[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-emperor-of-the-source":3,"chapter-emperor-of-the-source-emperor-of-the-source-chapter-124":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Emperor of the Source",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1713122,2188,"Chapter 123: The Winged Shadow","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-124",124,"\u003Cp>From the planet's surface, a shadow rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark figure, tall, broad-shouldered. A sword gleamed faintly in his grasp, reflecting starlight off its obsidian edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vast black wings unfurled behind him, each feather scattering ripples of space and energy like tidal waves across the void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes burned like twin embers, filled with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"VEYTHAR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice thundered across the void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You dare break our pact?! You swore my world would remain untouched—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when his gaze locked onto Adrian, the rage faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confusion flickered across his features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You… are not him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head, wings spreading wider as if to shield the planet behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Another Stellar?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sword rose, pointing directly at Adrian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you enter this system? These stars belong to the Emerald Serpent Clan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian met his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Veythar is dead. I killed him. By galactic law, his systems and resources are now mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-winged Stellar stared at him, silent for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his lips twisted into something between disbelief and mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted his stance, sword lowering slightly but not sheathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I lived under that serpent's shadow for centuries. Even I could not kill him. And yet you, so young, claim this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this is a lie, it is a poor one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian's voice remained steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is the truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stellar's sword tilted slightly, his gaze glinting coldly beneath the shadow of his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truth or lie, it matters little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His essence flared, corrosive green mixing with the darkness around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one touches this world. Not while I stand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian didn't waver, \"I have no ill intentions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stellar's wings rustled, his gaze glinted coldly beneath the shadow of his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No ill intentions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured sharply with his blade toward the planet below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why wrap my world in your essence? That is no gesture of peace, that was conquest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You misunderstand. I have been gathering my clan's worlds into one capital system.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned, gesturing across the starfield where empty orbits marked the absence of planets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look. Other planets from this star system, I've already moved them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stellar's eyes narrowed, but he closed them, reaching out with his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression shifted slightly when he felt the truth of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worlds, dozens of them, were gone. Their gravitational traces trailed across light-years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian continued, \"I meant to move yours as well. But if you do not wish it, I will not force you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He met the Stellar's burning gaze directly, \"I'll step away.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this Stellar, protecting his world alone against the galaxy, reminded Adrian of Sentinel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single guardian standing between civilization and annihilation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Adrian added, his voice softer now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If one day you decide to build a clan and wish to purchase this system, you may contact the Origin Clan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made the Stellar pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wings folded slightly, uncertainty flickering across features carved from stone and shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts churned behind those burning eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No clan willingly yields a star system. Veythar hoarded his. Every ruler demands submission. Yet this one… withdraws?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, his sword lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corrosive essence around him dimmed, no longer lashing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian began to turn away, ready to depart through the void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're really leaving?\" The Stellar's voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian paused, looking back over his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You truly intend to withdraw? Even when this system is yours?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What trick is this? Do you take me for a fool?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian's gaze stayed calm, steady as the void around them, \"I said I had no ill intentions. If your world wishes to stand apart, then it will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stellar's wings flexed slowly, he thought back to the past, to the pact he had made centuries ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, this world had belonged to no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a Stellar even then, but he just wanted peace and lived a quiet life, until it was broken by Veythar purchasing his star system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Veythar had wanted something, a glimpse into the Corrosive Concept that he wielded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle had carved canyons across three moons and shattered an entire asteroid belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was how the pact was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An exchange, Veythar would study his corrosion in controlled duels, and in return, the planet would remain untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To master a second affinity, dual essence wielders each walked a unique path. Some sought enlightenment through meditation spanning millennia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Veythar learned through battle, through tasting another's concept with his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was their agreement, an exchange of essence. And when Veythar won, he spared the planet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, for centuries, his planet was under the Emerald Serpent Clan's protection, but now that Veythar was dead, things changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lone planet in a star system without any protections would bring many predators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wings unfolded again, feathers glimmering faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your offer to withdraw… it shows you are not Veythar. Not like the others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his tone changed, edged with something sharper. \"If I stay here, this world will not last long. The Serpent's shadow kept predators away, but that shadow is gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured toward the mist-veiled planet below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Already, others will be watching. My people will not survive another Veythar. My world won't last another war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, the only solution he could come up with was to go with this young Stellar's plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he did not want to let a stranger move his planet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his left hand, and space folded around his palm. A second essence shimmered beneath it, pure, steady space essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not just Veythar. From their battles, he too had comprehended space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian's eyes narrowed.\"Another dual essence wielder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I will move. But not because I trust you. Because my people cannot remain carrion in a dead serpent's den.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will move my own world,\" the Stellar said firmly. \"But understand, my people will not serve your clan. We will not bow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian accepted without argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we will not interfere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stellar studied him, searching for deception, manipulation, the hidden hooks that always came with power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, slowly, a faint smile crossed his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph. Perhaps you truly are different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his sword slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm Azrael.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian gave a short nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Adrian.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without another word, Azrael spread his wings. The void rippled as his dual essences ignited, corrosion and space fusing into an eerie harmony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The planet below shuddered, rising beneath him like a living thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian followed, guiding the trajectory silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azrael moved the planet with incredible speed, crossing the Orion Arm border in less than a day. Even Aurelia at her peak couldn't have matched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midway through their journey, Azrael glanced toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're building your capital far from the galactic routes. That's dangerous. Demons raid these edges often.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian's gaze stayed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Being far from Aethelia's routes means independence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azrael's tone grew faintly sardonic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Independence? This is still Aethelian space. They'll never let you forget that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian didn't reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They flew in silence after that, two Stellars crossing the endless dark, carrying a world between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One seeking to build. The other seeking to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this would be the final block piece of the Origin capital.\u003C\u002Fp>",1221,"2026-06-06T15:05:27.003Z",1,"novelbin.me","044ac8990ac470063740c2d76cf7a3a5bbfbf419fbf77eca2154e27b0d5cb1ca","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-125","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-123",347,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Femperor-of-the-source-cover.jpg"]