On the outside, Jared was reaching his absolute limit. His nose was inches from the cracked wood, sweat dripping from his forehead and pooling on the floorboards. His lungs burned for air. He knew that if he kept silent any longer, the old man’s aura would permanently damage the core he had just spent twelve hours fixing. He needed to defuse the pressure, but he wasn't going to crawl.Jared then agree to talk, slightly relaxing his rigid posture and nodding his head to signal his readiness to speak.Sensing the shift in the boy's resolve, Anks instantly withdrew the pressure. The suffocating weight vanished from the room as if it had never existed. Jared collapsed forward slightly, coughing violently as he drew in deep, ragged lungfuls of air. He stayed on his knees, his breath shuddering, using his sleeve to wipe the sweat and saliva from his mouth.Slowly, painfully, Jared pushed himself back up into a kneeling position, straightening his spine. He didn't look down. He raised his he

The party would continue long into the night, and he would play his part as the hero of the town. He would smile, he would eat, and he would reassure his family that the danger had passed. But as he looked up past the festive fireworks and into the dark, infinite expanse of the starry sky, Jared knew the truth. The lower world was safe for now, but the higher world was waiting. He knew that things was just beginning. After all, he wasn't given the title - Human Emperor for nothing.. He knew that the real forces hiding in the shadows would begin their move. And Jared has already made up his mind. " I would slay anyone that dares to attack or harm my loves one. I would protect everyone I love.. but I can only do that if I become stronger". He thought as he clenched his fist " I would become stronger". He vowed ***** Meanwhi

The echo of the golden armor striking the obsidian floor still reverberated through the chamber, a physical vibration that Jared could feel in the soles of his worn leather boots. He remained utterly frozen. His fingers were locked around the hilt of his sword - crimson Saber, a grip so tight his knuckles turned white. His heart heart was beating so fast and hard like as if it was about to burst out from his chest.. Every survival instinct he possessed—honed by a lifetime of facing strong enemies and almost dying several times —was screaming at him to run. It told him to flee from the seven-foot god kneeling at his feet. Yet, the system interface hovering in the periphery of his vision remained steady, its golden script anchoring him to a reality that felt entirely impossible.The silence that followed the knight’s declaration was heavy and thick. It felt weighed down by centuries of war and uncertainty . Jared watched, his breath caught in his throat, as the slender figure remaine

The azure vortex of the portal swallowed them whole. One moment, Jared was standing on the polished white stone of the regional headquarters of the adventurer's guild, watching the nervous tilt of Kim’s shoulders.  And then the portal swallowed them whole living nothing behind  For a split second, everything was weightless. Then, reality slammed back into place with the force of a physical blow.Jared’s boots hit solid ground, but the expected sensory markers of Spring Village were completely missing.   It wasn't what he expected at all. At first, he had expected to see the village people working hard, or children playing around. But this wasn't the village, it is a battlefield. " What the hell". Jared and Kim said in unison. " What is going on!". Jared asked, his voice cracking with sorrow. Jared st

  Mary walked with her shoulders slumped, her knuckles white around the shaft of her spear. Beside her, Jared moved with the silent, heavy grace of an apex predator, his eyes fixed forward. Jason and Kim flanked them, their expressions grim, weapons drawn and ready for an ambush that never came.The trek back to the hidden canyon was silent, but the atmosphere shifted the moment the four awakeners broke through the darkness.  Jared and Kim's eyes widened in shock. " What the hell is this?". Kim asked, his voice shaking. " I never expected the situation to be this worst ". Jared said his eyes filled with pity   Assembling near the jagged mouth of the cavern were the remaining refugees and village hunters—a ragged, bloodied remnant of a once-proud people.The instant Jared’s towering figure came into view, a wave of profound reverence swept thr