Forbidden: Max level warrior

The chamber was lit by cold candlelight, but to Ann and Avera, standing unseen in the void between reality and unreality, it might as well have been a theater stage.

Warden Malric stood tall in his war room, draped in arrogance and ambition. Before him knelt two men, shadows in noble cloaks. One was the High Justicar Taimen, and the other—Lord Rhenver Myrel, merchant king of the underworld and master of secrets.

"Now that the false Demon Lord business is out of the way, it's settled," Malric said, his voice low and commanding. "In two weeks, the Scarlet-Flame Kingdom falls."

Avera flinched beside Ann.

"They've promised me kingship," Malric continued. "A vassal crown. I'll lead this kingdom under their flag, and I'll do so with fire and order. No more delays. I've served this kingdom for over two decades and not even a single promotion or even words of Appreciate, it's truly ungrateful and it deserves to perish"

Rhenver folded his fingers. "We just hope the commander is ready to strike the king when the time comes!"

Malric smiled darkly. "Alvar is with us. He always was. The Royal Knights follow a man who's already laid down his sword before our future masters. I'd love to see the look on the king's face when he's struck in the heart by the same man he trusts blindly."

Avera froze. Her breath caught. The name struck like a hammer.

"Alvar?" she whispered. "No... not him..."

Ann looked sideways at her as her knees buckled slightly. He didn't reach out to hold her, but he didn't need to. Everything was falling apart too quickly. The man she had respected and looked up to ever since she was a child... was a traitor?

"Sometimes," he said quietly, "reality isn't broken—it was always cruel. We just lived in denial."

Tears gathered in her eyes, but she nodded. Not because she accepted it—but because there was no denying it.

Malric's tone grew cautious.

"However... there is a complication."

He stepped to the side, flicking a finger toward the map at the center of the room. "The Demon Lord. Ann. I've likely won our political game—but who knows if he'll interfere with our plans? He's an uncalculated error."

Taimen hissed. "You've seen him in action?"

Malric nodded. "More than that. I've survived him."

Rhenver's eyes narrowed. "Assessment?"

Malric's lips curled.

"Level 140, if we're being generous. No known limits. Probably the strongest man in this kingdom—or maybe even the continent."

He turned toward the shadows. "Warn the Elderglow Kingdom. Tell them we're dealing with something off the charts. When the time comes, it has to be full force. That might just be enough to overpower the false Demon Lord if he decides to act."

---

Avera turned sharply to Ann.

"We can't let this stand. He's not just corrupt—he's a traitor. And so is Alvar. We have to stop them now."

Her crimson hair whipped in the ghost-wind of the astral field. Her fingers clenched into fists.

Ann's voice was calm. Too calm.

"I'm not a knight, Avera. I don't serve flags or kings. I made a deal with the Warden—and it's not over yet. It's a game. A fun one at that."

"A game?!"

"Yes. And it's about to reach checkmate."

Ann stepped forward, eyes glinting with eerie serenity.

"We'll force the foreign kingdom's hand—Elderglow or whatever. They'll strike within four days, not two weeks."

Avera reeled. "We won't be ready! We'll be slaughtered!"

Ann didn't blink.

"They have a Grand Mage—Level 103. A man known for absurd magical power. And not to mention, the very man who I had thought was the greatest knight this kingdom had produced—Commander Alvar is also a Level 102. That's a problem."

"You're insane. Even if we had time, the highest-level warrior on our side is Lord Ordran, and he's only Level 99."

"You're right—I'm insane," Ann said with a smirk. "But I'm also prepared. I have a perfect plan—"

"—I'll die."

"What?"

"I'll let Malric kill me."

Avera's mouth fell open. "That's… suicidal!"

"It's strategy."

"But how—why—?"

"The only way to make them act faster is to let them believe I'm truly vulnerable. That there's a window where I can be killed—I want that window to be what creates a pathway for the way to come much faster"

Avera didn't fully understand, but her next question came anyway.

---

"And how do you plan to stop an invasion within four days?" she demanded.

"I don't," Ann said.

"What do you mean you don't?"

"I mean, when you see an ant crawling across your desk, do you draw up battle plans? Do you rally allies? I could solo all of humanity if I wanted. A single kingdom? That's nothing."

"But if the Warden is going to kill you—"

Ann raised a finger and pressed it gently against her lips.

"You ask too many questions," he murmured. "But perhaps you could say… death is just another illusion when you play above the rules."

---

Their surroundings twisted, colors fading into spirals of silver and blue. The war room collapsed around them like folding origami—and suddenly…

…they were standing once again in the grassy field outside Skyreach.

Wind moved again. Sound returned. Time breathed.

Avera blinked as if waking from a dream. Ann was already brushing dust from his coat.

"Go," he said. "Return to the capital. Report to Alvar."

"To report what?"

"What else? Report what you know."

"Why would I do that? Wouldn't that put us at a disadvantage?" she asked, frowning.

"No, it doesn't, dumbass."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're not going to tell him everything," Ann said. "Only that you managed to manipulate the Demon Lord into revealing a secret."

She folded her arms. "What kind of secret?"

Ann's voice dropped to a whisper.

"That I cannot die… unless struck by a Holy Sword, at midnight, on the full moon of the 6th month."

Avera's eyes widened. "That's tomorrow night."

"Exactly. Convenient, isn't it?"

"And after that?"

"I'll resurrect in three days… unless 1000 people are killed within three days of my death—within a 10-kilometer radius of my corpse."

Avera blinked. "Why are you telling them this?"

Ann smirked. "Because it's exactly what I want them to hear."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I'm Ann. Why wouldn't I know what I'm doing?"

---

Dawn crept over the hill as Avera arrived back at camp.

Her knights were gathering for final reports. Calden greeted her with a smile—oblivious.

She smiled back. But inside, her heart was hollow. Her trust was shattered.

The kingdom she served wasn't what she thought. Her commander—a traitor. Her comrade—a spy.

All she had left was a purpose.

"We're returning to the capital," she announced. "It seems the false Demon Lord is more than we can handle. However, I managed to uncover a weakness. I must report to Sir Alvar."

She saw the satisfaction in Calden's eyes. It burned.

He knew. He knew Alvar was a traitor. Then he was also a spy for Elderglow kingdom.

---

Evening fell over Ann's estate like a curtain of dusk.

Lilly awaited him near the doorway, Skarn resting beside her like a coiled shadow.

"I'm back," she said, smiling faintly.

"Mission?"

"Successful."

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you," Ann said gently. "Rest. You've earned it."

She nodded and disappeared into the halls.

---

Alone in his room, Ann opened the system interface.

His fingers moved silently. A beam of light descended before him.

[Legendary Weapon Acquired – Blade of Ruin:Velkareth the shard of broken law]

The blade hovered in the air—long, silver-edged, with golden veins of celestial fire. The description glowed:

>"Once wielded by the Archangel to cut through Heaven and cast Lucifer into the Abyss. Forged to pierce Heaven itself—a plane of existence beyond time, causality, law, concepts and logic. Used to carve the bottomless Abyss that even reality fears."

Ann's breath caught.

Even he—at his level—felt the goosebumps.

He reached out, fingers brushing the hilt.

A surge of divine judgment shot through his bones.

"Maybe this," he whispered, "was a bad idea."

He set the sword on a velvet stand.

Stared out the window at the rising almost full moon.

"Now the game truly begins," he murmured. "It's about time to play God… and Devil."