Chapter 64: A Prince Worth Following

Silence.

The battlefield had become unnaturally quiet.

The crackling of burning homes...

The cries of frightened children...

The groans of wounded soldiers...

Everything seemed distant.

All eyes remained fixed on the fallen Alpha.

The massive wolf no longer looked like a monster.

The black veins covering its body slowly disappeared.

Its crimson eyes had returned to a calm golden color.

For the first time...

It looked peaceful.

Kael slowly lowered his sword.

The golden light surrounding the blade faded.

The crimson aura flowing beneath his skin disappeared.

The frost covering the battlefield melted into clear water.

His breathing became heavy.

The battle had lasted only minutes.

Yet...

Using three different powers at once had nearly emptied his mana.

The system appeared.

Battle Complete

Boss Defeated

Village Protected

Experience Gained

Calculating Rewards...

...

...

Rewards

Leadership +2

Swordsmanship +1

Light Affinity +2%

Blood Affinity +1%

Ice Affinity +1%

Reputation Increased

Hidden Reward

The people have witnessed your actions.

Fame has begun to spread.

Kael dismissed the notification.

Now wasn't the time.

The Remaining Wolves

Something incredible happened.

The remaining Bloodfang Wolves...

Didn't attack.

One after another...

They slowly approached the fallen Alpha.

Each lowered its head.

Some whimpered quietly.

Others nudged their leader with their noses.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Nothing happened.

Their Alpha would never rise again.

Walter slowly lowered his shield.

"I..."

"I don't think they want to fight anymore."

Leon nodded.

"They've stopped."

One small wolf limped toward Kael.

An arrow remained lodged in its shoulder.

It looked at him...

Not with hatred.

With fear.

The system appeared once more.

Corruption Removed

Remaining monsters have regained their natural instincts.

Recommendation:

Do not engage unless attacked.

Kael looked at Darius.

"Stand down."

Several Black Dragons looked confused.

"But, Your Highness—"

"They're no longer our enemies."

No one argued.

They trusted him.

The wolves slowly lifted the alpha's body.

Then disappeared into the forest.

Not a single one looked back.

Grom watched quietly.

"In every race..."

"We mourn our dead."

Kael nodded.

"So do they."

The Village Elder

An old man leaned heavily on a walking stick as he approached.

His clothes were torn.

His face was stained with soot.

Despite that...

He knelt before Kael.

"Your Highness..."

"You saved us."

Kael immediately stepped forward and helped him stand.

"Please."

"Don't kneel."

"You've lost enough today."

The old man's eyes became moist.

"In sixty years..."

"I've seen tax collectors."

"I've seen governors."

"I've seen nobles."

He looked around the ruined village.

"...You're the first prince I've ever seen fight for us."

Kael didn't know what to say.

Those words...

We're heavier than any praise.

The Cost of Victory

The Black Dragons began organizing relief efforts.

Leon and Walter helped move debris.

Iris quietly searched the surrounding forest for any remaining threats.

Hugo directed soldiers toward damaged homes.

Darius organized medical stations.

Grom helped rebuild collapsed structures with his incredible strength.

No one waited for orders.

They simply helped.

Kael walked through the village.

Twenty-three homes destroyed.

Forty-one people were injured.

Nine villagers had lost their lives.

Four Black Dragons suffered serious wounds.

None had died.

Kael stopped before a young boy.

The child couldn't have been older than eight.

He clutched a broken wooden sword.

"My dad..."

The boy whispered.

"...he tried to protect us."

Kael looked toward a blanket covering a nearby body.

He understood.

The boy looked up.

"Can..."

"...can I become strong enough to protect people too?"

Kael knelt until they were eye-level.

"You can."

The boy's eyes lit up.

"But..."

Kael continued.

"Strength isn't measured by how many people you can defeat."

"It's measured by how many people you can save."

The boy nodded slowly.

As though committing every word to memory.

The Hidden Discovery

Later that afternoon...

Iris returned from the forest.

She approached quietly.

"We found something."

Kael followed her beyond the village.

Nearly half a mile into the woods...

The trees had been crushed.

The ground was covered in strange black crystals.

At the center...

A stone altar stood half-buried beneath the earth.

Ancient.

Broken.

Covered in unfamiliar runes.

Walter frowned.

"I don't like this."

The system appeared.

Ancient Structure Detected

Classification:

Unknown

Estimated Age:

Over 2,000 Years

Status:

Recently Activated

Kael slowly approached.

The altar had been shattered.

Almost as if...

Someone wanted to erase it.

Then he noticed it.

A fragment of black crystal remained embedded in the stone.

Inside...

Dark mana swirled endlessly.

He reached toward it.

The moment his fingers touched the crystal—

BOOM!

A vision exploded inside his mind.

A battlefield.

The sky burned crimson.

Cities lay in ruins.

Mountains collapsed beneath impossible creatures.

Dragons fought beings cloaked in darkness.

Millions...

No...

Billions...

Dead.

At the center of the battlefield stood a lone figure.

His back faced Kael.

He wore jet-black armor.

A cloak embroidered with a golden dragon.

Around him...

Humans.

Elves.

Dwarves.

Orcs.

Beastmen.

Goblins.

Sea Folk.

Lizardfolk.

Centaurs.

Minotaurs.

Halflings.

Every race stood together beneath one banner.

They weren't fighting each other.

They were fighting something far worse.

Then...

The mysterious warrior slowly turned.

Before Kael could see his face—

The vision shattered.

Kael stumbled backward.

Walter caught him.

"Kael!"

"What happened?"

Kael stared at the crystal.

His breathing was uneven.

"I..."

"...don't know."

The system flashed brighter than ever before.

Future Vision Received

Information Locked

Compatibility:

Confirmed

The Path Ahead Has Been Revealed.

No further explanation appeared.

Kael looked toward the distant horizon.

He still couldn't see the man's face.

But one thing remained clear in his memory.

Every race...

Had stood beneath a single banner.

United.

Not by conquest.

By choice.

A chill ran down his spine.

He didn't know when that future would come.

Or what enemy could force such ancient rivals to fight side by side?

But deep within his heart...

A single thought took root.

If that future is real...

Then the wars we fight today are only the beginning.