I Awakened as an SSS-Rank System Maker!-Chapter 63 - What’s going on, Siman?

Chapter 63 - What’s going on, Siman?

The council hall emptied slowly, the lingering tension thick in the air. Voices that once clashed and debated now faded into the evening haze. Lucas leaned against the edge of the stone table, his fingers tapping lightly against its surface, his mind still weighing the discussions they had just concluded.

Ding!

The system prompt materialized in his vision—its letters crisp, sharp, demanding attention:

[Notification Received from Planet Tian – "Urgent Royal Summons" signed personally by Lord Tian.]

Lucas’s eyes narrowed instinctively.

At that exact moment, the ground beneath him quivered—a deep, almost imperceptible tremor that resonated through the bones.

Outside, the skies of Lira split open with a deafening roar—BOOM!

All heads turned skyward as a golden ship, colossal and radiant, descended through the clouds. Its hull shimmered with a living luster, adorned with celestial sigils that pulsed in rhythm with unseen power. Every villager, from the youngest child to the seasoned Guardians, stood frozen in awe and terror.

The ship descended smoothly, its gravitational force gently displacing the earth below. Dust swirled. Light bent strangely around its gleaming form. It was unmistakable—this was a royal vessel. Not just any envoy or messenger... but something far higher.

The ramp hissed open, revealing a lone figure.

Siman.

Clad in the full regalia of Planet Tian’s elite, his crimson cloak fluttered behind him as he marched down the ramp, cutting through the heavy silence. His face, usually relaxed with a glint of mischief, was hard as steel.

Lucas stepped forward, meeting him halfway, his stance loose but ready for anything.

Siman didn’t waste a second. His voice was low, tense, filled with a gravity Lucas had never heard before.

"I came personally because this is urgent..."

Siman said, stopping just a few paces away. His eyes flickered toward the villagers watching from the gates, then back to Lucas.

"Lord Tian demands your presence immediately. There’s something we cannot discuss over crystals or networks. It concerns you... and your past."

The words struck harder than any blade.

Lucas’s jaw clenched subtly. His mind raced through possibilities—none of them good.

Still, he kept his voice calm. "What’s happening?"

Siman hesitated—a rare, unsettling thing to witness. Then he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that only Lucas could hear.

"There are members within the Royal Council who claim... you don’t belong here. That you’re a threat to the planetary balance."

Lucas’s stomach twisted, though he didn’t show it.

Siman continued, slower, deliberate. "

But Lord Tian... he holds something he wants to show you. Something seen only by heirs to the throne."

For a long moment, Lucas said nothing. The village behind him buzzed with quiet murmurs. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

Darleen appeared at his side, as if summoned by instinct. Her usual fire was replaced with a calmer, resolute expression. She placed a hand on Lucas’s arm—steady, reassuring.

"Go," she said firmly, her blue eyes locking with his.

"We’ll take care of everything here."

Lucas searched her face. No fear. No hesitation. Only trust.

Tch... He let out a sharp breath, both frustrated and grateful at the same time.

Siman smirked faintly, but there was no humor in his eyes. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Come. Every second we waste could tip the balance further."

Lucas turned briefly toward the village walls. Dozens of eyes watched him—some wide with worry, others burning with pride. He saw the Guardians standing at attention. Children clinging to their mothers. The marketplace pausing mid-trade.

He caught Darleen’s gaze one last time.

"Don’t burn the village down while I’m gone."

His voice was light, but she caught the strain beneath it.

"No promises," she shot back with a small smile.

Without another word, Lucas turned and followed Siman up the ramp.

The golden ship’s doors sealed shut behind them with a thunderous clang—

BOOM!

Inside, the vessel hummed with restrained power. Lucas barely had time to strap into a seat before the ship blasted off, the acceleration crushing him against the padded restraints.

The stars outside the viewport blurred into streaks of white as the ship entered hypersonic speed, tearing through the atmosphere and into the void beyond.

Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, forcing his breathing steady.

What am I about to find out?

-*-

-*-

-*-

The golden ship descended through the clouds, its gleaming hull reflecting the rays of the distant sun. The view from the viewport was a sight Lucas would never forget—Planet Tian, in all its majesty. But something about this place felt... off. The air was thick with tension, a silent hum in the atmosphere that spoke of ancient power and long-forgotten mysteries. Even as the ship touched down, Lucas felt it—a strange weight pressing against his chest, as though the planet was watching him.

The engines of the ship hummed to a stop with a low whirr, and a quiet stillness followed. The golden ship settled with a final, echoing thud—the ramp slowly lowering.

Siman was already at the ramp’s base, motioning for them to follow. There was no grand greeting, no welcoming ceremony. Just the cold, silent expanse of Planet Tian stretching out before them. Lucas glanced at Andre, who seemed equally uneasy. His usually confident posture was stiff, eyes scanning the darkening horizon.

"What’s going on, Siman?"

Lucas’s voice broke the silence, his words heavier than he intended. The weight of the unknown pressed on him, and the unease in his gut twisted tighter.

Why had they been brought here?

Siman didn’t turn to answer immediately. He simply gestured for them to step off the ship.

"Follow me,"

he said, his tone flat but insistent.

The moment their feet hit the ground, they could feel it. The atmosphere here was nothing like Lira. There was no vibrant pulse of life, no warmth in the air. The land was cold, barren, and void of sound. It was as if the planet itself was holding its breath. And the skies overhead—blacker than they should have been, rippling with a strange energy—seemed to pulse with a rhythm all their own. A rhythm that only those with the proper eyes could perceive.

The air tasted metallic. Lucas could feel his senses sharpening, his instincts screaming that something wasn’t right.

Siman moved forward without a word, cutting through the harsh silence, his cloak trailing behind him. "Stay close," he instructed, his gaze distant.

They walked in tense silence, the landscape around them dark and desolate. The ground was rough, cracked, and jagged—the remnants of ancient earthquakes or some long-forgotten war. As they moved deeper into the region, Lucas’s mind began to race.

Where were they? And why here? Why not the palace? Why not in the warmth and safety of Lord Tian’s domain? Every step they took only deepened the sense of foreboding.

"Siman," Andre’s voice cracked the silence. What is this place? This doesn’t look like the Tian we saw from the sky..."

Siman’s eyes flicked over his shoulder, the faintest glint of something unreadable in his expression. "This is the Black Maw Valley," he said, voice low, echoing off the walls of the valley. "A place where even the bravest fear to tread. And where the trials of the Tian bloodline have always been faced."

The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous.

The Black Maw Valley? Lucas thought, his pulse quickening. The name sounded familiar, but only as a dark legend. Whispers of a cursed land, home to monsters and ancient beasts beyond comprehension. No one dared enter. But here they were—being led into it like lambs to the slaughter.

The ground underfoot trembled faintly, as if something massive was shifting beneath them.

Crack!

A sharp sound echoed from the shadows—too quiet, too distant to pinpoint its source.

And then, Boom!

A massive roar split the silence, followed by the ground shaking violently beneath their feet. Lucas barely had time to brace himself before the valley seemed to come alive. Massive, hulking shapes surged from the darkness, their forms distorted, monstrous, and impossibly fast.

Boom! Another roar echoed.

"Get ready!" Siman barked. "The trial has begun!"

Out of the shadows, enormous beasts emerged, their eyes glowing like burning embers, their claws scraping against the stone. They were unlike anything Lucas had ever seen—creatures of nightmare, their massive jaws lined with teeth the size of daggers. Each step they took sent tremors through the valley, and with each growl, the air became thicker with dread.

"No weapons." Siman said firmly. "Your strength is your only weapon here. No fancy tricks, no cheats. This is how you’ll survive. The valley chooses its trials for each individual." He stepped back, his eyes gleaming in the shadows. "Now, fight."

Haaah!