A team consisting of Onur, Shiro, Aria, and Yuel had gone to slay a fourth-phase titan in Verdant Requiem—and they never came back.
Onur was a prince of the Mediterranean Federation, and as such, he had chosen their captain himself. They had a rather capable leader, so their sudden disappearance was nothing short of strange.
Later, other individuals with tracking-type Bloodscripts tried their hand at finding them. Eventually, they located Onur's current position—he was still alive.
He had fallen into the Frozen Hollows. At least, that's what those with search-based Bloodscripts claimed. Additionally, it seemed as if Onur was moving in circles within the region, though this wasn't yet confirmed. What their goal was, and how they fell in, remained a mystery...
Inside a large facility built on the edge of a massive cliff formed by huge gray stones. In the most luxurious and spacious room of the facility, two men sat facing one another.
These two men were father and son. In fact, there had been another son once—but he had gone missing.
The missing son was Onur. After Onur disappeared, everything had been thrown into chaos.
Who could have predicted things would turn out this way?
A few days after his disappearance—namely, now—Onur's older brother and future king, Kemal, wanted to go after his brother.
Kemal was one of only four known second-stage individuals in the world, making him the most suitable candidate for this mission.
The only issue was, if Kemal didn't return, the Mediterranean Federation would be left with just one prince.
And if only one prince remained, toppling him would be far too easy—he could fall victim to an assassination. If that were to happen, the seeds of democracy might begin to take root within the Mediterranean Federation, which was, of course, the last thing the royal family—and more importantly, the king—wanted.
The Mediterranean Federation may have been a monarchy, but it couldn't afford to drop its guard. Their enemies were lying in wait for a weakness, and giving them one would be catastrophic.
Kemal's departure could spark a chain of events. The king feared this, and that's why he was trying to convince Kemal not to go.
Kemal, however, was showing documents and insisting that Onur was in danger—that he needed to help him. He was a good-hearted man, not one to take after his father.
Kemal was the eldest prince and the most likely candidate to become king—but he was ready to give up that status to save his brother.
After a long argument, both father and son left the room, visibly upset.
Kemal, overwhelmed with anger, headed for his room to calm down.
It had been a long time since he'd had such a bitter argument with his father… and such a deep divide in opinion.
As Kemal made his way to his room, every servant and soldier he passed shivered and saluted.
Even though he was kind-hearted and noble, he had his moments of brutality on the battlefield. While everyone else panicked during war, he remained composed—issuing sharp commands instead, forcing his soldiers to carry the weight of fear in his place.
Everyone has times when they're harsh. Kemal was no exception—but nearly everyone around him had experienced his severity, and rumors about how ruthless and cold-blooded he was had spread throughout the entire Mediterranean Federation.
He didn't care much for those rumors and continued toward his room. The path was long, and the sound of waterfalls accompanied his steps.
This place was located right at the border between Deathsea and Verdant Requiem.
Deathsea was an underground cavern, which meant its border wasn't a beach but a massive cliff. The cliff was lined with enormous rocks and giant waterfalls.
Attempts had been made to send submarines into Deathsea—but all had ended in failure.
Kemal had traveled to and experienced nearly every region in the Undergarden except the central region. Based on his experiences, Deathsea was undoubtedly the most dangerous zone—excluding the center, of course, since no one who went there had ever returned. It was known, thanks to those who had accidentally ended up there via monoliths and managed to return, that it was a desert shrouded in mist.
What lay beyond the mist remained a mystery. What kind of titans lived there…? Kemal used to ponder such questions when he was a child. But now, he had no time for such thoughts.
His only goal was to live a happy life—and having a brother whose life was in danger seriously threatened that goal.
He had to go save Onur. No matter the cost.
Once in his room, Kemal began filling his inventory. This massive cliff on the border between Deathsea and the other regions was rich in orange mana crystals—and he packed plenty of them into his inventory.
With that much mana, what couldn't he do?
He had already used up all his percentages and had experienced making a pact by sacrificing his left pinky finger.
He couldn't do either of those again (he technically could make another pact, but he didn't want to go through that pain again), so he needed to make sure he had enough mana crystals for everything.
Humanity had only ever managed to kill four fifth-phase titans. One of them was Rage—the titan Kemal had slain to reach the second stage. After being killed, its body had been burned down and turned into a metallic alloy, which was then purified to forge a sword.
This sword drove anyone it wounded mad—making them senseless and stupid. But while wielded, it also made its owner increasingly angry and temperamental.
This was the very sword Kemal used. On it were three tiny orange crystals lined side by side, pierced by three blades—a symbol of the Mediterranean Federation.
The sword was adorned with ornate designs and emblems representing the Federation everywhere.
As long as it stayed in the inventory, its curse—intended to enrage its owner—had no effect. And for now, that's exactly where the sword was.
He couldn't set out without it.
Once he packed the necessary items from his room into his inventory, a growl came from near the window.
The curtains fluttered with the wind, and the light from the central region, plants, and occasional waterfalls cast a perfect glow into the room.
Though the sound startled him, he slowly approached it and opened the window slightly.
When he looked down… he saw it.
A humanoid being, covered entirely in gray fur, with the skull of a wolf and antlers like a deer. Its ribcage had burst open, exposing the inside. It had long, sharp fingers and stood at five meters tall—a large and powerful titan. Something akin to a Fenrir.
It was Onet.
Onet was a titan Kemal had tamed using his percentage. At first, he had been a second-phase Dhune—but he had evolved and grown into a fourth-phase titan.
There was something he needed to talk to Onet about. Even though the beast obeyed his every command and lacked a highly intelligent mind, Kemal loved him like a son.
But waiting beneath his window? That was a first—and quite terrifying. When Kemal first found Onet, he hadn't been this intimidating. He was just a cute, small puppy with white fur.
Over time, Onet had grown stronger, but no one expected him to turn into something so monstrous. Still, Kemal loved him.
He had already planned to escape through the window, so...
"Onet, can you catch me? I'm jumping out the window."
Onet tried to flash a sweet smile—but with a skull for a face, that was impossible. Instead of a cute grin, what formed was a deathly, terrifying expression more suited for one's final moments.
After Kemal jumped out, he began giving a quick briefing while trying to climb onto Onet's back.
"Onet, I know this is difficult for you, but we need to head to the Frozen Hollows. My brother Onur somehow fell in, and I don't want him to die. What's the point of becoming king if my brother's dead? I'm going to save him… So will you come with me? If you do, we'll get there much faster. What do you say?"
Onet looked at him. What was he thinking? What was going through his mind? Kemal wasn't sure—but maybe, just maybe, Onet was saying, Are you sure I even have a choice?
At least, that's what Kemal imagined—and he replied,
"Of course you do."
Onet interpreted this as him being promised a mate. Because that's exactly what had been on his mind at that very moment.
If that was the case, of course he would agree.
Before leaving, Kemal blew a whistle—its sound high-pitched but extremely soft. Humans would barely hear it. But it wasn't for humans—it was for the Dragonbird.
Dragonbirds were a species of first-phase Dhune used as carrier birds in the Undergarden. He would call one with this whistle and send his final letter before departure.
Just five seconds after blowing the whistle, a Dragonbird came hurtling in from the distance. It was red, with a long tail and magnificent wings. Though it resembled an eagle, its face ruined the resemblance—its beak and eyes were perfectly square. Being called a Dragonbird with a face like that was a feat in itself.
A folded paper appeared in Kemal's hand. He held it out to the bird. The creature grasped it with its talons and flew off.
The reason these birds were used instead of messenger pigeons was their telepathic abilities. There was no need to explain when or where—it instantly understood.
Now that he had left behind one last note… it was time to go save Onur.
It would be a long journey.