Inside the Ancient Gate
The moment Ye Xian stepped through the giant gate…
The world shattered.
Not literally.
At least… not at first.
One moment he was standing behind his school, staring at an impossible doorway floating in the sky.
The next—
Everything vanished.
The school.
The gymnasium.
The students.
The city.
The clouds.
The sun.
Even the sky itself.
Gone.
It felt as though reality had been ripped away from him.
For a brief moment, there was only darkness.
Endless darkness.
Then—
WHOOOOSH!
A powerful gust of wind struck him.
Ye Xian stumbled forward.
His vision returned.
And what he saw left him speechless.
He stood within an enormous courtyard.
The place looked ancient.
Far older than any civilization he had ever seen.
White marble stretched in every direction.
Massive stone pillars towered overhead.
Some were cracked.
Some were broken.
Some looked as though they had survived countless wars.
Thousands of floating blue crystals illuminated the area.
Their light cast strange shadows across the ancient ruins.
The air itself felt unusual.
Heavy.
Powerful.
Alive.
Almost as if the world around him was watching.
Judging.
Waiting.
Ye Xian slowly turned around.
Looking for the gate.
Looking for any sign of Earth.
Anything familiar.
Nothing.
The gate was gone.
Completely gone.
Ye Xian stared.
Then sighed.
Ye Xian:
"…Okay."
A pause.
Ye Xian:
"That's bad."
Another pause.
Ye Xian:
"Actually, no."
Ye Xian:
"This is very bad."
His voice echoed across the empty courtyard.
No response came.
Only silence.
An unsettling silence.
The kind of silence that made people uncomfortable.
The kind that suggested they weren't alone.
Even if they couldn't see anyone.
Ye Xian rubbed his forehead.
Ye Xian:
"Please tell me this is a dream."
Nothing happened.
Ye Xian:
"Right."
The System Appears
Ding!
A blue flash suddenly appeared before him.
Ye Xian nearly jumped.
A floating screen materialized in the air.
[Welcome, Player.]
[You have entered Trial Realm: Knight's Grave.]
[Difficulty: Beginner]
[Survival Rate: 12%]
Ye Xian stared.
Then blinked.
Then blinked again.
Ye Xian:
"…Twelve percent?"
He leaned closer.
Ye Xian:
"TWELVE PERCENT?!"
The screen remained completely emotionless.
As if it didn't care about his panic.
Which it probably didn't.
Another notification appeared.
First Trial Objective
Defeat 10 Magic Knights
Rewards:
• 500 Experience
• Beginner Equipment Chest
• Title Upgrade
Failure:
• Death
Ye Xian froze.
He reread the message.
Twice.
Three times.
Four times.
Ye Xian:
"Hold on."
Ye Xian:
"Failure equals WHAT?"
[Death.]
Ye Xian pointed aggressively at the screen.
Ye Xian:
"I KNOW WHAT IT SAYS!"
The screen remained silent.
Ye Xian:
"Could've said failure equals detention."
Ye Xian:
"Failure equals extra homework."
Ye Xian:
"Failure equals writing an essay."
Ye Xian:
"But no."
Ye Xian:
"Straight to death."
The screen disappeared.
Leaving him alone once again.
Ye Xian sighed.
Ye Xian:
"I already hate this place."
The Graveyard of Knights
The cold wind intensified.
For the first time, Ye Xian noticed something carved into the marble around him.
Names.
Thousands of names.
Covering the floor.
Covering the pillars.
Covering everything.
Some were barely visible.
Others remained perfectly preserved.
Ye Xian knelt down.
His fingers brushed one of the carvings.
The moment he touched it—
A vision flashed through his mind.
A knight.
Armored in silver.
Standing atop a mountain of corpses.
Holding a broken sword.
Fighting until the very end.
Then darkness.
The vision vanished.
Ye Xian immediately pulled his hand away.
Ye Xian:
"What was that?"
His pulse quickened.
This place wasn't simply old.
It carried memories.
Countless memories.
Countless deaths.
Then—
CLANG.
A metallic sound echoed nearby.
Ye Xian froze.
Slowly standing.
CLANG.
Another sound.
Closer this time.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
The sounds multiplied.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Metal against stone.
Marching footsteps.
Approaching.
Ye Xian slowly looked toward the darkness between the pillars.
Then he saw them.
Figures.
Rows upon rows of armored warriors.
Ancient silver armor covered their bodies.
Blue flames burned within their eye sockets.
Every knight carried a weapon.
Swords.
Spears.
Halberds.
Battle axes.
Their movements were stiff.
Mechanical.
Almost corpse-like.
Yet each radiated terrifying power.
Ye Xian swallowed.
Ye Xian:
"…I preferred math class."
The knights stopped.
Simultaneously.
Every weapon rose.
Every glowing eye locked onto him.
Knight Captain:
"Eliminate the intruder."
The army charged.
The First Battle
The ground shook beneath their advance.
Ye Xian immediately ran.
A sword descended.
SWOOOOOSH!
The blade missed him by inches.
BOOOOOOM!
The marble floor exploded.
Chunks of stone flew everywhere.
Ye Xian's eyes widened.
Ye Xian:
"THAT'S NOT A BEGINNER ENEMY!"
Three more knights attacked.
Years of martial arts training instantly took over.
His body moved before his mind could react.
A sword slash.
Dodge.
A spear thrust.
Redirect.
A shield bash.
Sidestep.
Everything flowed naturally.
Like breathing.
Like walking.
Like instinct.
One knight swung horizontally.
Ye Xian ducked.
Another attacked from behind.
He spun.
His kick connected with the knight's helmet.
CRACK!
The metal dented.
The knight stumbled.
Ding!
[Skill Unlocked]
Basic Combat Lv.1
Ye Xian blinked.
Ye Xian:
"Wait."
Ye Xian:
"I can unlock skills?"
The knight punched him.
BOOOOM!
Ye Xian flew backward.
Rolling across the marble.
Ye Xian:
"OW!"
Ye Xian:
"Okay, lesson learned."
Ye Xian:
"Read notifications later."
Adapting to Battle
Minutes passed.
The fight intensified.
More knights joined.
Five became ten.
Ten became twenty.
Ye Xian found himself surrounded.
His breathing grew heavier.
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
Yet something strange was happening.
He wasn't slowing down.
He was getting faster.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Each movement became more efficient.
Each dodge became easier.
Each attack became cleaner.
Almost as though his body remembered something his mind had forgotten.
A sword came down.
Time slowed.
Ye Xian could see every detail.
The angle.
The force.
The weakness.
Instinctively—
He stepped forward.
Not away.
Forward.
His fist shot out.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The knight exploded.
Armor shattered into fragments.
Blue energy burst outward.
The enemy vanished completely.
Ding!
[Magic Knight Defeated]
Experience +50
Ye Xian stared at his hand.
Then the empty space where the knight had stood.
Ye Xian:
"…I did that?"
Another notification appeared.
Level Up!
Level 1 → Level 2
Strength Increased
Speed Increased
Agility Increased
Ye Xian felt warmth spread through his body.
His muscles tightened.
His senses sharpened.
Everything felt clearer.
The world itself seemed slower.
Ye Xian:
"…This is cheating."
The Shadow Returns
Then everything changed.
The remaining knights stopped attacking.
Every single one.
Silence returned.
Ye Xian frowned.
Ye Xian:
"Uh…"
Ye Xian:
"Guys?"
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The knights simply stared.
At him.
Or rather…
Behind him.
A strange chill crawled down his spine.
Ye Xian slowly turned.
Darkness.
A massive shadow.
Gigantic wings.
Ancient armor.
A floating crown.
Crimson eyes glowing like stars.
The figure towered above the battlefield.
Its presence alone made reality tremble.
The image lasted only a moment.
Then vanished.
Gone.
As though it had never existed.
Yet the knights had seen it.
And they were terrified.
Knight Captain:
"…Impossible."
A knight dropped his weapon.
Another fell to one knee.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon—
The entire army knelt.
Ye Xian looked around.
Completely confused.
Ye Xian:
"…Did I accidentally become their boss?"
Knight Captain:
"The Monarch…"
Ye Xian:
"The what?"
Knight Captain:
"Our king."
Ye Xian pointed at himself.
Ye Xian:
"Me?"
Knight Captain:
"…Yes."
Ye Xian:
"I think there's been a misunderstanding."
The Forgotten Voice
Suddenly—
Pain.
A terrible headache exploded inside his mind.
Ye Xian staggered.
Grabbing his head.
Fragments of memory appeared.
A throne.
A black throne larger than mountains.
Millions of warriors kneeling before it.
Endless banners.
A golden crown.
A man's voice.
Strong.
Familiar.
The voice spoke.
Only three words.
"My son, remember."
Ye Xian froze.
His eyes widened.
That voice…
Why did it feel so familiar?
Why did it feel…
Like family?
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The heavens split apart.
Purple lightning exploded across the sky.
Reality cracked.
The kneeling knights immediately panicked.
Knight Captain:
"No…"
The ancient warrior's voice trembled.
Fear filled his eyes.
Real fear.
Ye Xian slowly looked upward.
A gigantic crack stretched across the sky.
Larger than continents.
Larger than oceans.
And from within that crack…
Something emerged.
A colossal black hand.
Large enough to crush mountains.
Ancient enough to predate history.
The hand slowly reached toward the Trial Realm.
Toward Ye Xian.
Toward the Little Monarch.
Ding!
A red notification appeared.
WARNING
WARNING
ERROR DETECTED
Unknown Entity Has Entered Trial Realm
Threat Level:
WORLD ENDING
Ye Xian stared.
Then looked at the hand.
Then looked at the warning.
Then back at the hand.
Ye Xian:
"…"
Ye Xian:
"WHY IS MY FIRST DAY LIKE THIS?!"
The heavens trembled.
The knights panicked.
The system alarms screamed.
And somewhere deep within Ye Xian's forgotten soul…
Something ancient stirred.
Something powerful.
Something that had slept for countless years.
And slowly…
Very slowly…
It began to wake up.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: The Little Monarch Awakens 👑⚔️🔥🌌