across the world and beyond.
With his Divine Tree standing tall in Varthun, Kael Atris' legend as the ruler of Valtheris had truly begun.