---
Chapter 8
[Scene shifts]
In a remote place, far from the Golden Capital, a small cabin rested atop a mountain overlooking a world asleep beneath a full moon.
Jin had finally emerged from his isolation. The solitude had been long—heavy as hell—but the time for the hunt had come.
He grabbed his two new swords—one moon-colored, pure white glowing with a cold light; the other pitch black like eternal darkness—and sheathed them carefully, as if they were sleeping beasts waiting to awaken.
He opened his shirt and hid the mysterious book beneath his clothes.
"I still need a storage ring... Carrying something like this out in the open is madness. Eyes might devour me before the monsters do."
He lifted his head toward the moon. His crimson eyes shimmered with a deadly chill. His hair, grown long with time and betrayal, danced in the wind and fell over his eyes like a curtain hiding the hell inside him.
He took out bandages and wrapped his new demonic hand—not out of fear… but disgust.
Disgust at himself. At this world.
Then he took a stance. His silence was like a muffled scream, and he muttered in a tone that seemed to echo from a dark abyss:
"Let's test this new technique..."
Devil's Steps.
In an instant, his body exploded toward the horizon at an unbelievable speed. The ground trembled beneath him, the air tore apart behind him. The wind howled, as if cursing his name—but he did not stop.
He was headed for the Golden Capital, with a speed and hatred mankind hadn't seen in centuries.
[Scene shifts]
In the heart of a massive military building, the echo of heavy footsteps resounded. Knights stood in dark rows, their black armor gleaming under faint torchlight. These weren't ordinary armors…
They were declarations of death—echoes of the dark ages returning once again.
Men who looked like holy knights—but without light.
Without mercy.
Without forgiveness.
And in the center stood the King of Humanity at last.
Edmund…
Long blonde hair flowing with the weight of pride, golden eyes as if holding the spark of gods, and a light beard giving false dignity to features made for war, not rule. His iron armor clung to his body like chains of authority and might.
He spoke in a cold voice, like a blade cutting through the world:
"The war against the Moon Sect has begun... One of the World Kings has made a move."
Edmund the Human had entered the arena.
And he had no intentions of peace… only of endings.
The Dark Knights showed no emotion… their faces frozen like stone masks.
They weren't humans… but machines—living weapons that knew no mercy or sorrow—only killing and obedience.
[Scene shifts to the trial field – two hours earlier]
Kyron Valdock was running fast, heading toward the sounds of intense battle.
But then… he stopped.
A pungent, nauseating smell invaded his nose.
"Blood…" he muttered, his eyes narrowing toward the source.
He approached cautiously, and saw a horrific scene:
A young boy… his body torn apart, being devoured by a pack of third-level beasts, tearing into his remains relentlessly—as if they hadn't tasted flesh in centuries.
Kyron spoke in a cold, quiet voice like frost:
"How could all these beasts gather against a single student…?"
He drew his sword, which glowed with his mana.
He leapt into the fight… slicing through the beasts one by one with deadly precision. No hesitation. No words.
Only the scent of blood thickening in the air.
Minutes later, the ground was littered with monster corpses.
Kyron approached the student's body, knelt calmly, and looked at his neck...
A pendant…?
He stared at it for a few seconds.
"How can a child who looks like a mere commoner… carry a pendant that attracts monsters?"
"Who gave it to him…?"
{Yes… the child was Rony. The pendant had been given to him by Aaron, who pretended to protect him… but it was only a trap. A setup to get rid of him because he had opposed him.}
Kyron held the pendant in his hand, his eyes narrowing:
"This pendant… is evil. If its bearer isn't strong, he'll die instantly. I have to destroy it."
[Scene shifts to a small cave]
Darkness swallowed everything.
Inside, a mage wearing white robes bearing the moon's emblem sat surrounded by complex magic circles and scattered monster stones.
The silence was heavy… as if even the cave feared to breathe.
Suddenly…
Julius entered. His footsteps sliced the silence like knives.
"Finally… I've found you."
Before the mage could turn toward him—
His body exploded into pieces without warning.
Magic didn't save him… he didn't even have time to scream.
Julius left the cave with absolute coldness, as if he hadn't just killed a man.
He whispered in a dark tone:
"I believe the threat… has now vanished."
[Scene shifts back to Jin]
He was still running…
Through the barren desert, where the only sounds were his breath and the dry wind slashing at his body like knives.
Suddenly—
The earth shook beneath his feet.
Cracks formed… and a monstrous roar rose from the depths.
A giant beast burst from the ground.
An Armored Earthworm—a level-seven monster.
Its massive metal body twisted violently, its eyes glowing with primal fury.
It screamed…
A terrifying roar that shook the desert and echoed across distant mountains.
Jin stopped.
His crimson eyes locked onto it—no hesitation, no fear.
He said coldly:
"A perfect test subject..."
He drew his white sword, pure as moonlight, and raised it in front of his face like a knight delivering divine judgment.
Burst Mana: Extinct.
He whispered the spell.
Then slowly brought the blade downward—
The strike exploded.
A massive wave of energy—a giant sword made of mana—launched forward, slicing through the desert.
It struck the worm—
And cut it in half.
Absolute silence.
The beast was split, its body collapsing onto the sand as if it had never existed.
Jin calmly returned the sword to its sheath and said:
"Still too weak…"
"I can't kill the Lords yet… I can't kill Zel'nar yet."
He clenched his fist…
Rage burning in his eyes—but he said nothing.
He resumed his sprint toward the Golden Capital,
Tearing the earth apart with his steps.
His eyes passed over his surroundings—
A dead world.
No trees… and if there were, they were only gray husks.
Plant corpses that had died with the sun's disappearance.
Everything was bleak… dark…
But he had grown used to the darkness.
It had become his home.
-----------------------------
Enjoyed the chapter?
Don't forget to support the story with a comment—your thoughts mean a lot!
Who do you think Jin will face first in the Golden Capital?
Will Edmund be an enemy… or an unexpected ally?
Leave your predictions below and hit that like button if you're loving the story!
Every bit of support helps keep this journey alive!
---------------------------------------