Commander Vance glared down the narrow stone corridor, his large hands gripping his twin green axes tightly. The thick layer of green mana surrounding his heavy weapons hissed softly against the dark brick walls. "You really thought you could walk straight into this vault, you little thief?" the bodyguard sneered, his mouth twisting into a bloodthirsty grin. "I don't care where you stole that royal token, boy. Your journey ends right here in this dark hallway!""Step away from those vault doors right now, Vance," Kael said, his voice sounding completely steady and cold as he took a firm step forward. He did not raise his hands, and he did not summon his golden Sun-Core aura into the open hallway. He knew that the slightest spark of his hidden mythic power would instantly alert the palace mages [3.1]. He had to rely entirely on his raw, unyielding physical strength to crush the wall standing before him."You speak big words for a rat trapped in a corner!" Commander Vance roared loudly,

The giant northern war beast charged through the collapsing palace walls, throwing up chunks of broken stone. Kael, Kira, and the alliance forces successfully break out of the collapsing palace vault into a freezing northern mountain storm.The icy rain slammed into Kael’s bare chest, washing away the dirt and blood from the vault battle. He held his mother's capsule tightly with one hand, his fingers completely locked around the metallic handles."Keep moving!" Kira shouted over the roaring wind, her silver armor completely soaked by the heavy downpour. "The imperial mages are already tracking our spatial exit trajectory! We have to reach the mountains before they seal the valleys!"They pushed the massive beast to its absolute limits, crossing the frozen wilderness in total silence. They retreat deep into a hidden northern cavern sanctuary, where Kael gently places his comatose mother, Elara, onto a stone bed.The cave was cold, smelling of old stone and damp earth. Kael quickly unbu

The noise inside the Capital Arena was completely deafening. Ten thousand screaming, bloodthirsty royal nobles filled the massive stone stands, shouting insults down at the sand. They clutched their expensive wine cups and jeered loudly at the common mercenary applicants who had come to join the tournament.High above the sandy arena floor, Princess Seraphina sat in the grand royal pavilion box. Her posture was stiff and proud, but her face was heavily bandaged still from her previous broken jaw. The white linens covered her entire head, leaving only her cold, angry purple eyes visible to the crowd."These lower-realm pigs are not even fit to breathe our air, Seraphina," a proud voice sneered right beside her. Beside her sits her new suitor, Lord Brandon, a top elite warrior champion who wears gleaming gold breastplate armor. He tapped his fingers impatiently against his jeweled sword pommel."Do not look at that filth, my princess," Brandon said, his chest puffing out as he adjusted h

The heavy bronze doors of the arena floor closed with a loud thud that cut off the cheers of the nobles. Kael is escorted to the luxurious marble corridors of the inner palace guard quarters by a squad of four sentries. He walked with a heavy slouch, pretending to be a clumsy northern fighter while his eyes memorized the positions of the wall guards.The sound of their metal boots echoed off the clean white walls as they walked deeper into the royal living sectors. The air here was full of expensive perfume and sweet burning oils, completely different from the mud of the slums. The guards poked Kael with their blunt wooden spear tips to keep him moving straight down the hallway.The post assigned was right in front of the royal family's private chambers. The guard captain points to a small stone alcove right outside Princess Seraphina’s private garden entrance pavilion. The captain turned around with a harsh frown, his iron keys jingling against his heavy belt."You stand right inside

"Open this door right now, you lazy dogs!" Seraphina shrieked from the outer corridor, her voice echoing loudly down the marble floors. "The lock is jammed from the inside! Get a guard with an iron crowbar and break these brass bolts down this very instant!""If I find anyone hiding inside my sanctuary, I will have them executed before the sun sets!" she screamed fiercely. The panic outside grew louder as the metal handles began to jangle violently, the iron keys clinking against the oak panels.Kael realized he had less than three seconds to return to a submissive guard posture before the locks were broken. His heart did not skip a single beat, but his physical movements became lightning fast as he moved through the room.He slid across the floorboards without making a single sound, his bare feet moving completely clear of the trap pressure plates hidden beneath the carpets. He grabbed a clean broom from the laundry alcove, dropping to his knees right in the center of the dressing roo