Narrator
Destiny...
Rarely walks a single road.
While one child grows beneath the protection of a dragon...
Another is raised beneath the weight of a royal crown.
One learns strength from love.
The other is taught responsibility from birth.
Both...
Walk toward the future.
Neither knows...
The other exists.
Yet somewhere beyond their understanding...
The threads of fate are already weaving their stories together.
One year before the birth of Tia...
Far beyond Restart Village...
Beyond forests, rivers, and towering mountain ranges...
Stood the magnificent Holy Kingdom.
A nation admired for its unwavering faith.
Its disciplined knights.
Its towering cathedrals.
And the sacred light that had protected it for generations.
On this day...
The entire kingdom overflowed with celebration.
Church bells rang without end.
Citizens filled the streets with flowers and joyful songs.
Children laughed.
Merchants closed their shops.
Even the oldest people smiled as they looked toward the royal castle.
Because the kingdom had welcomed its greatest blessing.
The birth of its first prince.
His name was...
Adrian Arclight.
The first heir to the throne.
The child destined to become the next king.
From the very moment he opened his eyes...
The hopes of an entire nation rested upon his shoulders.
Years quietly passed.
The seasons changed.
The prince grew.
Five years later...
Adrian had become a calm and intelligent young boy.
Unlike most children...
He rarely acted without thinking.
He listened more than he spoke.
He observed more than he judged.
His tutors often found themselves surprised.
Not because he learned quickly...
But because he always asked questions that even adults struggled to answer.
The king often smiled proudly.
The queen quietly prayed that her son would grow into a ruler loved by his people.
Today...
The Royal Cathedral stood more magnificent than ever.
Golden banners hung from towering pillars.
Brilliant stained-glass windows reflected countless colors across the marble floor.
Rows of nobles...
Royal knights...
High-ranking ministers...
Priests...
And distinguished guests filled the sacred hall.
An atmosphere of anticipation spread throughout the cathedral.
Today was a day every noble child awaited.
The day that could shape an entire lifetime.
The Skill Awakening Ceremony.
The young prince stood quietly before the sacred altar.
His expression remained calm.
His breathing steady.
Although everyone around him felt nervous...
Adrian simply watched the glowing crystal before him.
The High Priest slowly stepped forward.
His white robes gently swayed with each step.
The cathedral became completely silent.
He raised his hand.
Then gently placed it upon the sacred crystal.
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then—
A brilliant golden light erupted from the crystal.
The entire cathedral was bathed in radiant light.
The air itself trembled.
A powerful pressure spread throughout the hall.
Everyone instinctively held their breath.
Golden particles floated through the air like tiny stars.
Then...
Ancient golden letters slowly appeared before everyone's eyes.
Ultimate Skill: King's Dominion
Silence.
No one dared speak.
Because everyone understood what those words meant.
An...
Ultimate Skill.
Suddenly...
A majestic aura expanded from Adrian's body.
Invisible.
Yet impossible to ignore.
It spread across the cathedral like an unseen kingdom.
Within that royal domain...
Those who stood against the young prince felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon them.
Their strength slowly weakened.
Their mana became heavier.
Even breathing felt more difficult.
Meanwhile...
Those standing beside Adrian experienced something entirely different.
Their hearts filled with courage.
Their bodies became lighter.
Their fighting spirit burned brighter.
Their speed increased.
Their defenses strengthened.
Even the weakest among them instinctively felt protected by the prince's presence.
It was as though...
The will of a king itself had become reality.
The golden aura continued shining.
Adrian slowly opened his eyes.
Without moving...
Without speaking...
He already carried the presence of royalty.
Nearby...
One of the royal instructors carefully handed him a ceremonial sword.
Adrian accepted it respectfully.
He took a slow breath.
Then...
He made a single swing.
Whoosh...
Golden royal mana gathered around the blade.
The entire cathedral seemed to tremble for a brief instant.
The nobles gasped.
Several knights instinctively knelt.
Even veteran warriors felt their hearts shake before the overwhelming dignity radiating from the young prince.
It was not simply power.
It was authority.
The authority of one born to rule.
A skill...
Worthy of a king.
The High Priest slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
Soon...
Every priest within the cathedral followed.
His voice echoed throughout the sacred hall.
"A king does not rule because he sits upon a throne..."
He raised his eyes toward the young prince.
"His very will..."
"...is his kingdom."
For several heartbeats...
The cathedral remained completely silent.
Then...
Cheers erupted like thunder.
The King smiled with immense pride.
The Queen covered her mouth.
Tears of happiness filled her eyes.
Outside...
The church bells rang across the Holy Kingdom.
Citizens celebrated in every street.
Music filled the air.
Festivals began.
The people believed...
Their future king had truly been blessed by destiny itself.
But...
Every blessing carried a price.
As the golden aura slowly faded...
The High Priest's joyful expression became solemn.
He looked directly at Adrian.
"Your Highness..."
"Never forget."
"The greater the gift..."
"The greater the burden."
He placed his hand over his heart.
"King's Dominion consumes an enormous amount of mana."
"If used carelessly..."
"Your mana will spiral beyond your control."
"And should you force your body beyond its limits..."
His voice grew quieter.
"The skill itself may consume you."
"It can leave you on the brink of collapse..."
"...through severe blood loss."
The celebration inside the cathedral softened.
Everyone understood.
No Ultimate Skill came without sacrifice.
The strongest powers...
Always demanded the greatest price.
The High Priest's warning lingered within the cathedral.
The joyful celebration continued.
Yet those who truly understood the nature of power...
Also understood the weight hidden behind every blessing.
Prince Adrian quietly looked at his own hands.
The same hands that would one day hold the fate of an entire kingdom.
He slowly closed them into a fist.
Not with pride.
But with quiet determination.
He had received the power of a king.
Now...
He would have to become worthy of it.
Outside...
The church bells continued to ring.
The streets overflowed with celebration.
Children laughed as flower petals drifted through the air.
Merchants handed out sweets.
Musicians filled the city with cheerful melodies.
The Holy Kingdom celebrated the birth of its future.
For its people...
This was a day that would be remembered for generations.
Far away...
Beyond countless mountains.
Beyond endless rivers.
Far from royal castles and magnificent cathedrals...
Life moved at a much gentler pace.
Nestled beside the Death Forest...
Restart Village welcomed another peaceful day.
There were no grand festivals.
No royal ceremonies.
No crowds of cheering nobles.
Only the familiar sounds that had become part of everyday life.
Tak!
Tak!
Clack!
Wooden swords collided beneath the sacred mountain.
V stepped forward.
Kai blocked.
The two boys smiled before crossing swords once more.
Each clash echoed through the quiet forest.
Every day...
They grew a little stronger.
Not because anyone expected greatness from them.
But because they simply refused to stop improving.
Nearby...
Liza watched in silence.
The Legendary Dragon sat beneath the ancient tree.
Her calm eyes followed every movement.
Every mistake.
Every improvement.
She said nothing.
Only an occasional nod or a brief piece of advice guided the young boys.
The mountain breeze gently brushed against her silver hair.
To the outside world...
She was a legendary being feared by countless nations.
But here...
She was simply their teacher.
Not far away...
Lily prepared lunch beneath the shade of another tree.
Beside her...
Little Tia sat proudly with a tiny apron tied around her waist.
"I'm helping!"
She declared with absolute confidence.
Lily smiled warmly.
"Are you?"
Tia nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm the best helper!"
Lily looked down.
The vegetables had somehow rolled in three different directions.
A little flour covered Tia's cheeks.
And a wooden spoon rested upside down in a bowl.
For a brief moment...
Lily tried very hard to remain serious.
Then she couldn't hold it anymore.
A gentle laugh escaped her lips.
"My little helper..."
She softly brushed the flour from Tia's face.
"I think you've made my work even harder."
Tia blinked.
Then puffed out her tiny cheeks.
"But I worked very hard!"
Lily gently kissed her forehead.
"I know."
"And that's what makes you such a wonderful helper."
Tia's bright smile returned immediately.
A short distance away...
V glanced toward them during a break in training.
Seeing his mother smile.
Seeing Tia happily talking without a single worry.
A quiet warmth filled his heart.
Kai noticed.
"What are you looking at?"
V smiled.
"My family."
Kai followed his gaze.
Then smiled as well.
"They're lucky to have you."
V looked at his friend.
"So am I."
The two boys picked up their wooden swords once again.
Without another word...
They resumed their training.
The mountain remained peaceful.
The wind carried the laughter of children through the trees.
Birds sang from the branches above.
The leaves danced beneath the afternoon sun.
Everything felt wonderfully ordinary.
The village.
The mountain.
And the hearts of its people...
Were wrapped in a rare and comforting silence.
A silence untouched by war.
Untouched by hatred.
Untouched by the storms gathering beyond the horizon.
The Narrator
Destiny...
Moves differently for everyone.
One child carried the hopes of an entire kingdom upon his shoulders.
Another quietly chased his dreams beneath the watchful eyes of a dragon.
Neither path was greater than the other.
Neither child knew the name of the other.
Yet...
Far beyond their sight...
The threads of fate continued weaving together.
For now...
The world remained at peace.
But destiny...
Had already begun moving its pieces across the board.