CHAPTER 95: THE LAW OF MERIT- 1

Another week had passed.

In the sky above the massive, circular hole where the town of Silverwood once stood, a city now floated.

It was a breathtaking sight, a masterpiece of dark crystal and grey, polished ash-stone. Towers reached for the sky, connected by elegant bridges that glowed with soft, golden light from the formations carved into them.

The city, now named the Eon Emporium, was complete. It was a silent, magnificent fortress in the sky.

Below it, on the ground, another city had been built. This was the Base City, and it was a marvel in its own right.

Where the old, rotting town had been, there now stood a clean, organised city. The streets were wide and paved with smooth, dark stone.

The buildings were sturdy and well-built, made from timber and rock shaped by the Ashen Titan.

Even this entry-level city, meant for visitors and new arrivals, was a hundred times better than the royal capital of Azuregard.

News of the floating city and its powerful, mysterious lord had spread like wildfire across the Azure Province.

It was a story told in every tavern, a whisper in every marketplace. It was a legend in the making.

For the thousands of people who had been forgotten and abandoned by the great families, it was more than a legend; it was a promise.

And so, they came.

Contrary to Rhys’s expectations, the five great families rejected his call for unity. He was surprised, then shrugged it off.

It was their loss. Anyway, the allure of his capital was greater, as from every corner of the province, people travelled to this new city.

They were merchants who had lost their fortunes, warriors who had been cast out of their clans, and simple families who had no skills and no hope.

They were the abandoned, the failures, the dregs of society. They gathered in the Base City, their numbers swelling each day until a crowd of thousands filled the streets, all of them looking up at the floating city with a mixture of awe, fear, and desperate hope.

They were all waiting. They had heard that the new lord was building a new society, a place where anyone could have a future.

But they did not know how to become a part of it. They waited for the lord to sell the tokens that would grant them entry into the city in the sky.

Inside the floating palace, Rhys looked down at the massive crowd through a large crystal window.

Sera sat on his shoulders, her small legs kicking against his chest as she looked down at the sea of people with wide, curious eyes.

"Papa, there are so many ants down there," she said.

Rhys smiled and patted her head. "They are not ants, Sera. They are the foundation of our new home."

Derin the Abandoned stood beside him. The old soldier was now the chief administrator of the Eon Emporium.

He wore a simple but well-made uniform of dark grey, and the weary look in his eyes had been replaced by a fire of purpose.

"My Lord," Derin said, his voice full of a nervous energy. "The people are getting restless. We have provided them with food and temporary housing in the Base City, but they are all waiting for your word.

They want to know how they can enter the Emporium. The wealthy merchants are offering huge sums of gold for a token. They believe they can buy their way in."

"They are wrong," Rhys said simply. He turned from the window. "It is time, Derin. Gather the people in the main plaza of the Base City. I will give them their answer."

An hour later, Rhys stood on a high platform that had been built at the centre of the Base City’s main plaza. The entire population of the city was gathered before him, a vast crowd of thousands stretching as far as the eye could see.

They were all silent, their faces turned up towards him, their eyes full of expectation.

Derin stood by his side.

Sera was still on his shoulders, now munching on a piece of sweet candy. Behind them, two of his Ashen Crusaders stood like silent, platinum statues.

Their immense presence was a clear and powerful message: the man on this platform held absolute authority.

Rhys looked out at the sea of faces. He saw the tired eyes of the old, the hopeful faces of the young, and the desperate expressions of those who had nothing left to lose.

He did not need to use his Sonic Burst skill. His normal voice, calm and clear, carried across the silent plaza, reaching every ear.

"I see you have all come seeking a new life," he began. "You have come here because the world you knew has failed you. The great families, with their talk of talent and bloodlines, judged you.

They looked at your birth, at a spark of power you had no control over, and they decided your worth. If you were not born with a powerful trait, you were deemed useless. You were cast aside. You were abandoned."

A murmur went through the crowd. His words were the truth they had all lived.

"Here, in my city, we have only one law," Rhys continued, his voice growing stronger.

"Merit. Your birth does not matter. Your family name does not matter. The trait you were born with does not matter. Here, you are not judged by what you are, but by what you do. Here, we judge you by your hands, your heart, and your will."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"The Eon Emporium is not a paradise that I will give you for free. It is a promise. It is a place you must earn. It is a home you must build with your own work. Your work will have value here. Your loyalty will be rewarded. And your potential, no matter how small, will have a chance to grow."

He turned to Derin. "Administrator, announce the criteria."

Derin stepped forward, his voice booming with a newfound confidence. He unrolled a large scroll and began to read.