Skyfall Archipelago – Outer Realm of the Blade Empire
The sea wind tasted of salt, blood, and magic.
Ren stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Blade Empire's outer isles. The terrain was brutal—towering cliffs, sharp stone spires, and islands chained together by bridges made of living steel. The skies teemed with winged beasts, and on the ground below, armored warriors clashed in ritual duels.
This was a realm where strength was law, and beauty was forged in fire.
He liked it already.
"This world… it's wild," Ren muttered, letting a breeze push his hair back. "But even wild things kneel to shadow."
With a flick of his fingers, shadow tendrils crept across the ground like ink, sinking into the soil. The Pocket Hunting Dimension opened behind him, invisible to mortal eyes. Its portal shimmered, waiting patiently for its master to begin his conquest anew.
He turned as a figure approached.
She came from the mist—a warrior maiden, her eyes fierce, sword drawn, dressed in crimson and obsidian armor. Her steps were light, yet carried authority. A general. No… an heir.
"You stand on imperial ground, outsider," she said. "State your name, or die with it forgotten."
Ren smiled. She's beautiful, he thought.
"I'm Ren. Shadow Monarch. King of the Infinite Path. And you…?"
The woman hesitated. His aura was overwhelming—like standing in front of a storm held together by will alone.
"Lian Yue. Princess of the Blade Empire. And you've trespassed."
Ren stepped forward, shadows rippling around his boots. "I haven't trespassed. I've arrived. There's a difference."
Lian Yue raised her blade, but her eyes flickered. Conflicted. Curious.
"We do not take kindly to arrogant men here."
"Good," Ren said, chuckling. "I'm not a man you take kindly. I'm a man you kneel to—or fight and lose to."
Lightning flashed in the sky above them as the pressure between the two surged. But before blades could clash, a sky beast dove from the clouds—massive, serpentine, ancient.
Ren didn't flinch. With a single word—"Submit."—his shadows erupted, coiling around the beast like a net. It let out a roar before being swallowed whole and bound into his growing shadow legion.
Lian Yue's blade faltered.
"That was… a Sky Devourer. Even our warlords can't bind them alone…"
"I'm not your warlords," Ren said, stepping close. His voice dropped. "I'm the one who will take your kingdom. And you… if you're worthy."
Her cheeks flushed, caught between rage and something she hadn't felt before—intrigue. Her blade lowered slightly.
"What do you want?"
"Everything," Ren replied. "Your throne. Your secrets. Your beauty. But don't worry—those I take, I keep. And I cherish."
She didn't answer.
Not yet.
But she didn't run either.
Elsewhere – The Whispering Mountains
Word spread quickly. An unknown power had emerged in the east—one who commanded shadow and beast alike, who faced the Sky Devourer bare-handed and tamed it in seconds.
Some feared him. Others hungered to challenge him.
And among them was a sleeping soul beast, bound in human form—a thousand-year-old beast-woman named Feiyan, known for slaughtering armies during the last Beast Uprising.
"He tames what should not be tamed," Feiyan whispered, watching Ren from afar. "Perhaps… it's time I was conquered."
To Be Continued…