"The alliance has begun," said the king.
The elders looked at each other with concern.
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" the second elder asked with a hint of unease.
"The demonic path alliance has begun their attack on our kingdom, and afterward, the Kingdom of Elthera and the Kingdom of Dravonia.
And their leader… is of the sixth rank…"
Hearing these words, Var Kan's eyes snapped open.
"Your Majesty, when exactly will they arrive?" Var Kan asked.
"Around five months — the entire army. This information is still not officially confirmed," said the king.
"But… when you see someone wearing an outfit with a dragon symbol, fight them or run."
"All your ranks are too low. You must at least reach the fifth rank…"
"We will not close our borders; we'll keep them open for the other two kingdoms. We may support them in the event of war, but if they attack us first, we will aid no one," the king said firmly.
"Now, the hall is open — let the feast begin," he added with a slight smile.
The elders began drinking — all except for Var Kan.
"I apologize — I must leave," Var Kan said as he rose from his seat.
"Is there a problem, Fourth Elder?" the third elder asked, grabbing his arm.
"No, no, I'm just tired," Var Kan replied.
The third elder released his grip, and Var Kan left, closing the door behind him.
"Damn it… a sixth-rank warrior," he muttered anxiously.
"This is really bad… He's even stronger than the king. If he's more experienced, even the kings of the dominions won't stand a chance against him."
…
Now in the purple chamber, a lone figure studied special ability formulas — Var Kan.
"I must eliminate the unnecessary ability formulas and keep only the essential ones."
"I'm improving slowly, but I need to recall my previous life's abilities and use them with this body," Var Kan said thoughtfully.
"The only issue… I'm still at the fourth rank. Even with abilities, they won't be strong enough. But at the fifth rank, they'll reach an entirely different level."
Inside his soul resided the Red River, carrying important ability formulas — ones he was refining.
The color of these rivers varied by rank: white for the first rank, yellow for the second, blue for the third, red for the fourth, and purple for the fifth.
"Yes… my abilities: Blazing Palm Technique, Panther Movement Technique, Black Tree Technique…"
"In my previous life, when I was of the fifth rank, these abilities were mine… Yet their quality will decline compared to my current rank."
"Haha… It doesn't matter. As long as I refine these abilities, I'll be able to face a fifth-rank opponent," he smiled.
"Damn it… The Panther Movement Technique requires at least the legs of a panther," he muttered in frustration.
He began thinking of solutions.
"No, no… I'm not confined to this kingdom. I'll head to the markets and see how much a tamed panther costs."
Knock knock.
"Who's there?"
"Fourth Elder, are you here?" It was a familiar voice.
Var Kan rose from his bed and opened the door to find the third elder, his eyes innocent.
"Let's go," said the third elder.
"Alright, I'm coming."
They began walking together, eventually leaving the royal palace.
"Are you training hard?" the third elder asked.
"I'm not like I used to be," Var Kan feigned indifference.
"If you ever need help, come train with me," the third elder said sincerely.
"I will…"
"Slaves, slaves, slaves for sale — three dirhams each!" called out a vendor.
"Sadly, our dominion has recorded the highest slave sales on the continent," the third elder said with pity.
"Those who place no value on their own lives… Do you think they'll fight for their rights?" Var Kan's words surprised the third elder.
"You're right," he nodded in agreement.
"We'll stay here for two days and return, so don't worry about lodging," the third elder said with a smile.
Var Kan glanced at him.
"He didn't notice…?"
"We're being watched closely. The only thing I saw was the dragon symbol," he said with concern.
"I feel like something's about to happen, Third Elder."
"Haha, don't worry. This small town has the lowest recorded rates of murder and theft," the third elder reassured him.
…
Deep in a forest, they approached a natural hut where they would stay for two days, evaluate the town's state, and then return to the kingdom.
"One… two… hmm… one behind us and one ahead," Var Kan observed.
"They're both of my rank," he thought as his eyes sharpened.
"Third Elder, there are peop—"
"I know," the third elder interrupted with a smile.
"So… he knew?" Var Kan thought, glancing at him.
"What will you decide, Third Elder? Let's see your choice in this difficult moment," Var Kan mused internally.
"We'll follow the king's orders — fight or flee."
"And of course… we'll flee. Head east, then return south. We'll meet there."
They split, each taking a different direction. Their pursuers also split, each following one of them.
"Will you be alright, Third Elder? If I win, I'll gain a valuable prize — mid-stage against peak-stage."
Var Kan laughed, then turned swiftly, leaping toward his pursuer from the demonic path alliance.
"Come at me!" he grinned brightly.
…
The End.