Miniature World — near the edge of the Forbidden Land of the Gods, deep within the desolate Wild Forest.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!!
The sound of countless feet trampled through the underbrush.
Hundreds of people were running desperately, their breaths ragged, eyes filled with fear. Behind them, a thunderous noise chased closer — the iron hooves of an elite army numbering in the tens of thousands.
The leader of this desperate band was Li Xiao, the Crown Prince of Tang.
"Not good, Your Highness!" one of the guards gasped, his voice trembling. "The Forbidden Land of the Gods lies ahead… we cannot go further!"
He suddenly remembered where they were and his face turned pale as ashes. His whole body stiffened, as if fear had crawled into his bones.
The expressions of the other guards also darkened, their eyes reflecting deep dread. They all knew — that place, the Forbidden Land, was not something ordinary men could even glance upon.
It was an ominous land, cursed and dreaded by all races.
Anyone — mortal, beast, or god — who set foot beyond that boundary, never came back.
That place was said to hold the corpses of ancient gods. Even a single strand of divine blood that had soaked into its soil could create monstrous curses. For millions of years, the world had whispered countless terrifying legends about it — stories that made even kings tremble.
But Prince Li Xiao didn't stop. His eyes, red with exhaustion and hate, glared at the forest ahead.
"We have no choice," he said hoarsely. "The pursuers of Chen State are right behind us. If we don't go in, we die here anyway!"
He gritted his teeth so hard that blood welled from his gums. "Those dogs of Chen State — they're chasing me only because of one thing. The relic of Tang… our nation's sacred treasure."
His voice trembled with fury. "But I, Li Xiao, will never let those bastards lay their filthy hands on it!"
His words were cold and bitter, soaked with hatred.
Indeed, Tang and Chen were old enemies — rival nations whose blood feud stretched for generations.
Not long ago, the Chen army had broken through Tang's capital walls, burning the palaces, slaughtering soldiers and nobles alike. His father, the emperor of Tang, was personally cut down by the Chen general on the palace steps.
Li Xiao alone had escaped that sea of flames — fighting through endless encirclements, watching his people die one after another.
Now, out of the grand army that once guarded him, only a few hundred loyal guards remained.
"But, Your Highness…" the commander of the guards hesitated, his sword trembling slightly. "The Forbidden Land of the Gods… it is too dangerous."
Li Xiao shook his head. His voice was cold but calm, carrying a desperate determination.
"Dangerous? Maybe. But those are only legends from a distant age. The forbidden land may not be as terrifying as the old stories say. Besides," he looked around at the towering trees and the misty edge ahead, "we are still at the outermost rim. Perhaps… nothing will happen."
He took a deep breath.
The situation was painfully clear — stay, and die beneath Chen's blades.
Enter, and maybe, just maybe, find a sliver of hope.
"If that's Your Highness's will," the guard general said solemnly, bowing his head, "then we follow you — to the very end."
"Until death," another guard muttered.
The others nodded one by one, their expressions grim but resolute.
They were the most loyal warriors of Tang — men who had sworn to protect their prince even if it meant their own death.
If they must die, then they would die beside him.
Just as they steeled their hearts—
"Wait! Your Highness! Ahead—look ahead!"
One of the guards suddenly shouted in horror. His eyes bulged wide open, his hand trembling violently as he pointed toward the mist ahead. His lips moved, but no clear words came out — only raw fear.
"What is it?!" the guard commander barked angrily, irritated at the sudden panic. "What are you shouting about, fool?!"
But as he turned his gaze to where the man pointed, his voice caught in his throat.
The rebuke froze in his mouth.
And then, his entire body began to tremble.
"This… this—"
Even Prince Li Xiao, who had seen kingdoms fall and men slaughtered like beasts, could not describe the feeling that seized his heart in that instant. It wasn't just fear. It was something beyond words — something divine and impossible.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The ground began to quake.
The earth itself roared like an angry beast.
It was as if the entire forest had turned into a living thing that was shuddering in fear.
A terrifying vibration rippled through the world — the kind that comes not from earthquakes, but from something walking.
Something impossibly massive.
Every step that thing took sent waves through the soil, splitting the ground into bottomless cracks.
Ancient trees, thousands of years old, collapsed like grass, crushed into dust before the invisible might that pressed from above.
Then — out of the horizon shrouded by fog — they saw it.
A giant.
No — not a giant of tens of meters, not even hundreds.
This was a being so enormous that human words failed.
A colossus that towered over ten thousand feet high.
Even the highest mountains Li Xiao had ever seen were nothing beside it.
In front of this being, they were not humans anymore — they were dust, ants, nothing.
One of the creature's toes alone was the size of a mountain ridge.
And they could not even see its face — because its head disappeared into the clouds themselves.
All they could see was its lower body, half-covered in mists that glowed faintly with divine light.
"What… what kind of monster is that?"
One of the guards fell to his knees, voice shaking. "How can something be that big?!"
"No," another whispered, as if afraid the being might hear him. "That's not a monster… that's a god. An ancient god."
"The Forbidden Land…" someone else muttered, voice hollow with despair. "We've reached the forbidden land. That—must be the ancient god who dwells within!"
Fear spread like wildfire. No one could stand straight anymore.
In front of such an existence, all their courage, their loyalty, their swords — all of it turned meaningless.
The being didn't even need to move. Just standing there, its mere presence erased their will to resist.
Their souls screamed. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Even the strongest guard dropped to his knees, his armor clattering, eyes wide and empty.
Some began to sob quietly; others whispered prayers under their breath, hoping that if they lowered their heads, that colossal thing would not notice their insignificance.
Li Xiao himself felt his heart slam violently against his ribs.
His body refused to move — even his breath was stuck in his throat.
He had never felt such a terrible force before — not even when his kingdom burned.
He didn't dare take a single step.
Even breathing too loudly felt like a crime that might draw the god's gaze.
And then—
Da—da—da—!!!
From the far side of the forest came another thunder of hooves.
An army of one hundred thousand broke through the mist — rows of soldiers riding feral wolves, armor glinting, spears raised.
The symbol of Chen State burned on their banners, black and blood-red.
Their momentum was unstoppable — a flood of killing intent, surging toward Li Xiao and his remaining guards.
The pursuers had finally caught up.
The commander of Chen's army roared, "There! The traitor prince of Tang! Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"
The forest shook again as their mounts charged forward, crushing leaves and stones beneath clawed feet.
But before their killing formation could close—
The giant moved.
Just one small movement — a shift of weight, a tilt of its shadow.
BOOM!!!
The air exploded. The entire world seemed to tremble, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
All the soldiers, both Tang and Chen alike, froze where they stood.
The sound was not from any weapon. It was simply the breathing of that being — deep, ancient, echoing through the clouds.
Everyone felt it.
An invisible pressure, like the weight of the entire sky, pressed down upon them. The weaker soldiers couldn't even scream before their bodies hit the ground, their faces pale as ash.
Even Li Xiao's vision blurred. He felt as though time itself had stopped — as though the world had become unreal.
In that moment, he understood.
This was no creature that belonged to mortals.
Not even the gods of modern temples could compare to such overwhelming existence.
The legends were true.
The Forbidden Land of the Gods was not empty.
It was a graveyard of ancient divinities — and perhaps, one of them had just awakened.