Orlax left the underground cellar, and as soon as he struggled up the stairs, he found someone standing firmly in place, as if waiting for him.
"Your Majesty."
The blond-haired man bowed the moment he saw him and spoke in a respectful tone.
"Alex."
Orlax nodded silently, waiting for him to speak.
"Your room has been prepared. Would you like to take a look and see if anything needs changing?"
"Oh, I'll go take a look now."
Orlax stepped forward, walking past Alex, heading toward his room guided by his memories.
He climbed to the second floor of the palace, where his room was located.
Opening the door, he stepped inside, greeted by a spacious area that felt more like a small house.
The room was large, adorned with the finest decorations and the best furnishings.
To the right, there was a small door leading to a large bathing chamber, and another door leading to a dressing room.
Orlax was surprised by its beauty — his previous room wasn't even one percent as luxurious as this.
"It's beautiful. There's no need to change anything."
Alex nodded after hearing this, then pulled something from his pocket and handed it to the black-haired man before him.
"This phone is the latest model. I thought you'd need it since you didn't have one before. I've also added my number so you can call me if you need anything."
Orlax took the sleek black phone from his hand, examining its advanced design.
"Well done, Alex."
"It's my duty. Now, if you don't need anything else, I'll return to my work."
Orlax waved him off, signaling for him to leave, leaving him alone in the vast room.
"Well then, let's take a shower first. I'm tired of the stench of blood clinging to me."
He walked to the door on the right and entered the bathing chamber, which greeted him with its spacious elegance.
"Not bad."
He nodded in satisfaction, undressing to reveal a well-trained body.
But when his gaze fell on the large mirror, he saw the deep scars covering his flesh — scars from swords, burns, and even bullet marks.
"Years of torture in this palace left these scars. This place was hell because of those people… but not anymore."
He stepped into the large bath and began to wash.
Half an hour later, he emerged wearing only a towel around his waist and made his way to the wardrobe.
Inside were several neatly pressed, brand-new outfits.
Orlax chose a white shirt and black trousers, putting them on before slicking his long hair back with precision.
He then approached the large bed in the center of the room and sat down.
"It's incredibly comfortable."
Suddenly, a transparent blue screen appeared before him.
[Mission Issued]
[Remove the curse on your body within 24 hours]
[Reward: Random Skill Core]
[Penalty: Enter a state of madness for 12 hours]
"What?"
While Orlax was still reeling from the sudden mission, the world outside was boiling with news.
In just one day, the Emperor and all princes and princesses of the Tirshtain Empire had been killed — all except for one person: Orlax.
This was the headline on every site.
In an unknown location somewhere on the continent, several people sat in a dimly lit room.
Each wore a different colored mask with horns.
"It seems it's time to move. We must seize this opportunity to gain the upper hand in the Tirshtain Empire,"
said a man wearing a purple mask with strange, devil-like horns.
The others listened intently, a strange excitement gleaming in their eyes behind the masks.
Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the continent, within the Eastern Empire's throne room…
The emperor sat as several people argued loudly before him.
He let out a weary sigh, rubbing his head from the headache caused by recent events.
"Damn the Tirshtain Empire… they only ever bring trouble."
In the southern part of the continent, within the Southern Empire…
In an elegant, refined chamber, a young man lay on a large bed, scrolling through the news on his phone.
A look of pure rage twisted his face as he bit his lip so hard it began to bleed.
"Orlax Tirshtain… how dare you remain alive."
Back in the Tirshtain Empire's capital…
Orlax stood atop the tallest tower, gazing at the city below.
The atmosphere throughout the city was tense as the citizens digested the news, uncertain about the future.
From above, Orlax quietly admired the beauty of the ancient city.
"I don't have time to waste."
In an instant, he vanished from the tower and reappeared far away.
He moved with incredible speed, the wind slamming against his face.
'This is insane! I'm running at unbelievable speed.'
He enjoyed the sensation until, after half an hour of nonstop running, he finally reached his destination — a vast forest stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Mortin Forest… one of the main leveling areas in the game. It holds two legendary items, and one of them will help me lift the curse."
With confident steps, Orlax entered the forest, admiring its natural beauty.
But at that moment, crimson eyes watched him from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"How annoying."
The man before the beast muttered something inaudible, ignoring it as he continued to walk.
Suddenly, the beast's instincts screamed danger — but it was too late. It realized its body was no longer touching the ground.
"Awoooo! Awooo!"
Orlax looked at the silver wolf — nearly twice the size of an ordinary one — now suspended in midair.
He raised his right hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. The wolf writhed in agony, feeling its insides being crushed.
"Awooo!"
Blood streamed from its nose, mouth, and eyes as Orlax stared at it with cold indifference.
'Hah… this feeling of killing is strange.'
He canceled the spell once the wolf stopped moving, letting its body drop to the ground.
[You have killed a Tier 3 beast]
[EXP Gained: 1,000]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
Orlax glanced at the floating screens, reading each one.
[Stat Points: 15]
[Skill Points: 3]
'What? Why am I getting five stat points per level?'
He stared at the stat window, confused.
In the game, each level only gave one stat point and one skill point — which made the protagonist absurdly strong in the original story.
Orlax tried to assign the points to himself, but was disappointed when a new notification appeared.
[Points cannot be added to the player!]
[Points can only be assigned to the contracted individual.]