Arrival of the Protagonist

The grand hall of the Veridian Empire's palace bustled with activity. Nobles in their finest attire mingled and schemed, their voices rising in a gentle hum as servants moved gracefully between them, carrying trays of exotic foods and wines. At the center of it all stood Kael Ardent, his expression one of quiet confidence, his sharp eyes scanning the room.

He stood by the edge of the gathering, not out of modesty or hesitation, but because he preferred the vantage point. Here, he could observe everything—every whispered conversation, every subtle shift in the air. The nobles thought themselves hidden behind their layers of etiquette, but Kael saw through it all. And what he saw, frankly, amused him.

At his side, Isabella Varen remained quiet, her spirit body cloaked in a calm, yet restrained aura. She, too, watched the gathering, though her thoughts were impossible to decipher. It didn't matter, Isabella was useful to him for now. Her future could be decided later.

Suddenly, the energy in the room shifted, and Kael's eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming.

The large, ornate doors to the banquet hall creaked open, their sound like the groaning of ancient stone. Every conversation, every hushed whisper, fell silent. Eyes turned to the entrance, and the tension in the air thickened, almost suffocating.

Robert Voss had arrived.

Kael's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. Finally, the true game was beginning.

Robert entered, his steps measured and slow, yet there was nothing hesitant about him. He was draped in a flowing deep-blue robe, its simplicity contrasting sharply with the gaudy attire of the surrounding nobles. Despite the plainness of his clothes, every eye was drawn to him, and it was not just because of his looks.

He was tall and well-built, his jet-black hair falling casually over sharp, aristocratic features. But it was the aura surrounding him that truly set him apart.

A suffocating energy radiated from his body, thick with the power of life itself. Robert was the possessor of the Vitalis Sanctum, the most powerful physique of life attribute in the world. It wasn't just the overwhelming spiritual pressure of someone in the Initial Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm—it was as if the essence of life and creation pulsed from his very core. Every breath he took seemed to breathe vitality into the room, his mere presence commanding awe. Flowers on the banquet tables, which had begun to wither from the day's events, suddenly bloomed again in full, vibrant color.

This was Robert Voss: arrogant, powerful, and fully aware of both.

Kael's gaze darkened, but it wasn't with fear or hesitation. It was with anticipation. He had read this story before, but things would not go as Robert expected. The so-called "hero" wouldn't be allowed to bask in his preordained victory.

Behind Robert trailed two figures, equally notable in their own right.

First came Selene Voss, his sister. Her beauty was undeniable—slender and graceful, with long black hair cascading down her back. She moved with the effortless elegance of someone born into power, but it wasn't her appearance that made her dangerous. No, it was the aura that surrounded her.

Unlike Robert's vitality, which brimmed with life and creation, Selene's aura was laced with something far more sinister: the weight of time itself. She possessed the Chrono Essence, a rare and formidable physique that allowed her to manipulate the flow of time, albeit in subtle ways. She was in the Peak of nascent soul realm, a level of power that would make her a feared presence in her own right. While her physique was not as strong as the heavens-devouring body Kael possessed or her brother's Vitalis Sanctum, it was far more powerful than the spirit body that Isabella wielded, hence she become the first target of elimination before Robert.

Selene's gaze swept over the room, her eyes landing briefly on Kael. Her lips twitched, and there was something predatory in the way she looked at him, as if sizing him up. Kael met her gaze, his expression unreadable. He wasn't the type to cower before lesser beings, and Selene was no exception. If she thought her aura of time could sway him, she would soon learn otherwise.

The last figure to enter was a man who commanded as much attention as Robert. He was older, his face weathered with age, but his aura was undeniable: Mahayana Realm. The guardian of the Voss siblings, a man whose name was whispered in hushed tones across the empire—Luther Kain. His black robe billowed as he moved with quiet purpose, his sharp eyes scanning the room for threats. He did not look at Kael, but Kael could sense the way his aura stretched, touching every corner of the room, searching for anything that might endanger his young charge.

The hall filled with hushed murmurs.

"Robert Voss… the prodigy of the Voss family."

"Selene Voss… the one blessed with the power of time itself."

Kael ignored the whispers. The nobles, the sycophants—they were all irrelevant. The only thing that mattered now was Robert, and how Kael would twist the destiny this world had planned for him.

Robert's gaze, like Selene's, eventually found Kael. Their eyes locked, and for the briefest moment, something flickered in Robert's eyes. Recognition? Doubt? No, not quite. Robert saw Kael as little more than another noble to be evaluated, another potential ally or threat. He hadn't realized that Kael Ardent would be his greatest enemy.

A smile tugged at the corner of Robert's lips, but it was a smile that spoke of arrogance, not warmth. He nodded slightly, a gesture that was meant to show dominance, not respect. Kael returned the gesture, his own smile cold, calculating. He knew exactly how Robert's story was supposed to go. But this was no longer just a novel—this was reality, and Kael held the strings now.

Robert turned away, walking further into the hall with Selene and Luther at his side. Nobles rushed to greet him, eager to curry favor with the rising star of the Voss family. Kael watched from a distance, his mind already planning his next move.

"They seem strong," Isabella murmured beside him, her voice low.

Kael didn't take his eyes off Robert as he replied. "They are."

"And yet… you're not concerned?"

Kael's smile widened, though there was no warmth in it. "Concerned? Why would I be concerned?"

Isabella raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk on her lips. She understood Kael well enough by now to know that his confidence wasn't misplaced. But even she didn't know the full extent of Kael's knowledge. She didn't know that Kael had already seen the future—Robert's future—and that everything Robert thought he knew was about to be turned on its head.

Kael's thoughts darkened, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Let Robert bask in his supposed glory. Let him believe he was invincible with his Vitalis Sanctum. It would only make his eventual fall all the more satisfying.

As the banquet continued, Kael remained in his position, watching, waiting. The game had only just begun, but Kael had already decided one thing: he would be the one to rewrite this story. And in his version, Robert Voss would not be the hero.

He would be the first of many to fall.