[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-emperor-of-the-source":3,"chapter-emperor-of-the-source-emperor-of-the-source-chapter-28":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},1713026,2188,"Chapter 27: The Board of Defenders","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-28",28,"\u003Cp>The Central Tower's highest chamber was carved of black stone veined with runes, its walls glowing faintly with restrained power. A circular table dominated the hall, seats filled with some of humanity's greatest living figures, the Board of Defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its head sat Lord Kael Varros,an S-Rank Defender whose very presence bent the air. Broad-shouldered, his hair silvered, his eyes as steady as mountains, he was the president of the Board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the table, A-Rank commanders held their places. Among them, Elara Blackwood,composed but tense, light affinity pulsing faintly beneath her skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena Valcrest,the golden Rune Master, tattoos glowing faintly as her eyes gleamed with cold calculation. Other A-Rank defenders were silent watchers, some supportive, some skeptical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Floating in the center of the table was a holographic replay of the Aranthor battle. The Board watched silently as the images unfolded, defenders clashing with the horde, Adrian's blood-soaked figure standing alone in the middle wave, the white-grey mist erupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The replay showed Elara's devastating light that ended the wave. The silence stretched until Selena broke it with a sharp laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There it is. An SSS-Rank 'Echo' that manifests before he's even a man grown.\" Her golden tattoos pulsed brighter as she leaned forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, Elara, do you expect us to believe this is normal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara's eyes narrowed. \"What I expect is that you remember he's sixteen. A boy who bled for that city, who nearly died saving lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is no threat to you.\" Her voice carried the weight of maternal protection and A-Rank authority combined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not yet,\" Selena countered smoothly. \"But what happens when he loses control? That mist consumed monsters like ash.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What if it consumes more?\" The question hung in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murmurs rippled among the A-Ranks. Some nodded at Selena's words, others frowned at the implications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Thane, scarred from decades of battle, spoke with measured authority. \"What I saw was a prodigy who stood alone against D-Ranks and lived.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our outposts bleed for talent like this.\" His weathered hands gestured toward the hologram.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or choke on it,\" Selena muttered, her golden eyes never leaving Elara's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara's hands tightened on the table's edge. \"He needs time. Not chains.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You would treat him as a weapon before he's even had a chance to choose who he is.\" Light flickered beneath her skin, barely restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension in the chamber thickened as more voices joined the debate. Commander Thane's scarred fingers drummed against the obsidian table, each tap echoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This tale has been unlawfully obtained from NovelBin. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The boy saved many lives at Aranthor,\" he said, \"That counts for something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does it?\" Commander Scarlett leaned forward, her ice-blue eyes cold as winter storms. \"Or does it prove he's dangerous beyond measure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her water affinity rippled faintly around her hands. \"Manifestation at sixteen. Pseudo or not, it's unprecedented.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Hayes, younger than the others but bearing the weight of countless battles, shook his head slowly. \"I've seen prodigies burn out before they reach twenty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This one might burn us all.\" His earth affinity made the stone beneath his feet crack slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara's light flared brighter, casting harsh shadows across the chamber walls. \"You speak of him like he's already fallen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's my son. I know his heart.\" Her voice carried both warning and truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena's laugh was like breaking glass. \"Hearts change, Elara. Power corrupts even the purest souls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at the recording again. That mist didn't just kill, it erased.\" Her golden tattoos pulsed in rhythm with her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Reeves, silent until now, spoke with quiet authority. \"The boy chose to stand when others fell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That speaks to character, not corruption.\" His metal affinity hummed through his prosthetic arm, a reminder of his own sacrifices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hologram flickered, showing Adrian's blood-soaked figure again and again. Each replay seemed to deepen the divide between the commanders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Kael's voice finally rumbled, cutting through the debate. \"Enough.\" The murmurs ceased instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose, his shadow stretching long across the chamber like a dark prophecy. The very air seemed to bow before his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Adrian Blackwood has already completed his trial by battlefield. He will not return to the Academy.\" His gaze swept across the A-Ranks, silencing dissent before it could form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara's breath caught. Selena's smile sharpened like a blade finding its target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Effective immediately, he is recognized as a Provisional Defender, under Organization authority.\" Kael's words carried the weight of absolute decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber erupted in whispers. Some commanders nodded approval, others frowned at the unprecedented decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled before her face. \"How... progressive of you, Lord Varros.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her golden eyes gleamed with something between amusement and calculation. \"A sixteen-year-old Defender. Everyone will love that precedent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara's fists clenched tighter, light bleeding through her fingers. Relief and terror warred across her features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael continued, \"As with all Defenders, he will be granted two years within Headquarters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that time, he may explore any division he chooses, warrior corps, rune masters, artificers, healers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He may test every path, learn every craft, until he decides where he belongs. That is the law of the Organization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words hung in the air like an oath. \"That is the choice every Defender earns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena's eyes glimmered gold, her tattoos pulsing brighter. \"And you expect him to remain under watch, here in the heart of the Organization, for two years?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How convenient.\" Her voice dripped with mock sweetness that fooled no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Thane grunted his approval. \"Better than letting him loose without guidance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The boy needs structure, not imprisonment.\" His scarred hands spread flat against the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael ignored Selena's barb, his verdict carved in stone. \"The matter is closed. Let the boy choose his path.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meeting dissolved. Chairs scraped against stone as the A-Ranks rose, some lingering to exchange whispered concerns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elara left with heavy steps, her light dimmed by conflicting emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena remained seated, her smile faint but sharp as a hidden dagger. Already her mind worked, plotting angles and possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above them all, Kael Varros sat unmoving in his chair. His expression remained unreadable, as if he had glimpsed a storm gathering on distant horizons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber's runes pulsed once, then fell silent. Outside the tower's windows, the Organization's sprawling complex hummed with life, unaware that a single decision had just shifted the course of human destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>",1065,"2026-06-06T15:05:26.720Z",1,"novelbin.me","9041f29932f9c854cad58a41543e2c71ab1e4e61a0aa0da1413c6597d25931bf","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-29","emperor-of-the-source-chapter-27",347,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Femperor-of-the-source-cover.jpg"]