— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR: 7294. SEASON: COLOR FADING.

  “This Game played by the Twelve Thrones will lead to the destruction of the Mortal Realm.

  “And, even if it doesn’t, this realm doesn’t have much time left.”

  A murmur ran through the Monarchy Branch. Whispers were traded between those who sat near one another. Lawruthian wasn’t done speaking, but his opening words were shocking. They grabbed attention, bringing the focus to him if it wasn’t present already. He gazed around, satisfied. He’d always had a way with words, polished and improved time and time again.

  The Mortal Realm was going to be destroyed?

  Many of them thought it impossible, but their Chosen of Madris would not spout baseless rumors to induce fear in them. He allowed them to settle, then continued to speak.

  “You may wonder how I know this. It’s simple, I received a quest from the System itself telling me. I will not share the details, but I am willing to describe what this quest says.

  “That is the second matter; there is also a third matter. The first matter is this golem next to me,” Lawruthian gestured. “This is the Golem Suit, designed and built by me. Its purpose is to give us another blade, another weapon in the war against the world. It allows its user to interface with the golem and combine attributes.”

  “Impossible!”

  Lawruthian smiled at Sire Limitless. Pancratius Nepos was a very familiar figure to Lawruthian. He was one of the Magi of Edryan, a powerful mage who helped design and make his first armor set. His words about the destruction of the Mortal Realm brought a certain level of response, but words were just words. This was a physical object in front of them that many immediately examined after his words registered.

  “I can verify what Lawruthian has said. Liana and I were present when he ran his first test. However, we have not seen anyone else interface with the device,” Margret said in support.

  “Are there any who wish to demonstrate?

  “They should be around my size, if not slightly smaller,” Lawruthian mentioned.

  The suit was specifically designed for his body’s metrics and would likely cause some discomfort or other problems when equipped by someone apart from him. It didn’t take long for a volunteer to rise and equip the golem in front of the watching crowd.

  Voices immediately erupted in chatter.

  “A new class line! Not a reformation of an old one, but something entirely new! This… Princess Carina…”

  “This golem is already stronger than normal 1 Stars. His Highness Lawruthian must have taken a step forward in his craft.”

  “Its strength is only at the 1 Star, but even then, no one would complain when gaining another 750 attribute points.”

  Lawruthian summoned the auxiliary armaments and equipped them for the golem. The talking suddenly stopped. He chuckled internally, his satisfaction rising. A sea of shocked expressions looked towards him and the golem at his side. The comments made earlier showed that there were obvious things anyone could pick up just from a glance.

  Was it like this for Princess Carina when she researched a path and introduced Judges and Lawyers?

  Lawruthian pondered while allowing time for reactions to settle down.

  The room grew incredibly silent as gazes examined the golem, but even without using a skill, they could feel the tremendous increase in strength the golem exuded. He sensed those present had passed a certain threshold and continued to introduce his work.

  “These are Auxiliary Armaments . It allows the Golem Suit to equip different sets of armor, which can have different spells and resources enabled on them. I’m sure I don’t need to explain its value, whether in the increase in strength or the ability to change armor sets for diverse situations, withstanding the Golem Suits’ imbued ability to adapt.

  “Currently, the only ‘downfall’ of this item is the fall-off strength. 25% of the Golem Suits, plus armaments, fall off every thirty minutes. Once an hour passes, the suit will lose 50% of its strength and so on.” Lawruthian waved his hand. The Mana Battery would likely be completely drained, but he hadn’t had the time to test it. In the upcoming weeks, he was certain more would be revealed.

  “I have the ability to produce this suit in mass, but specialized suits will require my personal time. I plan to use this as a strategic weapon, keeping it hidden for as long as possible. Clearly, it can be the decisive factor that allows special champions to completely change a battlefield. I don’t intend to use it unless absolutely necessary.

  “For now, only the Monarchy Branch will be allowed to know of this. Should word of this leak out…”

  “ HMPH ,” Queen Titiana exclaimed. Her red-gold eyes barely glanced around, but that glance made many throats swallow. A sense of coldness entered some hearts, and a reminder of who the Queen once was entered their hearts.

  Iron-blooded.

  Lawruthian smiled, knowing he didn’t need to explain anything else anymore. “Are there any questions before we move on to the second subject?”

  A hand raised, and Lawruthian nodded at the speaker.

  “What are your production estimations? This is powerful, yes, but if you can only produce a dozen or so a day using it, it would be a waste of your valuable time.”

  Lawruthian smiled at the speaker and gave them a prompt response. “I don’t know quite yet. I suspect my skill would allow me to produce at least a dozen without my presence being required. This would likely be for a ‘standard-sized suit’; suits requiring personal measurements or my presence are different.”

  “Would you be open to taking disciples? My Zeno House has plenty that…”

  “House Carter…”

  Lawruthian waved a hand as offers and prompts emerged.

  “I am open to finding a method of disseminating my class, but not now. I will keep your Houses in mind when looking for any apprentices.”

  A few more questions poured in. Some asked about the specific level armaments could rise to, others question if this would replace traditional armor in the far future.

  “Does the Golem Suit itself still work as a traditional golem? Can a user leave their suit with commands?”

  “The Golem Suit is still classified as a golem. It can perform all the standard operations of a golem; however, this suit is able to take on complex commands. This ability has yet to be tested, but results will be given at a later date.”

  The questions finally halted after Lawruthian’s answer, and he moved on to the second topic, the one he used to grab their attention in the first place.

  “The Mortal Realm is headed for destruction,” Lawruthian began simply. He’d hidden his quest, Born To Be King , for several years now. To him, it’d been months, but he kept reminding himself that years had passed since he was put in G.E.N.E.S.I.S.

  A solemn atmosphere covered the crowd. Their Chosen of Madris had never led them astray. His decisions were perhaps not understood at the time, such as his obsession with golems and mana batteries, but the results more than proved his trustworthiness. Mana Batteries ran the country—the lights that lit up a city at night, the public transportation, small gimmicks, and devices that make the lives of the Worker class easier.

  So many could be named, washing machines, battery-powered spinning wheels to produce thread, and the loom to produce clothe. There were auto-cooking machines that allowed the slow roasting of food to produce incredible taste. Water was pumped into buildings and available for various uses, while a single nob could activate a spell and heat it.

  Through and through, their Chosen of Madris had never failed them, and the benefits they received made their families far stronger and wealthier than they were in the past. Now, they listened with focused gazes and rapt attention. If Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani, Chosen of Madris, was speaking such words… it meant he had a plan.

  That’s the type of confidence he gave them.

  That’s the type of confidence he inspired.

  The confidence of King.

  “Two years ago, I received a quest, Born To Be King , System Generated, and pushing me to find certain extraordinary objects to save the realm. One of these items, Dragon’s Tear, was in the hands of Aspect Rasheed. Others are scattered in Lost Dungeons and will require tremendous effort to excavate and find.”

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  Lawruthian looked at Kubrat Musa. Her presence seemed to go unnoticed by most of those present. Her gaze held more light in them, more hope for her future. It was his meeting with her that originally generated the quest. It sent him on a search for previous Chosens of Madris and ultimately led him to the doorstep of Aspect Rasheed, where multiple goals were fulfilled.

  The second half of Alidra Edryani’s book, diary , still echoed through his mind. He found it unlocked the same day he answered the Chosen of EL’s question.

  Twelve thrones—some jade—others, bone .

  Twelve Deities—each kept score—while She prepared War.

  The board was set, the first piece—Chosen.

  She failed her task, destined death woven.

  The second rose, his mind unbroken.

  To rewrite Her will, his Eradication unspoken.

  He failed his task, a new game cycles.

  A Hero rises—yet loss his omen.

  For allies fall, and Imperius stands lonesome.

  Twelve thrones, twelve thrones.

  Built by blood, built by stone.

  One Final Game, One Final Throne.

  Winner Takes All, LEADING US HOME.

  TWELVE THRONES, TWELVE THRONES.

  BUILT THROUGH WAR, BUILT THROUGH WAR.

  ENDLESS BLOOD, ENDLESS BONE.

  A HERO RISES, A VILLAIN SHONE.

  THEY COME AS SAVIOR, THEY LEAVE UNKNOWN.

  NOT A HERO, NOT A RULER.

  JUST A SAPHEN WHO ENDS EVERYTHING.

  — Alidra Edryani

  “The quest warned me to gather these six objects from Ancient Gods and Titans scattered over the Mortal Realm, or the destruction of the realm would come to fruition.”

  Its specific words were the ‘Destruction of the Elrunian Realm’. And, if Lawruthian understood its context correctly… The Underneath Below, Astral Above, and Mortal Realm composed the Elrunian Realm. This was a quest stating the complete eradication of their world—not just the Mortal Realm.

  Lawruthian formulated his next words carefully. There was a fine line between having the members of the Monarchy Branch more proactive and leaving them with complete despair. The former was his ultimate goal in revealing this knowledge. Even his mother was completely focused on him. This was the first time she had heard of such a quest. Lawruthian strictly kept this to himself until today. His voice was strong, and it only grew stronger with each word spoken.

  “Look around you. Look at those next to you, you may call family, friends.

  “Look within you. Look at what drives you to move forward. Be it power, riches, or the desire for your name to spread in history. That moment is now. The moment is now !

  “We are the hope of this world. We are the ones entrusted by not just the Goddess to unite our world, but the System, the very figure that guides our power. We are the Hope of the World, Light of the End .”

  Backs straightened, eyes shone, and the members present all held a certain resolution in their hearts. If before, this war was to fight for their Goddess, now it seemed to have included another layer. A layer that said: ‘We are the guardians, opening a path of salvation.’

  Lawruthian sent a smile toward Simra. His cousin and best friend had grown tremendously in the past few years, so much so that he barely recognized her. Yet she still carried that trace of familiarity and uncertainty, but vastly diminished. She still didn’t know they were direct family members, or she would have spoken of it sooner. His aunt, her mother, seemed not to have mentioned it. Rather, it was her father, heir to the Enlar bloodline, whose identity was revealed.

  “We will need to thoroughly research, gather, and deduce information on these Lost Dungeons—pinpointing their locations and sending teams to retrieve these items of great significance. It is my hope that members present or those they trust can fulfill this mission.”

  Originally, Lawruthian planned to explore for this information and delve into these countries himself, but… that was not the Path of the King. Queen Titiana had taught him well, and using his resources, his people were all avenues a King should explore. The secret was big, yes, and if Dragon’s Tear was an example, the power wielded by these ancient deity artifacts could change the world itself.

  Any one of the three properties of Dragon’s Tear could change the very world itself. The first could revive a soul at its peak. The Aspect Rasheed held the power of a God. Lawruthian was certain that all below that level could be revived by the ability. It was a precious one-time resource that couldn’t be easily wasted. It’s why he immediately dismissed the idea of using it on Kubrat. The demigoddess had a method she held partial belief in its power to revive her and truly give her the prospects of leveling and becoming a God. While Lawruthian still held other ideas and methods that could work should hers completely fail.

  The other properties weren’t to be ignored either. The second promised to restore vitality to a dead or decayed land or beings drained by death or decay. Lawruthian suspected this could completely restore vitality to a land like the Empire of Az’Dawn. It could likely terraform the desert into an oasis of life.

  If the Dragon’s Tear didn’t possess those abilities, Lawruthian would still have valued it tremendously. Its final ability gave precious time in a time of uncertainty.

  Can anchor itself as a Pillar, upholding the laws of creation in place of a fallen Aspect for ten years.

  Lawruthian vividly remembered the teachings of Aspect Rasheed. The concept of an Aspect was like a groundskeeper. They maintained the realm and kept it from decaying by using their laws. That was Lawruthian’s understanding of it, gained from his time at the Mountain of Final Hope. It was the reason those Ancient Gods and Titans sacrificed themselves but deceived Rasheed into staying alive, giving the last trace of the Elrunian Realm a chance at survival.

  Lawruthian suspected that if not for Rasheed, the realm might have collapsed long ago. And, now that he had finally found release…

  The clock was ticking.

  If Rasheed’s artifact was this powerful, this focused on a single aspect… then what of the others?

  “The Twelve Thrones is the third reason I’ve gathered you.”

  Lawruthian’s voice was solemn, serious, and completely diminished the previous atmosphere of hope he’d built. The Twelve Thrones, the foremost Gods and Goddesses in the world. The first to walk out of the ancient times, creating Union, striving forward under the many branches of Saphen.

  “The Twelve Thrones:

  “Madris Edryani.

  “El Indrius.

  “Jhan of Man.

  “Helcantruim the Automaton.

  “He Who Hides in the Shadow Places.

  “Radix Doom.

  “Unera of Goblin.

  “Ivory Purior.

  “Lola Daiz

  “Merida Myan

  “Thousand Face, Jin Tian.

  “Limitless Engine, Mola.”

  Ten Gods, two Titans.

  Twelve beings were the first to rise in an age where there were no Gods, no Titans, nothing but the remnants of Oblivion. Lawruthian was intimately familiar with them. He’d seen them all when his sol first entered this world. Ten Gods and two Titans walked forward and were the first to take their place in the Astral Above and Underneath Below. Likely, they were the first to explore those lands, and since then, they’d kept a tight leash on the entrances. Especially for the Astral Above. The path, the bridge between the Astral Above and the Mortal Realm, was strictly controlled by them. None could enter, none could leave without their permission.

  There were various reactions to Lawruthian saying the twelve names directly without honorifics. Shock, horror, and more were just some of the many things he saw. A strange tension entered the air, as if those below waited for some sort of reaction or punishment by the Gods. Silent prayers were muttered, and Madria gave him a strange look, as did Marna and the others.

  Once several seconds had passed and it was clear nothing had happened, the tension gradually began to diminish, and the light in the people’s eyes as they looked at Lawruthian subtly shifted.

  Able to say the direct name of God without punishment.

  Lawruthian internally chuckled. He’d met those beings and ultimately felt himself more knowledgeable than the vast majority present about the nature of Gods. Yet this was also a test. He disparaged their names previously in the comfort of his own thoughts, but never truly aloud like this.

  It meant two things to him by doing so. One, the Twelve Thrones likely didn’t care. Two, they truly wouldn’t interfere with the Mortal Realm as the Game began. Lawruthian already set the stage; now he was nearly ready to put on the performance of a lifetime.

  This was a simple verification for himself, nothing more.

  “These beings play a Game, we Mortals are their chess pieces… but… does anyone know why they play a game?”