A vast kingdom, adorned walls, large palaces.
"A second life in a new body..." "This body has a fourth rank, peak stage." "I haven't fully understood this body from the inside yet, not even its ability formulas," Farkan said anxiously.
So many people, so many servants, so many slaves. Farkan walked with overwhelming presence, bearing the position of the Fourth Elder...
"Welcome, Fourth Elder." "Welcome." "Take this wine as a gift, Fourth Elder."
"You people are just filth. You think your lives will always be happy just because you obey this king," Farkan said with a sense of pity for them.
He had reached the largest gate among all the palaces.
The King's Palace
"Fourth Elder, please come this way," said the palace guard.
"Can I see his rank?" Farkan was surprised by the secrets of this body.
He entered and found a massive table full of enticing food, and in front of them sat the king.
"The king, the First Elder, the Second Elder, the Third Elder."
He greeted them and sat in his chair.
"How are you, Fourth Elder? You seem to have grown a bit bigger, haha (just kidding)," said the Third Elder with an innocent smile.
"Haha, do I really look like that? How have you been?" Farkan replied with a slight hint of worry.
"Yes, I'm fine. How about we go out tomorrow?" the Third Elder suggested.
"Where to?"
"To the small towns in our province. We haven't been there for a while, just you and me."
Farkan recalled some memories... the owner of this body had been a friend of the Third Elder.
"If I'm not busy, I'll definitely come."
"Thank you... By the way," the Third Elder started to say.
"Silence," the king commanded.
A hush fell over the hall.
"We are here to discuss an important event; the feast hasn't started yet. We must wait for the remaining elders to hear about the event," the king said, his aura overwhelming the entire palace.
"There are about five minutes left for the other elders to arrive. They've become negligent..." the king said in a rough voice.
He was at the fifth rank, peak stage — the strongest person at the table and in the entire kingdom.
Farkan glanced at the three elders, and his attention was drawn to one person...
It was the First Elder, with cold eyes and a terrifying aura among the elders. He wore a red robe and had red hair.
"Even you?" Farkan's eyes widened.
"I can see his rank... fourth rank, upper stage," he thought silently.
"Do they see what I see? Does the king see what I see?"
"Wait... wait... is my rank stronger than his?" Farkan was shocked.
The kingdom's system stated that the king's position changed in two cases:
First, when an elder's rank surpassed the king's, which would mean the elder had surpassed the king — an event considered a miracle.
Second, when the king died, the First Elder would take his place.
The elders were always ranked according to their power levels.
"So... why am I not the First Elder? Unless the owner of this body was cunning too... there's a monthly magical inspection to determine the elders' ranks. This must mean there's some ability in this body that conceals its true rank and presents a false one," Farkan thought with full focus.
"Hehehe, this also means there's another ability that lets me see others' ranks."
The remaining elders entered together: the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Elders.
They greeted everyone and sat in their chairs.
"What is this feeling? I sense an aura of hatred directed at me."
Farkan looked at the elders and was surprised.
"The Fifth and Sixth Elders are looking at me with hatred and resentment. Haha, now that I know more, I'll see who'll become a useful pawn and who'll be a dirty enemy — and I'll deal with them accordingly," Farkan spoke confidently.
With his 1000 years of experience, not even the king would be a threat to his life. If Farkan wanted to deceive them or eliminate them, it would be nothing out of the ordinary.
"Everyone, pay attention. This gathering was for everyone. It's considered a feast, but at the same time, it's a meeting because something unexpected happened in the past two days," the king said with a worried tone.
All eyes turned toward the king — except for two people who remained unaffected: the First and Fourth Elders.
...
End of chapter