Selene: "Is there more? It feels like there's more."
Everyone looked at Ruo.
Ruo: "Last night, after everyone left... I went outside. He was there." He glanced
toward the shadows. "He spoke to me."
Kent: "What did he say?"
Ruo:
"A throne stands empty in a kingless world,
A crown lies waiting, never worn.
I could have ruled, I could have reigned,
But I chose to be nothing instead."
Silence.
Mira: "He said that? About himself?"
Ruo: "Yes."
Selene: "He could have been king? Of this world?"
Ruo: "After he defeated the previous ruler, he could have taken the throne. He chose not to."
Omniranker's Wife: "And what do you think it means?"
Ruo: "I think... I think he's talking about choice. About freedom. If you're king, you're not free. You have duties. Obligations. Expectations. But if you're nothing..." he paused, "...if you're nothing, you can be anything. No one can bind you."
Kent: "Like he said. Nothing cannot be hunted. nothing cannot be commanded."
Ruo: "Exactly. He chose nothing so that he could choose everything."
Mira: "That's... actually genius."
Selene: "It's also lonely."
Ruo: quietly, "Yes. But he chose it anyway."
He looked at Kent.
Ruo: "He refused the crown so that we could find our own. He left the throne empty."
Kent: "For us?"
Ruo: "May be. Or maybe not. But the throne is empty. The world is kingless. And someone... someday... will have to choose."
The Mysterious Person moved toward the far wall.
Mysterious Person: "There's something you should know."
He placed his hands on the roots. they pulsed once and began to part.
Beyond them, a vast chamber opened.
In the center, suspended by chains of living wood, was a massive, pale figure with eyes like storm clouds. The previous ruler of World seventeen.
Around him, in smaller cells woven into the roots, were hundreds of other figures.
Ruo: whispered, "There are... so many."
Mysterious Person: "His followers. His army. His court. When I defeated him, i imprisoned them all."
Kent: "How many?"
Mysterious Person: "Hundreds. Then I stopped counting. May be over two hundreds."
The Previous Ruler: his voice was like a grinding stone, "Little brother. Come to show the children the monsters in the basement?"
Mysterious Person: "Come to show them the cost of tyranny. The Fallen Ruler."
He turned to the four young ones.
Mysterious Person: "When you are ready... when you have trained, when you have grown... you will have a choice. Release them or keep them here."
Kent: "Why us?"
Mysterious Person: "Because this is your world now. Yours."
Mira: "You said there were two. The previous ruler and someone else. Where's the other?"
Mysterious Person: "He is not here. He is in
his own world. World One Hundred Thirty-Four."
Selene: "World 134?"
Mysterious Person: "He calls himself the King of Evil. His path is blood and Bone. Middle great Grandmaster... nearing Upper."
Ruo: "That's high for such a low world."
Mysterious Person: "If he reaches Upper or peak, his world will rise to at least rank 21. Four ranks above yours."
Kent: "And he'll come here."
Mysterious Person: "He was here once. Allied with the previous ruler. I stopped the previous ruler. I could not reach him."
Selene: "So he's growing stronger."
Mysterious Person: "Yes. And when he is ready, he will come. For revenge. For power. For both."
Mira: "And we have to stop him."
Mysterious Person: "You have to be ready when he does."
That evening, they gathered.
Mira: "So what happens now?"
Old Man: "You train. You grow. you prepare."
Mira: "And after?"
Mysterious Person: from the shadows, "After training, you fight. It never ends."
Selene: "If we win?"
Mysterious Person: "Then this world becomes a home."
Ruo: looking at him, "Will you stay?"
Mysterious Person: "Unknown."
Ruo: "Then why fight?"
Mysterious Person: stepping into light, "Because I already paid for it. With someone's trust. With someone's heart. I cannot let that be wasted."
He looked at each of them.
Mysterious Person: "I chose my brother when I was twenty. Today, I choose all of you. Ruo, Kent, Mira, and Selene. That is family. Choice. Everyday."
Ruo: "Like you refused the crown."
Mysterious Person: "Yes. Like that."
He moved toward shadows.
Ruo: "The King of Evil. Does he have a name?"
Mysterious Person: "When you are ready."
He vanished.
That night, Ruo wrote:
"Today I met Mira and Selene. Two more orphans.
I shared his poem.
'A throne stands empty in a kingless world...'
He refused the crown. He left the throne empty.
Maybe it waits for us.
We are four now.
Four against hundreds... and one more waiting.
It should feel hopeless.
It doesn't.
Tomorrow, we begin."
He closed the journal.
Outside, the world tree hummed.
And somewhere in the shadows, the Mysterious Person watched.
Choosing.
Always choosing.
One month later.
The training chamber had transformed. Roots formed obstacle courses, training dummies, and moving targets. Golden light pulsed through them constantly.
Ruo Kotaro stood at the center, sweat dripping. Blue lightning cracked faintly around his fingertips... Middle Master in Blue Lightning.
Kent Long was across from him, light radiating from his palms. Initial Grandmaster in Light Path. Peak Master in Strength.
Mira and Selene sat nearby, recovering. Healing path... rare and precious. They had trained together at the Mountain of Serenity before coming here, their bond deepening in that place of peace.
The Mysterious Person stood in the shadows. Watching.
Mira: gasping, "I can't feel my arms."
Selene: softly, "You don't need arms to heal."
Mira: "I need arms to live."
Selene: almost smiling, "Debatable."
Kent: approaching Ruo, "you're getting faster."
Ruo: "Still unpredictable."
Kent: "That's what training is for."
The Mysterious person stepped forward.
Mysterious Person: "One month. You have grown. But growth is not enough."
Ruo: "What is enough?"
Mysterious Person: "That is what we will discover today."
He gestured. Roots parted, revealing a larger chamber beyond.
Mysterious Person: "A friendly battle. The oldest against the youngest."
Mira: "Us against who?"
From the shadows, figures emerged.
Sage Cedric Corvin also known as an old man stepped forward first, leaning on his staff... but his eyes burned with ancient power.
Sage Cedric: "You have trained well. But training is not facing those who have lived centuries."
Ruo: "We know you by titles. Not names."
Sage Cedric paused. Then he smiled.
Sage Cedric: "You are right. It is time that changed."
He straightened.
Sage Cedric: "I am Sage Cedric Corvin. I planted this tree. The wood sage. Elder Corvin."
Ruo: "Sage Corvin."
Elder Corvin turned to the massive figure beside him.
Sage Cedric: "This is King Magnus Valdris, Ruler of World Three. The Tide King. Brother to the Mysterious Person. By choice."
King Magnus inclined his head.
King Magnus: "Call me Magnus."
The Omnirankar stepped forward.
Sage Cedric: "Sage Veyron Gale. The Omniranker. Keeper of the World Tree. My oldest student."
Sage Veyron nodded.
Beside him, his wife smiled.
Sage Cedric: "His wife, Saint Serene Lyra Gale. The Wise Watcher. The Still Star. Illness keeps her still, but her wisdom requires no movement."
Saint Serene: softly, "Call me Lyra. Or lady Lyra."
Mira: grinning, "Lady Lyra it is."
Saint Serene: almost smiling, "I like this one."
Finally... a figure no one had expected.
He walked freely, storm-colored eyes fixed on the young ones.
Sage Cedric: "Malakor the Fallen Ruler. The previous ruler. The Deposed King. Lord of ashes. The chained Tyrant."
Malakor's jaw tightened.
Malakor: "You could have left out the 'chained' part."
Sage Cedric: "Truth is truth."
Kent: stepping back, "He's... free?"
Mysterious Person: from the shadows, "Last night, I visited the prison. I commanded them to obey. To be loyal."
Ruo: "You commanded them?"
Mysterious Person: "They serve me now. Because I chose for them."
Malakor eyes flashed... but he said nothing.
Mira: whispered, "That's terrifying."
Mysterious Person: "It is necessary. You will learn more from this than from a month of training."
The Old beings.
Sage Cedric Corvin:
Titles: The Wood Sage, Elder Corvin, The First Root.
Paths: Wood path(Primary), Earth path, Water path, QI path(Rarest).
Attainment: Peak Great Grandmaster (Wood), Upper Great Grandmaster (Earth), Middle Great Grandmaster (Water), Upper Grandmaster (QI).
King Magnus Valdris:
Titles: Ruler of World Three, The Tide King, The Bronze Titan, Lord of Waves.
Paths: Water path, QI path (Rarest), Metal path, Strength path. Ice path,
wind path.
Attainment: Upper Great Grandmaster (Water), Peak Great Grandmaster (QI). Middle Great Grandmaster (Metal), Middle Supreme Grandmaster (Strength), Upper Great Grandmaster (Ice). Middle Great Grandmaster (Wind).
Sage Veyron Gale:
Titles: The Omniranker, Keeper of the World Tree, Lord Veyron, Master of the Roots.
Paths: Rule path, Wind path, Earth path, wood path.
Attainment: Upper Great Grandmaster (Rule), Initial Great Grandmaster (Wind), Peak Grandmaster (Earth), Middle Great Grandmaster (Wood).
Saint Serene Lyra Gale:
Titles: The Wise Watcher, Lady Lyra, The Still Star, She Who Sees.
Paths: Wisdom path (Rare), Star path, Rule path, Wind path.
Attainment: Middle Great Grandmaster (Wisdom), initial Great Grandmaster (Star), initial Grandmaster (Rule). Middle Great Grandmaster (Wind).
Malakor the Fallen Ruler:
Titles: The Deposed King, Lord of Ashes, The Chained Tyrant, The Criminal King,
The Fallen Ruler.
Paths: Fire Path, Sun Path, Criminal Path.
Attainment: Middle Great Grandmaster (Fire), Initial Great Grandmaster (Sun), Peak Grandmaster (Criminal).
The Young Beings.
Ruo Kotaro:
Paths: Blue lightning (Rarest), Wind, Water, Earth, Strength.
Attainment: Middle Master (Blue Lightning), Initial Master ( Wind, Water, Earth), Upper Ordinary (strength).
Kent Long:
Paths: Light path, Strength path, Wind, Earth, Water,Fire.
Attainment: Initial Grandmaster (Light), Peak Master (Strength), upper Master (Water,Earth,Wind), Upper Ordinary (Fire).
Mira:
Paths: Healing (Rare), Water, Wind, Earth, Wood.
Attainment: Initial Grandmaster (Healing), Upper Master (Water, Wind, Earth, Wood).
Selene: Healing (Rare), Water, Wind, Earth, Wood.
Attainment: Initial Grandmaster (Healing), Upper Master (Water, Wind, Earth, Wood).
The Mysterious Person:
An observer only.
After the introduction.
Before the friendly battle.
Fifteen minutes ago.
The two groups faced each other across the training floor.
Sage Cedric: "This will not be easy. We have millennia of experience."
Kent: "We have something else."
King Magnus: "What?"
Kent: glancing at Ruo, "Each other."
Mira: "And we're not alone."
She looked toward the shadows. The Mysterious Person made no move to join them.
Ruo: "You're not fighting?"
Mysterious Person: "Observing. This is your test."
Selene: "Four against five?"
Mysterious Person: "Five against four."
Malakor: "And experience. And power. And centuries of knowing how to break opponents like you."
Ruo: meeting his eyes, "You were broken once."
Malakor's eyes flashed.
Malakor: "I was defeated. Not broken."
Ruo: "Is there a difference?"
The Mysterious Person observed, face showing nothing.
King Magnus leaned toward Sage Veyron, voice low.
King Magnus: "If we told him to fight, he could kill us instantly. All of us."
Sage Veyron: "That is why we don't."
Mira: overhearing, "Wait... what?"
King Magnus: "His power is beyond measurement. He chooses not to fight. That is our protection."
Flashback.
One day before the friendly battle.
The void between worlds was cold. Empty. Silent.
The Mysterious Person stood alone.
Then space rippled. A figure emerged... tall, imposing, eyes filled with stars. Looking same like the Mysterious Person.
His real big brother. Blood, not choice.
Big Brother: "Little brother. You summoned me."
Mysterious Person: "I need you to rule World Seventeen."
Big brother: "Rule? You asking for help?"
Mysterious Person: "Delegation. I cannot say forever."
Big Brother: "You choose not to."
Mysterious Person: "Yes. My presence draws attention. The Court. The hunters. The King of Evil. They need to stand without me."
Big brother: "You care about them."
Mysterious Person: "I choose them. Different."
Before he could answer, his eyes flickered.
Mysterious Person: "Come out."
The void shimmered. Figures emerged...
The Fourth General and fifteen soldiers of the Illimitable Court.
Fourth General: "The First General sent us to investigate you."
Mysterious Person: "Investigate what?"
Fourth General: "Your betrayals."
Big brother: amused, "Is that what you think?"
Fourth General: "The First General wants you at the Court. Both of you."
Mysterious Person: "We will come."
The Court was vast... golden light, floating thrones.
The First General sat at the center.
First General: "Your activities in World Seventeen. Your training of the young ones. Your past."
Mysterious Person: "My past is my own."
First General: "It involves the Eternal Demon. World Zero. The Regulator."
Silence.
First General: "We do not wish to interfere. But we need your word. You keep your secrets. We keep ours. You don't interfere with us. We don't interfere with you."
Mysterious Person: "Agreed."
First General: "Go."
The Mysterious Person paused.
Mysterious Person: "The Fourth General. His soldiers. They heard things they shouldn't."
First General: "They are loyal."
Mysterious Person: "They will not remember."
He raised his hand. Shadows flickered.
The Fourth General's eyes went blank... then cleared.
Fourth General: confused, "What are we doing here?"
First General: "You were leaving."
Fourth General: "I... yes."
He and the soldiers left.
First General: "You could have done that to me."
Mysterious Person: "I could have."
First General: "Why didn't you?"
Mysterious Person: "Because I chose not to."
He and his big brother vanished.