Chapter 37
Under Control
"I will return there to drink once more… after I crush everyone in the tournament."
As those words left his lips, a calm smile formed on Einver's face—confident, yet tinged with mockery. His eyes glimmered with a strange light as they locked with the princess's. Then, with steady steps, he turned and walked out, leaving behind the echo of his words lingering in the chamber.
The princess remained seated, staring quietly at the door that had just closed, as though trying to decipher the secrets hidden within that mysterious youth.
"That boy carries a powerful aura of killing intent… are you truly certain he's just a simple, weak trainee?"
The old voice came from behind her, as Sin Ka approached slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on Sun Mi.
"Yes, uncle, I'm certain," the princess replied firmly.
The old man let out a low grunt, almost a hum, and said,
"Hmph… very well. Just don't disappoint me. And remember… there is no forgiveness anymore."
...….
Einver's footsteps carried him toward the tournament arena. It was vast, encircled by towering stone walls that rose like a colossal ring. Above those walls stretched tier upon tier of circular seating, forming a perfect coliseum. The air was thick with the roar of the gathering crowd, their laughter and shouts reverberating as they scrambled to claim their seats, eager for the spectacle to begin.
Einver lifted his gaze and noticed a secluded chamber elevated slightly above the others—lavishly decorated chairs within marked it as a place reserved for the distinguished.
Suddenly, a voice called to him:
"Are you the fighter, Einver?"
He turned to see a soldier behind him, clad in formal armor, eyes filled with stern resolve.
"Yes. I am Einver," he answered calmly.
"The princess requests your presence in the chamber of honored guests. Follow me," the soldier replied clearly.
Einver drew a deep breath, releasing a heavy sigh as his thoughts whispered bitterly:
"What does she want now? By the heavens, it feels as though I am walking across hell itself… and at any moment, its gates may open to swallow me whole."
He followed the soldier with hesitant steps, ascending stairways that led higher and higher until they reached the private chamber. The soldier pushed open the great wooden door, which groaned open with a weighty sound.
Einver entered to find the princess seated gracefully upon a lavish chair draped in silken cushions. Beside her, another empty seat seemed to be awaiting someone.
His voice was calm, his face devoid of expression:
"Yes, Princess… you summoned me?"
She smiled sweetly, her gaze still fixed on the arena below, as though he wasn't even worth looking at. Her voice was soft, delicate:
"Yes, I wanted to introduce you to someone important to me."
At that moment, an elderly man ascended into the chamber with slow, deliberate strides, halting just behind Einver.
A suffocating pressure filled the room at once, drowning it in a thirst for blood. Einver's hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword as he spun swiftly around—only to find a towering old man standing there. His hands were clasped behind his back, his head held high with an arrogance that reeked of domination, as though the entire world was his to command.
The princess turned to him with a gentle smile and said:
"This is my uncle… Sin Ka, the one closest to me."
Einver's eyes locked on him, thoughts racing violently through his mind:
"So this is Sin Ka. The man who assassinated the king, imprisoned the queen and her son, and seized control over the princess… and the entire city. I must—"
But his thoughts were severed in an instant as Sin Ka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"So, you're the little boy who dared refuse my beloved niece's invitation to remain by her side," the old man said with a lofty tone.
The moment his hand touched Einver, a warning flared before his eyes:
| Warning! Warning! Warning!
Negative energy is being released into your body. If you do not retreat now, something disastrous will occur. Retreat immediately! |
But even before the warning appeared, Einver had already felt it—the foreign, sinister force flooding violently into him. He tried to move away, but it was too late. The dark energy surged like a raging torrent, flooding his veins, wrapping chains of shadow around his very being. His limbs grew heavy, immovable, as though his flesh had been carved into stone. Slowly, his body ceased to be his own, becoming a puppet stripped of will.
Weakness consumed his frame, his inner energy leaking away like water slipping through clenched fingers. His thoughts blurred, fading into emptiness.
Sin Ka's voice rang with cold command:
"Good… from this moment on, you are my servant, boy."
Einver's reply came flat, devoid of spirit:
"Yes, master."
Sin Ka smiled in satisfaction, turning to the princess.
"Well then, dear Sun Mi… he has no need to join the tournament any longer. He is bound to me now. Whatever you wish of him, he shall obey."
Joy bloomed across her features as she leapt to embrace her uncle.
"Thank you, uncle… thank you! But… how did you manage to control him so quickly?"
The old man settled onto the silken chair beside her, pride etched on his face.
"I stand in the Realm of Heaven, First Division. For someone like me, controlling one such as him is effortless. Yet, even then, if a person's heart is steadfast and their mind resolute, my ability would falter, no matter what. But he… his mind was fractured. He was lost in a storm of thoughts, his emotions conflicted, his spirit unsettled. He had been awake an entire day, worn down by exhaustion. The physical fatigue was trivial—but combined with his turmoil and unrest, breaching him was the simplest task imaginable."
The princess turned her gaze to Einver. The crimson fire that once burned in his eyes was gone. What remained was a dull, vacant stare—hollow, lifeless. He stood there like a broken doll, stripped of soul, utterly subdued.
Sin Ka's voice cut the silence, sharp and unyielding:
"From this moment forth, you will heed Princess Sun Mi's words without question. You will obey her commands as law. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master," Einver answered, his tone frozen and empty.
The princess's lips curved into a broad smile. Leaning slightly toward him, her eyes gleamed with intrigue as she whispered:
"There is one thing that truly puzzles me… Who are you? I don't know why, but from the very first moment I laid eyes on you, I felt something strange emanating from you. Tell me… who are you, really?"
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