Prologue(3)

"Everybody's dead?" I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and disbelief.

A monstrous figure loomed before me, casting an eerie shadow over the lifeless bodies strewn across the ground. The cold air sent shivers down my spine, intensifying the dread that gripped my heart.

Suddenly, the figure tossed something in my direction. My eyes followed its path, and my heart sank as I saw it roll to a stop at my feet.

"....!!"

Blood soaked my feet as I gazed down at it.

"Ro...Roger..!!"

I couldn't bring myself to look away from the blood-soaked object that lay before me, it...it was Roger's head. The sight was gruesome, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from the horrifying reality.

-thud

A sickening thud broke the silence as I stumbled backward, landing hard on the ground. Roger, my loyal companion and comrade, now lay decapitated in front of me. The sheer brutality of his death sent waves of panic crashing through my body.

Roger had been a formidable aura knight, capable of wielding the power of a 3-star knight even if it is for a limited period of time. There was no way he could have been defeated by a mere mountain bandit. 

'Who that hell is he?'

I realized with a sinking feeling that the monstrous entity before me was something far more than just an ordinary criminal.

As I lifted my gaze, I struggled to comprehend the impossible scene unfolding in front of me. 

The pride and achievement of my master, The deadly Nightshade, the strongest poison that she created with tens of years of research, he exhaled it casually, as if it were mere smoke from a cigarette. How could he survive such a lethal toxin?

"You...! What are you? "

A flood of questions surged through my mind, each more bewildering than the last. Who was this creature, and why was he attacking a simple merchant group? How did he possess such resistance to the deadly Nightshade poison? It was a whirlwind of confusion, leaving me grasping for answers amidst the chaos.

The monster's voice sliced through the air, snapping me back to the grim reality of the situation.

"It seems like you are quite skilled at using poison," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone. My eyes widened in disbelief. This creature was toying with me, reveling in his apparent superiority.

Frustration and anger welled up within me. Why would a creature like him target an innocent group of merchants passing by? And why did he flaunt his power so casually, as if it were a game? The weight of injustice pressed upon me, fueling a determination to survive.

"It took me a while to get here due to your friends"

The monster took slow, deliberate steps toward me, and I found myself paralyzed with fear. My body refused to respond, leaving me at the mercy of this abomination.

"Even though all of them died, they fought quite persistently, especially this one"

-burst!

The sight of him kicking Roger's severed head, causing it to burst into a gory mess, pushed me further into a state of helplessness.

Blood covered my terrified face.

My long-time companion and comrade, with whom I have laughed, cried, and shared everything in my life, his head was crushed like a watermelon in front of my eyes but I couldn't do anything!

Even though I am a 4 star knight myself, this damned disabled body of mine wouldn't let me use that power.

"Do you know what this is? "

He took out a small red pouch, swaying it back and forth in front of me. It seemed like he didn't even consider me as a threat.

He was completely Unguarded like he was telling me what can a disabled bastard like you could do to me?

It was really annoying yet at the movement, I thought of it as a blessing instead.

'Even Roger couldn't handle him, I need to find a way to escape.'

If a 3 star Aura knight like Roger couldn't defeat him, then there was no hope for a disabled man like me.

Even if I am a 4-star knight, with only my left hand, I am comparable to a 2 star knight at best. It would be like a hamster picking fights with a lion.

Despite my predicament, a glimmer of hope flickered within me. If I couldn't defeat this monster head-on, perhaps there was another way to escape. I scanned my surroundings, desperately seeking a path to safety while feigning compliance with the creature's taunting presence.

"What?... What's that? "

And then, I noticed it—a cliff loomed just behind me. It was a risky move, but if luck was on my side, it could be my ticket to survival. The poison-laced dagger concealed in my tunic remained unused, its potential as a weapon unclear. But my mind raced with plans, exploring every possible avenue for escape.

As my thoughts raced, a phrase caught my attention, piercing through the tumult of my mind. 

"It's an Artifact. "

The monster revealed, teasingly dangling the small pouch before my eyes. 

'Artifact?!!'

A surge of curiosity replaced my fear momentarily.

It is an artifact?

Now everything made sense, the reason why such a powerful being was attacking a mere merchant group and the reason why they were killing everyone even after obtaining the loot.

It was all because of that Artifact!

Artifacts—objects of immense value and power, capable of transforming one's fate with a single touch. The realization struck me: this creature was after the artifact held within that pouch, the very item responsible for the bloodshed and chaos that had befallen us.

'I heard that selling an artifact would be enough for Three generations to thrive... '

All the thoughts about survival that were in my mind stopped as my attention turned to the artifact in that monster's hand.

A mixture of greed and anger coursed through my veins. The allure of the artifact's potential wealth and influence clashed with my growing disdain for the senseless violence it had incited. 

Artifact is indeed an incredibly valuable treasure that could change the fate of men under a single night!

'But... Is that all? '

How could one object hold so much power, to the point where innocent lives were deemed expendable?

Just for an artifact, for a mere item that could grant them an ounce of power, these bastards slaughtered a whole merchant group including all those innocent porters and mercenaries?

Anger burst through my head just thinking about it.

why do innocent lives have to suffer just because of the greed of an individual?

Was being powerful meant they could do anything...?

Was being more powerful given them the right to kill...?

I thought about it and realized.

'.....That's right!'

I was once again reminded of the harsh reality. It was power all along.

That damned Dragon that destroyed my family, the tyrant King that took away my nobility, and even that bastard commander who kicked me out of the army, they all could act as they pleased because they had power.

Power and strength were the rules, and they had long become rulers looking down on us powerless beings.

This monster, too, was a manifestation of that power imbalance. He reveled in his dominance, taunting and terrorizing me with impunity. The realization steeled my resolve. I refused to succumb to the idea that power granted one the right to kill and oppress. If I couldn't overcome him physically, I would find another way.

"I heard that if you get involved with an artifact, you won't be able to meet an honorable truth, that was true... "

I couldn't see any escapes now that my mind was calm, every action of mine would lead to my death without exception.

But I still had an option.

As the monster approached, his arrogance radiating from every pore, I made my move.

"Spare me."

It may seem cowardly but my life was at stake here, if I can survive just by bending my head, I would do it a hundred times.

"I can't"

But of course, the monster has no intention of letting me go!

---***---