◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  [SYSTEM ALERT: Location: Throne Room – Melngradnia Empire]

  [Time: Three Years After the Fall of Gladius]

  [Status: Deadly Silence Prevails in the Hall]

  [Warning: Two Entities Outside Logic Detected]

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  A terrifying silence prevailed in the throne room of "Melngradnia."

  It was not the silence of peace, but the silence of nothingness.

  Arthur – or what remained of him – stood staring at his hands, which no longer trembled. Gladius, the tyrant who had crushed his childhood, had vanished as if he never existed.

  But victory had left nothing in Arthur's chest but a cold void.

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Elias stepped over the marble debris, coldly running his fingers along the edge of the throne.

  Elias:

  "Look at yourself, Arthur.. you have crushed the 'sun' that obscured your light for years. Tell me, do you feel the warmth now?"

  Arthur turned slowly.

  His eyes – the right one white as a dead star, the left one red as boiling blood – were devoid of any human spark.

  Arthur (In a voice like the rustling of wind in a graveyard):

  "I feel nothing, Elias. I hear Gladius's screams in my ears, and I know I should feel euphoria.. but my chest is like a black hole, swallowing every feeling before it is born. Is this the power you promised me?"

  Elias (With a sinister smile):

  "Humans pay with blood, but masters pay with the soul. We have stripped you of 'emotional weakness' so that your sword never wavers again. You are now the 'Admin' of this reality. And a machine feels no remorse."

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  [SYSTEM ALERT: 3 Years Later]

  [Location: Melngradnia Empire]

  [Status: Radical Transformation in the World's Structure]

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Melngradnia was no longer what it once was.

  It had transformed from a flourishing kingdom into an iron empire shrouded in black mist. Arthur, the Silent Emperor, ruled from his throne with a coldness that terrified the nobles even more than the commoners.

  During these years, he had reshaped the army and the laws, turning the world around him into a gear in a colossal war machine.

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  In the Grand Council Chamber, military leaders stood with bowed heads.

  A Nobleman (In a trembling voice):

  "My Emperor, the rebels in the south have been crushed, but the crops are withering.. and the land has refused to yield since the Eternal Dragons were slain."

  Arthur, sitting in a posture of bored indifference, didn't even look at him.

  He simply raised his finger.

  The air froze in the nobleman's lungs.

  Arthur (With coldness):

  "The land does not refuse to yield. The land is afraid. Tell the farmers that those who do not sow will become fertilizer for others. Dismissed."

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  As soon as they left, Flora emerged from the shadows, playing with a sphere of glowing data.

  Flora:

  "Ruling humans is tedious, isn't it, Arthur? But don't worry, I've found something for you far more entertaining than beheading mortals."

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Flora led them into the depths of the royal vault, to a chest made of 'Star-Stone' that no one had opened since the reign of King Jani de Flancde.

  With a touch of Arthur's new power, the chest opened to reveal scrolls written in the blood of an ancient dragon.

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Flora (Eyes gleaming with madness):

  "Look... your father didn't protect the dragons because they were sacred, but because they were 'Vital Seals.' King Jani and the King of 'Azuria' discovered the terrifying truth: This world is nothing but a prison!"

  Arthur (With cold inquiry):

  "A prison for whom?"

  Elias (Interrupting mysteriously):

  "For the ancient entity.. the 'Great Forgotten One.' Before time was born, there was a divine being whose only goal was annihilation. The ancient gods could not kill it, so they sacrificed their essence to create the 'Eternal Dragon Seals.'"

  He paused for a moment, then added:

  "Every dragon your brother Gladius killed was a nail being pulled from the prison door."

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Flora (Approaching Arthur with suspicious excitement):

  "Imagine, Arthur.. that entity, that ancient god who terrified the gods themselves, is beginning to wake up now! I don't just want to close the door.. I want to see it! I want to watch the power that has endured since eternity collide with your 'Void' power. It will be a battle that redefines the very concept of existence!"

  Arthur:

  "So, Gladius, in his ignorance and greed, did not just steal my power.. he began the end of the world."

  Elias (Adjusting his glasses calmly):

  "Exactly. And now, our mission is not just to hide behind walls. Our goal is to transform this entire planet into a fortress, preparing the world with all the power and data we possess to withstand the invasion of that strange entity. We will crush anyone who stands in the way of this preparation."

  Flora (Laughing softly):

  "I am so excited.. I want to see how you will tear that entity apart, Arthur. I want to see the true limits of your power when you face the 'Forgotten God.'"

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  Arthur looked at the crystal cube, which began to pulse with a strange purple light mirroring his own eyes.

  Arthur (Whispering in a faint voice):

  "Then, my journey was not for the throne."

  For the first time, he felt a strange pulse in his veins – not of love or hate, but a 'duty' imposed by the void.

  Arthur:

  "Elias.. Flora.. if this world is a prison that has begun to open, then I shall be the new jailer.. or the nightmare that awaits what lies within. Prepare yourselves.. we start with 'Azuria'. We will gather what remains of the kings' secrets there to build our army for the cosmic wars."

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?

  [SYSTEM ALERT: New Mission]

  [Objective: Head to the Kingdom of Azuria]

  [Purpose: Gather the Ancient Kings' Secrets]

  [Threat: The Forgotten Entity is Awakening]

  [Time Remaining Before Total Collapse: Unknown]

  ◇ ◇ ? ? ?