Many hours had passed since Fafnir’s body reached a restoration rate of thirty-five percent.
Deep within the Sovereign Palace, cosmic energy continued to flow without interruption.
Fafnir sat upon his ancient black throne, and his body had become completely different from what it had been when he first awakened.
He was no longer the emaciated figure who looked like a dried corpse that had somehow remained alive for five thousand years.
After thirty-five percent of his vitality had been restored, his body had gradually begun to return to its natural appearance.
His skin had regained its healthy radiance.
His features had returned to their original form.
The bones of his face were no longer visible beneath his skin.
And his once-thin, frail-looking body had begun to recover its true physique.
His dry white hair had disappeared completely.
In its place was long, thick black hair that flowed over his shoulders and down his back, its deep darkness resembling the endless void of space.
But the restoration of his natural appearance did not merely mean that he had returned to the way he once looked...
It meant that his true majesty had begun to reveal itself once again.
Fafnir was a tall man with a perfectly proportioned and imposing physique, combining immense strength with flawless balance.
His shoulders were broad, his chest powerful, and the muscles of his arms, abdomen, and torso were clearly defined, as though his body itself had been sculpted as the embodiment of physical perfection.
His muscles were not monstrously oversized.
Instead, they were perfectly balanced with his frame, giving him the appearance of a warrior who had reached the absolute pinnacle of physical refinement.
His skin was smooth and flawless, carrying a vitality that could never exist within the body of an ordinary human.
His face was extraordinarily handsome, with sharp and perfectly balanced features.
A strong jaw.
A straight nose.
And thick black eyebrows that added even greater intensity to his gaze.
But his eyes...
They were the most striking part of him.
They were completely black, deep and tranquil, as though an endless sky was hidden within them.
There was no anger in his eyes.
No agitation.
Only a terrifying calm.
The calm of a man who had watched entire eras pass before his eyes and had long since grown accustomed to things that would astonish ordinary beings.
His long black hair flowed freely behind him, thick and smooth, with several strands falling naturally around his face, giving him an appearance that combined extraordinary beauty with overwhelming majesty.
And then there was his presence...
It was completely different.
Even while sitting motionless, there was an indescribable sensation that made everything around him seem quieter.
He did not need to release a powerful aura.
His mere existence was enough to give him an innate majesty that words could hardly describe.
He looked like an emperor from an ancient legend who had returned from a forgotten age.
Handsome.
Majestic.
Calm.
And frightening in a way that was difficult to explain.
This...
Was the true Fafnir.
Not the man who, only hours earlier, had looked like a corpse waiting for death.
His appearance had returned to normal.
But his power...
Was still far from complete.
[Host Status]
Name: Fafnir
Race: Human / Unknown
Power Level: True Immortal — Ninth Stage
Body Restoration: 35%
Condition: Stable
Divinity: Unknown
Usable Power: Limited
Fafnir stared at the screen for several moments.
Then he rose from his throne.
The instant he stood...
Rumble...!
The ancient hall trembled.
There was no overwhelming aura.
No destructive force spread through the chamber.
Yet the simple movement of his body was enough to make the ground beneath his feet tremble.
Fafnir looked at his hand.
He spread his fingers.
Then slowly clenched his fist.
Boom...!
A faint burst of pressure erupted through the air.
Cracks spread across the stone floor around his feet.
Fafnir raised his eyes.
This was only a small fraction of his power.
And yet...
It was completely different from before.
Before the restoration began, his body had been incapable of withstanding even a large amount of cosmic energy.
Now...
He could finally use a portion of his power without causing his body to collapse.
He spoke calmly:
"Thirty-five percent..."
Then he looked down at his body.
"But my appearance has already returned."
He reached out and touched his black hair.
He remained silent for several moments.
Five thousand years had passed since he had last seen his body in this condition.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I missed this feeling."
He sat back down upon the throne.
Then he closed his eyes.
He began sensing every part of his body.
His bones.
His muscles.
His organs.
His blood vessels.
And the energy flowing through his depths.
Everything was far better than before.
But the ancient injury...
Was still there.
And the strange force connected to it had not disappeared.
It remained dormant deep within his body, mysterious and incomprehensible.
Fafnir did not attempt to force it to reveal itself.
He knew that restoring his body came first.
He opened his eyes.
Then said:
"I won't rush."
At that moment...
The System appeared before him.
[Host's condition has been stabilized.]
[Host's energy-control ability has improved.]
[Host can now utilize a greater portion of his former power.]
Fafnir looked at the messages.
Then said:
"Begin the next stage."
[Command confirmed.]
[Continuing the restoration process.]
Cosmic energy began flowing once again.
This time...
It was far more stable.
It no longer caused significant disturbances within his body.
The energy slowly spread throughout his body, nourishing the parts that had not yet fully recovered.
With every passing moment...
His body drew closer to its original state.
But outside...
No one knew what was happening.
The soldiers did not know that someone existed deep within the palace.
Nor did the guards.
Nor the ordinary staff.
Not even most of the officials working inside the Sovereign Palace knew.
To them, the palace was merely an ancient facility that remained sealed off from most people.
But the truth...
Was known to an extremely limited number of individuals.
The Four Pillars.
And a small group of officials entrusted with transporting the resources.
Even they were forbidden from approaching any farther than their orders permitted.
Fafnir remained completely unknown to the rest of humanity.
No one knew his name.
No one knew his identity.
And no one knew that the man residing deep within the palace was the Sovereign who had vanished from Gandalia for five thousand years.
And so...
The restoration continued in silence.
Far from the eyes of the world.
Far from the knowledge of humanity.
As for Fafnir...
He closed his eyes once again.
The restoration rate was only thirty-five percent.
Yet his body had already returned to its natural appearance.
And his power had begun to return.
The path that everyone had believed ended five thousand years ago...
Had begun once again.
But this time...
Fafnir was not merely reclaiming his life.
He was reclaiming the power that had once placed him above every other existence in Gandalia.