The Guardian Of The Multiverse: A Hero's Burden

The Weight of Judgment

(Marvel, DC, images, manhuas, and every anime that will be mentioned and used in this story are not mine. They all belong to their respective owners. The main character "Karito/Adriel Josue Valdez" and the story are mine)

The dense canopy of Ixtal rustled softly above Ace as he moved at a steady pace, boots pressing into soft earth. Moonlight pierced through the thick leaves in narrow beams, casting shifting shadows along his path. The forest here was quieter than usual—not lifeless, but watchful. Like something knew he was passing through.

He didn't slow down.

The trip had been long, but his mind was locked forward. Toward Noxus. Toward Peter.

Toward whatever was waiting next.

His cloak fluttered behind him as he approached the narrowing border between Ixtal and the sea that separated the continent from Piltover, Zaun, and the looming spires of Noxus beyond. It was then that the world shifted.

He stopped cold.

To his left, far across the riverbank, nestled among steel and stone, Piltover and Zaun came into view. Or rather, they should have.

Because they were veiled.

Covered in an unnatural dome of dark energy—thick, murky, almost liquid in texture. The very air warped around the barrier, distorting sound and light like a mirage doused in ink. It wasn't just shielding the cities. It was eating them from view.

Ace narrowed his eyes.

He took a step closer. The Gamer HUD over his vision didn't respond. No readings. No scans. No information.

Blocked.

Not even the system could see inside.

He raised his hand, flexing his fingers slightly. He didn't bother trying to break the barrier. Not now. Not alone. That kind of darkness wasn't just a defense—it was a warning. A message.

Stay out.

Ace stared at it for a while longer. Then he exhaled through his nose and turned away.

"Piltover and Zaun will have to wait," he muttered.

He picked up speed again, the ocean wind whipping through his hair as he sprinted along the cliffside path that curved toward the eastern ridge. Beyond the cliffs and across the channel, the iron-heavy skyline of Noxus rose from the earth like the teeth of some buried beast.

Sharp. Cold. Dangerous.

Just like the people inside.

He crossed the water on foot. Not swimming—walking. His inventory system might still be blocked, but his travel perks were not. He activated the simplest form of a Guardian's movement spell: step-on-air. Each step splashed lightly across the ocean's surface, a blur of movement that carried him swiftly across the narrow sea.

When his boots hit Noxian soil, the land answered with a low hum.

A kind of tension settled in the wind, thicker here. More aggressive. Like something in the very terrain had learned to bite first and ask questions later.

Ace didn't flinch.

His cloak fluttered around him as he looked ahead, down the path that would lead to the outer rim of Noxus proper.

He reached into his belt and checked the last healing potion Adriel had given him earlier. Still intact. Good. He got used to the convenience of having an inventory system that the feeling of a backpack was foreign to him. Now he'd have to be careful—especially without his inventory working.