In an unknown place where everything is yellow and there is no sign of any living being, the gods who summoned the Strange Man are observing.
But now, there are only two of them.
One is standing, while the other seems to be cultivating something. Strangely, they hide their identities.
The one who is standing says,
"Your guess is right. The human from the prison is very useful—at least useful enough to create a base for us."
The other one stops his cultivation and replies,
"No doubt about that. I always calculate before making any move or progress. After all, I have the blessing to control everything."
After many months…
On the TV, a breaking news report is being broadcast:
"Once again, our Falcon Superhero has captured another group of criminals.
This time, he has taken down a powerful mafia leader.
The mafia was so strong that no government spy or army could handle him.
Sadly, we still don't know who he is, but he truly is a superhero for all of us.
We are all thankful to him."
Prapti and I are watching together.
I laugh.
"Looks like my training is finally useful for the government."
She laughs and replies,
"Why not? You've improved so much already. Maybe no living being here can defeat you."
I smile and say,
"Of course. With your spiritual and magical power, I'm unstoppable."
She laughs again.
Suddenly, the ground begins to shake.
This isn't a normal earthquake—it feels like the most dangerous one imaginable.
Another breaking news interrupts the broadcast:
"What is happening?!
This is the most dangerous earthquake we've ever experienced!
Not only that—a gate has suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
From inside it, a strange and mysterious aura is coming out.
The government has already sent all forces to investigate.
Is this something that could bring a calamity?"
That gate… is the secret gate of the Golden Valley.
Inside it, the Strange Man finally awakens.
"It's time for the last stage of my plan.
With 50% of my awakened power, I can fulfill my goal."
Outside, a group enters the gate to investigate.
But within a second…
They come back out.
No—
Not them.
Only their heads.
Then, a figure in armor walks out of the gate.
He is not the Strange Man.
He is something else.
He speaks coldly:
"Surrender, you mortals… or die."
In the silence, a pause falls over the battlefield.
Suddenly, they all start laughing at him.
One soldier steps forward and says,
"You're kidding me, right? With that fancy entry and that old-fashioned armor… do you really think you're the strongest here?"
Everyone bursts out laughing.
Suddenly—
One head falls to the ground.
No one even realizes when he moved.
Another soldier stammers in shock,
"What… what was that speed? We couldn't see anything! Even with our sharp vision and advanced gadgets… we saw nothing! Boys—attack him!"
They immediately open fire with their high-tech laser guns.
But nothing happens to him.
Not a single mark.
The mysterious man sighs softly.
"Kids…"
In an instant, he moves again.
This time—
Almost everyone's head is cut off.
Only one soldier remains.
The mysterious man looks at him and says calmly,
"You asked if I am the strongest here."
A slight pause.
"My answer is… yes."
Then his tone shifts.
"But also no."
The last soldier trembles.
"Because… the one who is truly the strongest here hasn't even shown his face."
He raises his sword, about to finish him—
Suddenly, a missile strikes.
A massive explosion follows.
The impact is so intense that it nearly destroys the entire town.
But—
He stands there.
Unmoved.
Untouched.
The mysterious man clicks his tongue in annoyance.
"Not again…"
He exhales.
"I was going easy on you. But it seems you're lucky… I'm not using my real sword."
He glances at the blade in his hand.
"This normal one will be enough."
With a single slash—
All the fighter planes, tanks, and surrounding weapons are destroyed instantly.
Inside the base
One soldier panics,
"Commander! What should we do now?!"
The commander's face hardens.
"Activate our secret plan."
Another hesitates,
"But sir… it will—"
"Just do it!"
Without another word, one of them presses a button.
The mysterious man looks up at the sky.
A glowing light forms above—
A beam.
But not a normal one.
He can feel it.
This beam is absorbing power… from every possible source in space.
Then—
It descends.
A blinding light covers everything.
No one can see what is happening.
Moments later, the light fades.
Everyone looks in shock.
Nothing happened to him.
The commander stares in disbelief.
"That's impossible… how? And our protective barrier… it actually held? But then… who saved us from that attack?"
Suddenly—
Something descends from the sky.
A figure.
A human… covered in blazing armor, like a monster formed from flames.
Seeing him, the mysterious man's eyes light up.
Excitement.
He summons his sword.
"The real fun begins."
From a distance, the Strange Man sighs.
"I told him not to summon his sword in situations like this… sometimes even my army's commander doesn't listen to me. How troublesome."
A faint smile appears.
"But… this looks interesting. That creature… it seems strong."
Inside the base
The commander whispers in shock,
"Is that… our savior? That legendary hero… the Monster Guardian?"
The flame-covered figure is none other than Rahat.
With his spirit partner, Prapti, merged within him, they have transformed into a different being entirely.
Rahat speaks calmly within the fusion,
"That beam was strong… but our opponent is even stronger."
A pause.
"It's time to see what we can do."
Past
The Strange Man fought in many great battles—
The Battle of Blood.
The Battle of the Elven Empire.
The Battle for the Goddess of Death.
The Red Light… and many more.
All of these battles were based on one thing:
Blood.
Strength.
Conquer… and survive.
Some of his enemies possessed godly powers—gained by worshipping demons or sacrificing themselves to the gods.
But every time—
The Strange Man won.
Every time, he achieved victory without much effort.
And the reason was simple—
His commander.
The one who could wipe out god-tier beings… those capable of creating or destroying entire universes without effort.
Present
The commander of the Strange Man stands calmly in front of Rahat.
Rahat stands still as well—waiting for the first move.
Suddenly—
The commander charges.
His speed is so overwhelming that even Rahat's spirit partner cannot trace his presence.
But—
It's just an illusion.
Rahat narrows his eyes.
"What is he planning…?"
Suddenly, the real attack comes.
A slash—
From his true sword.
I quickly raises a magical shield to defend himself.
The impact shakes him.
My arms trembled—the impact nearly shattered his defense.
"This power… it's incredibly strong. Even a thousand times stronger than that beam. This attack could slice through key cores—the very things that maintain the balance of a world… just like Prapti told me."
A pause.
"But I can't stop here… not now."
I absorb the force of the slash and immediately counters.
He charges forward—faster than before.
With immense speed, he unleashes a series of dark punches, striking continuously.
The commander's expression shifts slightly.
Each punch begins to drain his life essence.
I focus.
"If I keep this up, I can weaken him… but that won't end the fight. So let's finish this."
Dark and fire magic gather in his hands.
A portal forms.
I speak:
"This will end it…
The Portal of Death."
From the portal, countless hands emerge—
Grabbing the commander, trying to drag him inside.
But—
The commander laughs.
"Kid… are you done?"
Suddenly, his expression changes.
He senses another presence.
"Phase two… activate."
But before anything happens—
I collapses to the ground.
Behind the commander—
The Strange Man is already standing there.
The commander immediately turns and bows.
"Sir, I told you… I could handle this easily. You should take some rest."
The Strange Man smiles faintly.
"Don't worry. You just awakened a little while ago. You should rest and recover your full strength."
He then picks up me.
In an instant, he disappears—
Reappearing inside his base.
He places me c in a prison cell…
Right beside Natasha.
Somewhere unknown
A mountain covered in dark mist and thick fog.
The atmosphere feels eerie—
A purple light shines across the entire area.
Within the fog, a mysterious figure stands silently—
Watching everything the Strange Man has done.
Hidden within the shadows, he observes.
Then, he speaks:
"So… these are the mortals of today."
A black flame appears in his hand.
"This isn't what I expected. They have become weaker… but far more greedy."
A pause.
A faint smile forms.
"Still… this will be more fun than last time."
His eyes glow in the darkness.
"Because… I am back."
He begins to laugh.
In the past, countless people lost the ones they loved.
Lives were shattered beyond repair.
Entire worlds collapsed into ruin.
Everything… was destroyed once.
And the one who caused it all… has returned again.