God of creation system : The apocalypse

Chapter 13 : Xxv and magdalena

Nathaniel's POV

As I tracked Suwi, my location status informed me that I was in Galica, the capital of the Seravia Queendom. This town operated under the protection of Eskapa, as it belonged directly to Sei as a reward for her status as a Columbus.

Among the five towns she owned, Galica served as the capital where her kingdom's palace was located. Though it wasn't as massive as other territories—largely because it was the first town she received, situated near her former land that had since been annexed by other warlords—it held special significance.

I continued following Suwi wherever she went. Even with her right in my direct line of sight, I still couldn't believe I was trailing her like some desperate stalker.

Still, it would be extremely dangerous if she found out I was tailing her, especially since she didn't know who I was.

From what I knew, Suwi trusted no one outside her own circle and listened to nobody except herself and XXV.

Their lives had never been an easy road, and looking back at how things unfolded, reality had failed to align with Suwi's plans for XXV.

(Nathaniel's Flashback)

After XXV successfully completed the game and departed, he ended up in a town known as Lorencia.

This was one of the largest kingdoms under Eskapa's protection. It operated as an open city, meaning anyone—regardless of race or country of origin—was free to enter and exit as long as their name wasn't on the criminal registry.

Stepping into the city, XXV felt an overwhelming sense of joy. It was his very first time visiting a town populated by ordinary people.

Even though he had no clue what awaited him there, he felt a positive conviction that he could start a good life inside the city while training to become a warrior.

A moment later, as XXV strolled through the streets, a woman suddenly approached him.

"Such a pure presence," she murmured.

She attempted to speak to him, but before she could even reach out to tap his shoulder, the young man sensed her movement and instantly leaped backward.

It was in this very town that XXV would first cross paths with the woman who would alter the course of his life.

XXV was far too hyper-vigilant about his surroundings, driven by lingering fear and anxiety over threats to his life—a direct psychological aftereffect of surviving the Crimson Games.

He swiftly drew the sword he carried, red flames instantly sparking along the razor-sharp edge of the blade.

One of the abilities XXV had acquired from his time as an experimental subject was the sensitivity to detect the diverse presences of living beings, which instantly tipped him off that he was facing a Hagen.

Hagen were beings who utilized white magic and positive energy.

The female Hagen was startled by XXV's sudden reaction and immediately panicked.

"W-wait, calm down."

Greeting him was a woman with short brown hair, dressed in the standard uniform of an Eskapa soldier.

This was where he would meet the person who would provide him with everything he needed.

"How are you, little creature? Don't worry, I'm not an enemy," she greeted him gently.

She was none other than the widely revered leader of Eskapa: Magdalena Cross.

"I am here to tend to a heart overwhelmed by fear and dread in this world," she added.

As a savior figure, she frequently reached out to beings she chose to help, which was why she intended to speak with XXV—noticing right away from his tattered clothes and bodily injuries that he desperately needed assistance.

However, trust didn't come easily to XXV, and he actively blocked Magdalena from stepping closer to him.

"Stay back, and don't come any closer if you don't want to get hurt!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay, I'm staying right here," she replied, raising her hands behind her back.

Knowing XXV wouldn't trust her easily, she stepped back to create some distance, showing him she meant him no harm.

With a warm smile, she asked how he was doing and where he had come from, concerned about his injuries.

"I just want to know where you originated from."

Because of her Hagen nature, Magdalena was also capable of sensing dark energy generated by a person's negative emotions, such as fear, doubt, deceit, and malice.

"I can sense intense fear and confusion in your heart, breeding deep anxiety about everything around you," she said softly.

Another hallmark trait of the Hagen was their ability to cleanse a person's inner dark energy, allowing Magdalena to instinctively feel the profound terror trapped inside a fundamentally good soul like XXV.

Magdalena was destined to lead XXV into the light and guide him onto the path of becoming a hero.

The presence of a Hagen radiated such absolute purity that anyone easily grew fond of them, and XXV was no exception.

XXV stood speechless, utterly captivated. Even as he watched Magdalena take a step forward, he offered no resistance or reply.

"Do you believe in destiny?" she asked.

"By the way, I'm Magdalena Cross. If you don't have a place to stay in this town, you're welcome to come with me for a while," she offered.

The fierce guard XXV had put up melted away the moment he saw the young woman's radiant smile. Feeling completely flustered, all he could do was take a step backward.

Even though lingering paranoia made him suspicious of everyone around him, kindness was deeply ingrained in XXV's nature, leaving him struggling to push Magdalena away.

Yet, echoing in the back of his mind were Suwi's strict instructions: trust no one, and obey only the words of his princess.

Driven by that warning, he leaped backward, gripped his weapon, and raised it in a threatening stance.

"Your words are far too suspicious, woman."

XXV felt forced to threaten her to keep himself safe, truly believing Magdalena was trying to trick him.

XXV's behavior toward Magdalena was rough, but despite her superior status, she simply shrugged it off and played along with the situation.

Magdalena found XXV's utter innocence amusing; he had no idea who he was talking to, casually threatening a warlord who commanded an army of over 10 million soldiers.

Beyond that, Magdalena ruled over 10 countries and thousands of towns, widely recognized as the most powerful being alive—the Ninth Warlord of Endoryo.

"Your innocence is quite amusing. Do you even know who you're talking to?" she chuckled.

"Did you know I could put you to sleep right where you stand with just a flick of my finger?" she teased, flexing a bit.

Magdalena had assumed XXV would hesitate once he realized the massive power gap between them. She always found it entertaining to watch the reactions of people when they finally found out they were talking to an actual warlord.

She joked further, testing to see if XXV would actually be terrified of her.

"Even if you don't know who I am, you should at least feel the sheer gap between our presences."

She was wrong. Because of his utter lack of worldly experience, XXV was completely unfazed by famous or powerful figures, having no baseline knowledge of the world.

He didn't know who to avoid or respect, viewing everyone else purely as a threat to his survival.

"I don't give a damn who you are!" he shouted.

Without a second thought, XXV lunged at her. Caught completely off guard, Magdalena had no time to dodge.

"Wait!!" she screamed.

XXV pulled his attack back at the absolute last second, redirecting the blade just millimeters away from Magdalena's head as she sat there frozen in absolute terror.

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, completely rattled. She never imagined someone would actually try to assassinate her in the middle of a genuine act of kindness.

"Good grief, you're awfully aggressive."

"Your attack gave me a real fright—I actually thought you were going to follow through and hurt me," she added.

XXV winced at Magdalena's reaction, equally shocked that a Hagen could panic so dramatically.

She was acting all high and mighty earlier, yet she's terrified of getting hurt, he thought to himself.

XXV calmed his breathing, sighed, and flicked his sword downward to extinguish the blazing red flames along the blade.

Despite XXV's violent and reckless behavior toward a higher-being like Magdalena, it didn't deter her desire to help him.

She believed that true divine judgment wasn't based on a person's outward appearance, but rather the goodness of their heart—and she sensed that core goodness inside XXV, despite his outward violence and fear of the world.

At that specific point in time, XXV listened to no one's voice except his princess's.

"I don't want to hurt women, so you'd better get out of my sight," he warned fiercely.

Magdalena arched an eyebrow at his bravado, though she patiently let his arrogance slide without holding it against him.

"I don't have bad intentions toward you, and I'm not going to hurt you, so please just calm down," she said, gently scolding him.

"Do you realize that attack of yours almost got you killed, kid?" she added, reprimanding him.

Confusion was written all over XXV's face. He was completely oblivious to the fatal consequences he would have faced had he successfully harmed someone as influential as Magdalena.

At that exact moment, a chilling presence suddenly washed over him, radiating from a figure standing directly behind him.

He froze in his tracks, feeling an oppressive, suffocating weight press down on him as a mysterious man stepped close.

"What kind of presence is this?" he muttered to himself.

That fateful encounter in Lorencia marked the true beginning of his journey—the moment XXV crossed paths with the warriors who would train alongside him to become a hero.

Magdalena treated him with special care; amused by him, she indulged XXV's dream of growing into a powerful warrior under the direct guidance of the divine weapons themselves.

Over a year after completing his training under the gods' weapons, he crossed paths with Suwi once again.

During a battle where Suwi was being hunted down by the Hube and her life hung in the balance, XXV arrived just in time to rescue her.

"No one is allowed to hurt Master Zhui," he declared bravely.

Zhui could hardly believe her eyes as XXV systematically dismantled and defeated the Hube squad she had been powerless against.

It was living proof that XXV had achieved the impossible, transforming into a formidable warrior exactly as she had ordered him to.

After saving her, XXV whisked Suwi away to a remote location so her pursuers could never track her down again.

They spent several months living together on an isolated island, trying to build a peaceful life far away from the ongoing wars.

For those moments, Suwi finally experienced the genuine care and love she had craved all her life.

True to his word, XXV remained loyal, vowing to stand by his wife and protect her for the rest of his days.

Their profound love for one another became the anchor that made them content with a quiet life, choosing each other over any wealth or fame Endoryo had to offer.

Yet, fate refused to treat them kindly. The racial wars escalated exponentially due to the relentless disruptions caused by the remaining soul eaters in Endoryo.

The two of them wanted nothing more than to live in peace and raise a happy family, but everything grew infinitely more complicated because of the binding pact between XXV and Magdalena.

XXV remained bound by his sacred oath to Magdalena: to act as a hero until peace was finally brought to the entire world of Endoryo.

END OF POV