Chapter 11 — Beyond the Milky Way: The Miner Who Became a God of War

In the central hall of the Holy See of Quang Nguyên, where artificial light was designed to simulate a divine halo shining from above, the Council of Elders of Quang Nguyên gathered in an emergency meeting convened by Kha Bạch Vân himself. Seven elders, each representing a different branch of power within the Holy See system, sat around a round table of jet-black marble.

"I have conducted a thorough investigation of the candidate with code HT-2290," Kha Bạch Vân spoke up, his voice echoing throughout the hall despite not raising his voice. "Originally from Black Stone Mine, name is Zhet Lam Vũ, twenty-three years old, confirmed by Chiếu Cốt as a Cot male at birth."

"But the recording shows signs of true War God Power energy," an older elder spoke up, his voice filled with skepticism. "How could a Boneless person possess such power? Our entire Bone Illumination system is based on the premise that only Spirit Bones are compatible with the Power of the God of War."

Kha Bạch Vân was silent for a moment, his eyes scanning each elder, considering how much truth he should reveal to those under his command, whom he himself did not completely trust.

"There are ancient, rare bloodlines that carry the power of the God of War that do not come through the path of the Spirit Bone," he said, choosing his words carefully. "This is knowledge only available to those in the highest positions in the Holy See. This candidate is likely a descendant of one such bloodline." That news made the whole hall stir. A younger elder, named Ung Ba Canh, asked, his voice full of curiosity mixed with worry. "So how should we handle this contestant? If we let him continue competing and win the Grand Trial, he will have access to the most sensitive areas of the Holy See."

"That's the problem," Kha Bạch Vân replied, his voice cold as ice. "We cannot let someone with true War God blood, beyond our control, gain great power and influence in the system. It would call into question the legitimacy of the entire Spirit Bone system we have built over many generations."

"So you intend to eliminate him immediately?" Another elder asked.

"No," Kha Bạch Vân replied, after a moment of silent consideration. "Directly eliminating a contestant who is attracting public attention would cause unnecessary suspicion, especially when the media has already started reporting on his unusual performance. We need a more sophisticated approach — letting him have an 'accident' in a subsequent round, in the name of the usual risks of the Grand Trial." The whole hall nodded in agreement, although a few elders were still a little uneasy at the absolute coldness in the way Kha Bạch Vân calculated a person's life like a chess piece that needed to be eliminated.

"I will assign this mission to an elite Saint Guard," Kha Bạch Vân continued. "Someone who can ensure that the 'accident' takes place convincingly, without leaving any trace that can be traced back to the Holy See."

The meeting ended, the elders left the hall one by one. Kha Bạch Vân remained alone, standing in front of a familiar large mirror, looking at his own fake youthful face — a face maintained at the cost of the life force drained from the true God of War blood that he had hunted for decades.

"Lam Vũ," he whispered, his voice carrying an indescribable complexity — both a threat to be eliminated and a source of potential power if it could be controlled. "You will be the last pawn I need, or the one who must be wiped out before you can realize your true value."

Meanwhile, at the Abyss Arena, completely unaware of the meeting that had just taken place, Lam Vũ was preparing for the upcoming fourth round, which was announced to take place in just two days. He trained with Bốc Vấn Sơn and Tinh Nhược in the abandoned maintenance room that had become a familiar training place, trying to further practice the ability to control the power of the War God.

"I feel it more clearly every day," Lam Vũ said, panting after a difficult energy control exercise. "But you still can't summon it at will. It only appears when you're really in a dangerous situation."

"It's a normal step," Bốc Vấn Sơn reassured. "Even the best warriors of War God blood in Tà Huy Village took many years to achieve the ability to summon power at full will. You have improved faster than anyone I have ever seen."

Tinh Nhược, standing and observing from a corner, her eyes flashed with worry. "I have a bad feeling about the upcoming round. The way the Holy See's monitoring system reacted after the match with Địch Vũ Khang, I suspect they have begun to pay attention to you at a much higher level than a normal contestant."

"What do you think they will do?" Lam Vũ asked, feeling an insecurity creeping into his heart.

"I'm not sure," Tinh Nhược replied, her voice serious. "But if I were in their position, I would find a way to eliminate the threat discreetly, under the guise of an accident in the arena. You need to be on high alert in the next round, not just against randomly drawn opponents, but against any unusual occurrences." Bốc Vấn Sơn, after listening to the two people's exchange, pondered for a moment and then spoke. "If the Holy See truly intends to harm you in the next round, we need a backup plan. You cannot rely solely on reflexes and luck to survive a carefully planned plot."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Lam Vũ asked.

"I think we need to find out the specific content of the fourth round in advance, if that's possible," Bốc Vấn Sơn said, his voice thoughtful and thoughtful. "I also know a few low-level logistics staff in the organizing committee, people I have helped in difficult times. Maybe they know a little information about the upcoming competition format, although it certainly won't be as detailed as I would like."

"I will be as careful as possible," Lam Vũ promised, even though in his heart he understood that, no matter how carefully prepared, once the enemy was determined to strike with all the power and resources of an entire system dominating the galaxy, risks would always be present, lurking in any corner he could not foresee.

Tinh Nhược, after a moment of contemplation, decided to share another part of her own plan. "I will also try to sneak close to the Holy Guard's preparation area on competition day, under the guise of a contestant checking out the terrain. If I detect any unusual signs, I will find a way to alert you promptly, even with just a small signal."

"If you do that, it will be very dangerous for yourself," Lam Vũ said, his voice worried.

"I'm used to risks," Tinh Nhược replied, a gentle but determined smile on her lips. "Furthermore, if something happens to you, the three of us's plans will completely collapse. Protecting you now, after all, is also protecting the goal I have been pursuing for many years, since the day I was forced to fake my own death to find justice for myself."

That evening, after finishing practice, Lam Vũ returned to the contestant resting area with a heavy heart. He lay looking up at the ceiling of the resting compartment, thinking about Tinh Nhược's warnings, about the secret meeting that he did not know was taking place in the heart of the Holy See, deciding his own fate.

He completely did not know the specific details of the conspiracy being woven in that deep darkness of power, but his survival instincts honed through twenty-three years of living at the bottom of society told him that the upcoming round of competition would not be as simple as what the organizers publicly announced on the information screens. He clenched his fists, telling himself to prepare more carefully than ever, not only for himself, but also for all the people who silently put their trust in him - a mother waiting behind a cold steel door, an old man who sacrificed his life to protect the family secret, and a daughter who is risking her life to join him in search of justice.

Tinh Nhược's warning made Lam Vũ even more wary, although he could not imagine the true level of danger waiting for him ahead, a plot that had been meticulously planned by the most powerful person in the entire galaxy.