Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

Fokay – Forest of Asterion

It had been days since Sora met Kaden in this place, and she hadn't moved ever since.

Knowing that otherworlders from Darklore always appeared back at the spot they left, she was determined to wait for him, to catch him—and this time, she was ready.

She sat on a makeshift chair forged from pure golden flames, its surface swirling with silver stars that gave it a mystical, celestial glow—like a throne of divinity placed in the middle of the wild forest.

Behind her stood a man in full golden armor marked with the crest of Asterion, proud and bold on his chest. And if you looked closely at his face…you'd recognize him instantly.

Rome. The very same Kaden once threatened…and spared. All because he had a brother to care for.

He had changed since that day.

His aura was now dense and disciplined, no longer that of a mere soldier but a Master Rank fighter and more than that, he had succeeded in gaining Sora's trust, enough that she named him her personal knight.

A leap in status beyond his wildest dreams.

He once believed he'd live and die as nothing more than an average castle guard in the Golden Castle of the Forest of Eternal Sunshine—forgotten, nameless, irrelevant.

But fate decided otherwise. And all because he chose to stop being content with what he had. All because he chose to get serious.

And that change had a name or maybe not. Because he said he was nameless. But…

That blood-eyed boy who threatened him but also spared him. A boy who had reason to kill yet still showed mercy. That meant something.

That meant heart.

And for someone that young, tossed into a a zone that could have killed him…to make a decision like that?

That was worth respect.

And that was why…

"Rome, I will kill that bastard. I swear I will kill him," Sora said, her voice trembling with heat, so much that her breath warped the very air around her mouth, distorting it like a mirage over flame.

Rome smiled wryly, unsure what to say.

He had grown close to the princess. Close enough that she told him of a man who once blackmailed her.

She never said when. Never said how. Never even said what he used to blackmail her.

But Rome already guessed the first two.

What he didn't know was how that boy got leverage over her.

"My lady, please calm your anger," Rome offered carefully, but…

"I AM ALREADY CALM!" Sora roared, and the air around her ignited like dry wood catching fire.

"Don't tell me to be calm when I am already calm. Are you provoking me now?" she added, snapping like a thunderstorm in full rage.

Rome didn't flinch. He had grown used to Sora's volatility. So instead, he did what he did best,

"My lady, how dare I?"

"I am only trying to ease your heart, to protect you from thoughts unworthy of your attention. You are the princess of the Celestial Empire, you are our Trésor and our gem. Your anger belongs only to those worthy of it—not some worthless man," he said smoothly.

And like magic, it worked.

Sora calmed down. She even smiled, lifting her chin with pride.

"Indeed. I am an Asterion. What can that Warborn possibly be in front of me, huh?" Her voice oozed arrogance, as if the very idea amused her.

But her words made Rome pause.

"A what, my lady…?" he asked, just to confirm he heard her right.

"A Warborn. What? You scared now? Don't be."

"You're my personal knight, Rome. Nothing will touch you," she added with a hand to her chest, her tone filled with absolute certainty.

Rome nodded slowly, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

'A Warborn… Dain's brother?'

He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

'So I've met two Warborns now. One saved me from a beast… the other tortured me, then let me go. What kind of twisted fate is this?'

But this only made his decision clearer.

He could not go against Kaden.

'I need to find a way out of this. But my lady… she's so damn stubborn when it comes to him.' He sighed, deeply.

"But I wonder…" Sora muttered, her voice low as her eyes stared into the silent middle zone of the forest before she turned her gaze toward the outer zone.

"How was he able to destroy the entire outer zone, leaving nothing behind but bloody fog and beast corpses, and even here, kill everything without even a single of drop of blood left behind and their corpses?"

She couldn't help but question. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized…

Killing that boy would not be easy.

But…

'It's my secret that's at risk. I can't afford to let him go. Either he dies… or he swears on The Will to never mention that he saw me singing…' she thought grimly.

Rome caught the look on her face and knew she wasn't letting this go.

He sighed again.

'I wonder… is being her knight really a blessing?'

Because sometimes…

It felt more like a punishment.

…

Fokay – Graveyards of Monsters

Inara sat calmly atop the tombstone of Echidna, her legs crossed, her posture relaxed.

Her coronation was complete, Echidna had passed down the mantle, and Inara was now the heir.

Her appearance hadn't changed much, still the same vibrant green hair, the same slitted serpentine eyes but there was something else now. A glow. A presence. Her beauty had sharpened, her sensuality elevated.

And during her transformation, her origin core had become saturated.

And Echidna…well, Echidna had been generous enough to offer her a legendary evolution stone.

Yes. You read that right.

A legendary evolution stone.

If you knew where she started, you'd be speechless.

Once, she was a trembling girl chased by common green wolves. Now?

Now she didn't even have to move a finger to kill.

Her children would do it for her.

And soon… she'd be even worse. Even more obscene. Once she accepted the evolution quest tied to that stone.

Inara smiled. 'Indeed…being strong is the only—!'

"You fucking child!!" she screamed, her thoughts cut off as one of her leeches squirmed across her thigh without permission.

"I told you to stay still, you little shit! Why can't you listen?" She snatched it up in fury, resisting the urge to throw it into the ground.

"Kiek! Kiek!" The leech flashed its sharp teeth…grinning.

"You're laughing? Oh, so now you're laughing at me?" she asked sharply.

She dropped the leech onto the ground and pointed at it, her other four leeches already gathering near.

"You four. Beat this disrespectful bastard until he cries for his grandmother. Do that, and I'll reward each of you. Beat him even harder, and I'll double it."

And like little soldiers waiting for orders, the four leeches pounced.

Their screeches were wild. And if you were able to understand their language…

"GUYS! NO MERCYYYY!!!"

"YES! FOR MOTHER!!!"

"YOU FUCKING SIMPS!! I SWEAR I'LL REMEMBER THIS!! I'LL BURN YOUR NESTS TO THE GROUND IN THE FUTURE!!!"

Inara smirked, watching her rebellious child get jumped and brutalized.

"Serves you right. Laugh at me again, and I'll feed you to a goddamn bear," she muttered smugly.

What an immature, ridiculous mother.

She then turned her attention back to the evolution stone, now glowing in her palm. Slowly, she pressed a drop of her blood onto its surface.

And just like that…

DING!!

…Inara began her evolution quest.

—End of Chapter 117—