Lying on the ground, the Nameless King admired the stellar beauty above him. Countless stars spread across the dark sky like scattered diamonds, calm and indifferent to the destruction below. His breathing was slow, heavy, and filled with exhaustion, yet his eyes shone even brighter as he witnessed the vast and beautiful sight.
'Wow… how beautiful this is,' he thought quietly. 'Whenever I look at something like this, I forget all my problems. The pain, the fights, the blood… it all disappears.'
For a few moments, the Nameless King remained still, allowing the silence to embrace him. Then he slowly rose from the ground, his massive body sore and heavy from battle. His muscles protested, but he paid them no mind. He turned his gaze toward the destroyed village, the shattered buildings, and the lifeless body of his adversary lying among the ruins. Without realizing it, a faint smile touched his lips.
There was no pride in that smile. Only satisfaction.
Without another glance, he turned his back on the devastation and continued his journey forward, his footsteps heavy yet unhurried.
Kotei watched the giant walk away.
His body lay broken on the ground, surrounded by blood, ash, and the corpses of his soldiers. His chest burned with pain, and his vision blurred as he struggled to remain conscious. He had lost the battle. He had lost part of his population. He had lost men who trusted him with their lives.
From that overwhelming defeat, something dark was born within him.
An uncontrollable desire for power.An uncontrollable thirst for blood.
Kotei coughed violently, blood spilling from his lips as his eyes remained fixed on the giant's retreating figure.
'I will have my revenge,' he swore silently. 'I will kill as many of your kind as it takes. I will even accept an inferior race… and train them, polish them, mold them… all for the sake of vengeance.'
His teeth clenched hard as hatred burned through his veins. Before his consciousness faded, he bit his lip until blood flowed freely, engraving his vow deep into his soul.
Some time later, Regina arrived at her county in a noble carriage, her heart filled with dread. When she arrived at the mansion, she did not see her husband waiting for her.
Confused and uneasy, she searched for him. Her daughter looked as well, wandering through halls and rooms, but Kotei was nowhere to be found. It was only after receiving news of his departure for battle that the truth struck her.
Without hesitation, Regina arranged for her daughter to be cared for and immediately ordered the carriage to head toward the battlefield.
When she arrived, the scene before her shattered her composure.
Soldiers lay scattered across the land. Some were already dead. Others clung desperately to life, crawling across blood soaked ground, groaning, begging for death or mercy. The smell of iron and smoke filled the air. With every step she took, Regina's heart tightened further.
As she reached the center of the battlefield, her hand flew to her mouth.
"Ko… Kotei?" she whispered with a trembling voice.
Her eyes filled instantly with tears. "No… this… this cannot be true. It cannot be."
Her voice broke into a scream as her legs gave out beneath her. She fell to her knees on the bloody ground, staining her luxurious dress without caring. Heavy tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood beneath her.
While Regina wept, the coachman approached his master. He knelt beside Kotei's body and gently placed his fingers against the Elf's neck. After a tense moment, he felt it.
A heartbeat.
Relief washed over him.
The coachman carefully lifted his lord's body, which was dirty and soaked with blood, and carried him back to the carriage. Regina barely registered what was happening, her makeup smeared by tears and grief.
After placing Kotei inside, the coachman turned respectfully toward her.
"Mistress Regina."
"Yes, Darian?" she replied weakly.
Darian smiled gently. "There is no need to cry. Sir Kotei is alive."
Those words lifted the crushing weight in her heart. Her tears slowed, and her body felt strangely light. As she tried to stand, her strength failed her, but Darian supported her and guided her into the carriage so she could stay beside her husband.
As the carriage moved, Darian looked back at the battlefield with pity.
'Giants… are they all like this?' he wondered. 'So powerful they leave nothing behind.'
He glanced at Regina, who was tending to Kotei.
'Knowing Sir Kotei,' Darian thought, 'he will not let this go unpunished. He will desire revenge and power. I only hope he does not lose himself on this path he has chosen to walk.'
They headed toward the mansion.
Meanwhile, the Nameless King walked through the magical Elven forest, calmly observing his surroundings. The forest was breathtaking, filled with glowing trees, vibrant greenery, and animals that moved freely without fear. Different shades of green blended together, illuminated by mana flowing through the land.
'Fascinating,' he thought.
It felt as if no blood had ever been spilled there. The trees were massive, storing mana within their trunks. Each one carried a different elemental affinity, subtly reflected in the color of its leaves.
Days passed.
Once again, the Nameless King's sword dripped with blood. After destroying another village, he walked forward with a lifeless gaze. Not even the beauty of the Elven forests could reach him anymore.
'That battle against that pointy eared being,' he reflected, 'was the best one in this place.'
He stopped and looked back as the wind moved his clothes and hair.
'I will return… I want to return.'
Reversing his path, he returned to the site of his first massacre. The blood had dried. Crows and vultures feasted on corpses. The stench of decay filled the air.
Unfazed, the Nameless King continued walking. Before leaving the continent, he looked back one final time at the chaos he had created, feeling joy and amusement.
Then he departed, leaping away and making the ground tremble.
After the giant left, Kotei woke abruptly in his bed.
His body was drenched in sweat. Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed him, and a sharp pain pierced his chest. Regina slept beside him, holding his hand. Despite his weakness, a grateful smile formed.
'It is better than being dead.'
The pain intensified.
Needles became knives.
'My Mana Core…?'
His Mana Core evolved from dark clear to gray clear, an excruciating process. He bit his blanket to suppress screams, his bed soaked with sweat.
Then the pain vanished.
Power surged through him.
'Incredible…'
With care, he moved Regina to another bed and headed to the training room, hatred burning in his eyes.
The Nameless King later arrived like a meteor.
Undead giants fell effortlessly.
Then he faced the King of Death.
He was beaten.
Crushed.
Humiliated.
"Pathetic," the King of Death said, lifting him with ease.
Punch after punch followed.
"You are nothing but raw talent," he mocked.
The Nameless King was thrown aside like trash, defeated completely.
For the first time, frustration filled his heart.
The King of Death returned to his throne, bored.
'Tomorrow,' he sighed.
Darkness fell as humans were guided toward the Elven continent.
Hatred, despair, and sorrow filled the ship.
Noah cried silently.
When they arrived, an elegant man greeted them with a smile.
"My name is Kotei."