The world had split into three great kingdoms, each vying for control over the most powerful weapon known to mankind—Shouza Crystals. And so, the world once again stood on the brink of an age long before the birth of what we now call magic.
Two decades of relentless war between the kingdoms had left the lands in ruin, the people in despair, and countless lives and territories lost. Yet, the pursuit of power was an absolute necessity—inevitable and merciless. From this bloodstained chaos, a destined hero was born.
"Hey, you. Kid. Look at me."
A man's firm grip tightened around the boy's slender wrist. He looked like a decent man—or at least, that's what the boy thought as he blinked several times.
"Hah, what is it?"
The boy replied in confidence. Around his neck hung a tattooed chain of numbers, like a choking collar.
"You're Refta, right? Since your father was a close friend of mine, I'll allow you to come with us."
Another man grabbed the boy by his shirt and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
'These old fools… why can't they just leave me alone? All I ever wanted was revenge for my grandfather's death. I wanted to reclaim the legacy the Lako Kingdom stole from my family. I wanted vengeance for the Clancer bloodline. I wanted to take back my homeland—Wilkar.'
"Hey lade, forget that you were ever a Clancer. Welcome to hell, Refta."
A man hissed in his ear, his voice was calm and filled with evil.
Before he realized it, someone had thrown Refta into a massive truck, nearly nine meters high. Pain shot through his back as he landed hard.'Why so brutal? Haven't I suffered enough already?'
"Damn it," he whispered to himself weakly, glancing around the truck's dim interior with his dark eyes. He shivered when he caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man staring at him strangely. Refta swallowed hard, he noticed that his hand were on soft delicate skin.
"Hey, kid! Watch where you're falling."
His cheek stung—someone had slapped him. A beautiful girl with golden hair strands stood over him. She clearly wasn't from around here.
"What are you staring at? Want me to pluck your eyes out and feed them to my beasts?"
Another girl, hooded and cold-eyed, grabbed Refta by the neck. He could barely breathe.
'If only I had my magic power in control … If only my crystal was with me… I'd rip you to pieces, you witch…'
But his thoughts were interrupted by the laughter of the two girls, who now approached him in sync. Refta could sense their energy—they were powerful.'What are they doing here? They have a knight level power range '
"Cut the bickering, you damn fools! Don't you understand the risk we're walking into?!"
The old man who had thrown Refta into the truck shouted, his scarred face glaring fiercely. Everyone fell silent and backed away.
"Don't use your skill on them, old man..."
A young man in his early twenties placed a calming hand on the elder's shoulder, gently nudging him back a step.
"My name is Sultan. I'll be driving and leading this transport, you're now my responsiblity."
Refta could feel Sultan's gaze fixed entirely on him.'Great, now I've drawn everyone's attention…'
"Our destination is the Lako Kingdom the greatest among all. Oh, and no matter what happens, never reveal your true identities."
Sultan took a deep breath before continuing, "Don't say which kingdom you're from. Especially don't mention you are from the outskirts of Wilkar kingdom. No one outside this truck must know."
A heavy silence fell over the passengers, until a woman in her forties raised her hand. She resembled the girls who had mocked Refta earlier.
"Then what should we say? Where are we supposedly from?"
Her voice was sweet, enchanting. Her long white hair was decorated with charming little flowers. She was stunning.
"From the villages of Deem, under the control of the Lako Kingdom," Sultan replied as he jumped down from the truck's front. The old man scanned the group, counting them.
"Thirteen. pray for your lives, " he muttered before stepping down as well. Everyone returned to their places inside the canvas-covered truck, with small holes letting in specks of light.
Refta found himself standing alone in the center.
"I hope we all look after each other… at least until this trip ends,"
A man with slicked-back hair said softly. His accent felt familiar to Refta, but he ignored it and found himself a corner beside some stacked crates.
"Let's do a quick introduction. Could be fun. Once this truck moves, we won't be able to talk—Whisper Beasts will hear us and we'll be dead."
The same mon stepped into the middle of the truck, acting like a jester. No one seemed interested in responding.
"My name's Cloud, intelligence agent for the combat unit of the Rebka Kingdom. Nice to meet you all."
Was he insane? Telling everyone he was a spy from Lako's enemy kingdom? He must have a death wish.
"Don't worry. Trust starts by revealing our biggest secrets,"
Cloud raised an eyebrow and gave Refta a stare that made him shift uncomfortably. Refta quickly looked away.
Cloud walked over confidently and dragged Refta into the center.
"Why don't you go first, troublemaker? You seem interesting. Let's hear your story."
Refta took a deep breath and said:
"I'm Refta. I'll become the sole ruler of all three kingdoms. I'll destroy Lako, Rebka, and Divar. I'll be my enemies' worst nightmare. I will fight the ultimate evil, avenge my family, and kill anyone who stands in my way."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Hah! Kid, you're the craziest person I've ever met. Your dreams are huge—aren't you afraid of crashing down?"
Another young man stood up and revealed his face. Refta hated being laughed at. As the youngest in his family, he loathed being ignored.
"Looks like your journey will be long, Refta. I'm Black. I'm heading to Lako to get married,"
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