While Rin wrestled with the colossal phoenix deep within his mental domain, completely unaware of the events outside, the real world stood witness to a miracle that few had ever seen.
The moment Rin accepted the Phoenix's power, something extraordinary happened. A radiant figure of a golden phoenix erupted into existence above the small village. Its wings stretched wide, casting a shimmering golden light that covered the land like a second sun. The apparition hung there, hovering like an ancient god proclaiming to the world that a pact had been formed—a new master had been chosen.
Rin's little baby body throbbed with overpowering energy as the covenant took shape. His skin was saturated with pure golden light, and he gleamed like a little sun, as if the Phoenix's very soul were exploding from within him.
Graceful arcs of flame flowed through the sky as tendrils of spiritual energy spiraled into the air. Like a protective halo, the Phoenix's spiritual essence circled the town as it descended in a broad arc after spiraling high into the heavens.
The brutal massacre that had been unfolding came to an immediate halt. Knights and soldiers who had moments earlier been executing the king's cruel decree froze in place. Swords dropped from trembling hands. Some stumbled to their knees involuntarily, unable to bear the suffocating pressure that suddenly weighed down on them, as though an invisible giant had placed its foot upon their backs.
Robert and Marissa, two experienced knights, bowed profoundly as the Holy Beast's incarnation passed over them, not even daring to raise their heads. Even the most seasoned fighters were shaken to their very core by the Phoenix's tremendous authority radiating through the air. Everyone in the room realized right once that this was more than just a vision. This was the manifestation of a holy beast.
The people also knelt and prayed in wonder, their faces soiled with mud and streaked with tears.There was a feeling of warmth from the phoenix's aura, as if it were removing all visible and invisible wounds.
Broken bones straightened with hardly a whimper of agony, deep gashes mended as though patched by invisible threads, and bruises subsided. Even Marissa and Robert felt like their body has been rejuvenated to its optimum state. This was the healing power of the Phoenix—an ancient and sacred blessing.
The golden glow illuminated the village's edge, extending its reach far beyond. Although only a fragment of the true Golden Phoenix, the projection radiated enough power to threaten the entire kingdom itself. Its might was unmistakable.
Even King Aurelus, who had been calmly sipping his wine upon his throne, sensed the sudden appearance of the Golden Phoenix to the northeast. He rose to his feet instinctively, his expression clouded with conflicting emotions.
"This... this can't be..." he muttered, as yet another troubling thought weighed on his mind.
Robert, still kneeling, stole a glance at the source of this phenomenon. Rin, cradled gently in a small silk blanket, sat in serene meditation, untouched by the chaos around him.
This child… Robert thought, his heart pounding.
He is destined for the throne.
As if proclaiming its blessing to the heavens, the Golden Phoenix let out one final cry—a sound that echoed like a celestial trumpet. Slowly, it folded its enormous wings, its body shimmering as it broke apart into countless golden particles. The glowing fragments gently descended, merging with Rin's resting form and sealing their bond. On his chest, the mark of the Golden Phoenix remained, a symbol of their connection.
Rin's eyelids opened as the stifling pressure subsided and the brightness faded. His pupils, which had been lifeless due to infancy, were now flecked with gold and radiated the Phoenix's energy.
Golden wisps of aura circled around him like loyal sentinels. His infant body overflowed with power—raw, divine, and unmistakably of royal blood.
Robert recognized the aura instantly. It was identical to that of King Aurelus Goldflame himself—only denser, more vibrant. And not just the king. Auburn Goldflame, the genius mage born from House Glythorn, and Austaire Goldflame, born of Stormbold lineage, both bore this golden aura. Yet Rin's aura outshone them all.
"That aura... it's denser than even the two princes'," one knight whispered with wide eyes, barely able to contain his shock.
"I've heard that the density of the golden aura reflects the purity of the Phoenix bloodline," another knight responded, voice trembling. "If that's true... could this child possess a power that surpasses even the king's?"
Robert and Marissa exchanged glances, reading each other's thoughts without a word.
"No wonder the king wanted him dead," Robert whispered grimly. "It wasn't because he was merely born frameless. The king must have sensed the high purity of the Phoenix's blood in him."
"And knowing the king..." Marissa continued, her voice bitter, "he'd see any threat to his throne as an enemy."
Indeed, King Aurelus Goldflame, though seventy years old, maintained the appearance of a man in his early thirties, his longevity fueled by the regenerative powers of the Phoenix bound within him.
Obsessed with his own rule, Aurelus cared little for his offspring. He viewed himself as the eternal protector of Austerra, believing none but he was fit to rule.
His children, though princes by title, lived in gilded cages. Auburn and Austaire were raised separately by their respective queen consorts, while the king ruled alone, his iron grip over the kingdom unyielding.
The princes met their father only once every three months, subjected to cold evaluations of their growth and performance in their individual training. Beyond providing for their needs and offering distant counsel, Aurelus remained emotionally detached—focused solely on his own endless reign.
For him, there was no succession. There was only Aurelus.
Suddenly, a voice broke the heavy silence.
"W-What's happening?! W-Why does that child bear the insignia of the Holy Beast?" shouted Vandolph, the knight commander, who had just stumbled back onto the scene after recovering from his earlier wounds. His gaze fixed on Rin, wide with disbelief.
Before anyone could answer, chaos struck once more.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. From the shadows of the nearby trees, an arrow shot out like a blazing comet, racing toward the glowing infant.
[CRIMSON COMET]
The strike was fast, deadly, and aimed to kill the sleeping prince.
But Robert moved fast.
With the reflexes of a battle-hardened knight, he sprang into action, catching the arrow mid-flight and knocking it aside with a flash of his sword. The arrow exploded harmlessly in the distance, its shockwave shaking the trees but leaving the child untouched.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Robert growled, his sharp gaze locking onto the assassin crouched in the branches.
The archer stood tall, his emerald-glowing eyes indicating the active use of [Falcon Focus]. His bow remained steady, another arrow already nocked and aimed directly at Robert's head.
"I am simply carrying out my King's orders," the scout replied coldly. "Now stand aside, or you'll share his fate."
Before another shot could be fired, Vandolph moved, his massive frame stepping between the archer and his target. His dirty armor gleamed under the lingering golden glow as his voice boomed across the field.
"What are you doing, Scout Marvil? Did you not see the insignia of the Holy Beast? That child is royalty! As your commander, I order you to stand down!"
Marvil's gaze remained defiant. "I serve the king. The order was clear: eliminate the frameless child. No exceptions."
Another archer revealed himself from a different vantage point, his arrow similarly drawn and aimed at Rin. Tension soared as Robert and Marissa instinctively positioned themselves defensively around the baby, ready to sacrifice themselves if necessary.
"You dare defy your commander?" Vandolph's voice grew darker, his aura beginning to surge like an approaching storm. "You realize this is treason."
"And you defy the king?" Marvil shot back with venom. "You know as well as I do—the king tolerates no threat to his throne. If I succeed in delivering this child's head, perhaps His Majesty will finally reward me with the station I deserve."
Greed and ambition blazed in Marvil's eyes. Like many in the kingdom, he understood all too well that power was the only currency King Aurelus valued.
Taking the child's life could launch him to heights he'd never dreamed of.
The standoff reached its most intense moment as the distant rumble of galloping horses echoed through the air. The ground quivered beneath the pounding hooves of dozens of riders—reinforcements sent in response to the Phoenix's divine appearance, now rapidly approaching the scene.
Leading them was the king's envoy, clad in silver-and-black armor with the royal crest boldly displayed on his chestplate—a black phoenix surrounded by a crown of flames. His arrival instantly quieted the tense battlefield. Even Marvil lowered his bow, acknowledging the envoy's higher authority.
"Lower your weapons," the envoy ordered, his voice sharp and cold like tempered steel. "By royal decree, no further action is permitted until His Majesty decides."
The scouts hesitated but obeyed, while Robert and Marissa allowed themselves a brief, cautious breath. Vandolph stepped aside, though his eyes stayed alert.
The envoy's icy gaze settled on the glowing infant. A faint, unreadable smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So... the forgotten prince survives," he whispered. "Things just got more complicated."
As the sun dipped behind the horizon, stretching long shadows across the blood-soaked village, it was clear—Rin's fight for survival was far from over.
The envoy's sharp eyes narrowed as he arrived at the chaotic scene. From atop his jet-black stallion, he witnessed the knights embroiled in tense conflict, their swords drawn, their loyalties divided. Displeasure flickered across his face for only a moment before his voice boomed across the clearing.
"Bring me the child!" His words cut through the air like a blade. Yet his excited gleam betrayed him—he had his own ambitions for the infant prince. He too knew the king well that his plan will only bring him success.
"Tch!" Marvil grit his teeth, furious at his missed opportunity to claim the prize himself. His fingers twitched around his bowstring, but he dared not defy the envoy directly.
"Just in time..." Vandolph exhaled with a sigh of relief, believing the emissary had arrived to deescalate the crisis. However, his relief was short-lived.
"The one who shall sever the head of the threat to the kingdom... will be me!" The envoy's proud declaration sent a chill down Vandolph's spine. With a swift motion, his armor clanged as he unsheathed his sword, its polished blade gleaming in the dim light under his dissapointed eyes.
Standing a few feet behind Robert, Marissa subtly slipped a smooth, heart-sized stone from beneath her cloak and whispered urgently to him, "Are you ready?"
Robert nodded sharply without hesitation. "Do it."
Marissa's fingers danced across the Waystone, tracing glowing runes as she murmured an incantation, her voice steady and practiced.
But one of the sharp-eyed archers noticed the faint light pulsing from her wand. Without hesitation, he shouted, his arrow already drawn and aimed at her.
"Stop the mage!"
Vandolph instinctively turned, realizing too late what was happening. But Robert was already moving.
"Sorry, Commander," Robert muttered with his fist covered in fiery aura.
[IMPACT BURST]
WHAM!~
With a single devastating blow, Robert's fist collided with Vandolph's chest. The commander's heavy armored body was sent hurtling several meters back, crashing into the envoy who had just jumped down from his horse.
"Dont let them get away! Kill them!" The envoy commanded furiously, his face filled with dirt and grasses from his bad landing.
[FALCON FOCUS]
Robert triggered his combat skill, heightening his reflexes to near-superhuman speed. In one seamless motion, he spun around, swatting away incoming hail of arrows and spells with pinpoint accuracy. Every strike was precise, every deflection perfectly timed.
Meanwhile, Marissa kept chanting, her focus unbroken. The magic circle beneath her feet expanded, becoming more elaborate with every passing moment. The runes etched into the Waystone blazed brighter as the portal neared activation.
"They're trying to teleport! Stop them!" one of the mages shouted, recognizing the intricate ancient runes swirling along the circle's outer edge.
"Just where did this mage came from? How can she cast that fast?" one of the mage commented, noticing the extraordinary casting speed that Marissa can do.
Without hesitation, the remaining knights surged forward, swords drawn, desperate to prevent their escape.
"Oh, hell," Robert cursed between clenched teeth as he danced between incoming attacks. His arms moved like blurs, barely keeping up with the relentless assault. "Marissa!"
"Three more seconds!" she called back, her voice tight with concentration.
"That's more like three hundred years!" Robert shouted in exasperation, then yanked a small black vial from his pouch.
"Hold your breath! It's a poison fog potion!" he shouted, selling the lie with all the urgency he could muster. He knew he couldn't risk exposing the child to real danger, but all he could do now was pray they'd believe him.
With a forceful throw, he slammed the vial to the ground. The glass shattered instantly, unleashing a dense, swirling black mist that spread like a living cloud.
The 'toxic' fog quickly engulfed the area, swallowing the battlefield in suffocating darkness.
"Sh*t—that's his poison fog!" Vandolph, still recovering from Robert's earlier punch, scrambled to avoid the spreading cloud. He recognized the telltale color immediately. Robert wasn't just a skilled knight; he was a master potion-maker who had long experimented with dangerous concoctions.
Vandolph's mind flashed back to a disturbing memory: Robert once brewed a seduction potion so potent that its unfortunate victim had been trapped in a state of uncontrollable lust for three full days before the antidote was found. The man had sworn never to drink anything Robert made again.
But this black fog was far deadlier.
The Poison Fog was one of Robert's most infamous creations—strong enough to kill most humans after a few breaths and even capable of felling tier-three beasts if exposed long enough. The knights who knew its reputation fled from the mist in panic, but a few, either too brave or too ignorant, foolishly charged ahead.
"Clear the fog! Now!" barked one of the mages.
[WIND BLOW]
A ball of compressed air swirled in his hands before launching toward the fog. The moment it struck, the sphere detonated, blasting the toxic fog apart in a powerful burst. The force knocked several knights off their feet, leaving them gasping and coughing from the lingering fumes. As the smoke cleared, what remained was a scene that left them stunned.
The broken hut where the child once lay was now empty. The cradle had been overturned. Only unconscious knights remained, strewn across the clearing like discarded dolls. And in the distance, a faint glowing trail of residual mana stretched northeast, leading toward the forbidden forest of Runewood.
"They escaped..." one of the mages whispered, his face pale.
"It seems the mage had a Waystone prepared," another mage assessed, narrowing his eyes. "Judging by the trail, they're heading toward the Landing Circle near Luwas Outpost. Beyond that is Runewood."
At the mention of Runewood, the entire company stiffened. The forest was infamous—a cursed land ruled by the savage Dark Elves. No ordinary man dared venture into their domain. After all, only few who entered ever returned.
Vandolph clenched his fists in frustration, his mind racing. A part of him regretted not siding more firmly with Robert and Marissa earlier. Had he acted sooner, perhaps the child would have been safely hidden already.
"We'll discuss your failure later," the envoy said coldly, casting a sharp glance at Vandolph before turning his focus to the task ahead.
"Prepare to pursue!" the envoy barked. "That promotion child is mine!"
His voice dripped with greed, his ambitions laid bare.
Without delay, the three mages activated another teleportation circle but only slower than Marissa since they would be taking more people with them. Arcane runes ignited along the ground, swirling upward as the circle expanded, its light bathing the soldiers in a pale glow.
After a minute of non-stop chanting, the envoy and his elite unit vanished into the portal, their hunt continuing with ruthless determination.
Somewhere, Rin was peacefully cradled in Marissa's arms as they streaked through the interlinked landing circles, the danger was far from over. His tiny chest rose and fell softly, blissfully unaware of the storm that still pursued him.
Soon the envoy and his squad materialized with a flash of light at the primary landing circle in the heart of Luwas Outpost. But what greeted them was not what they expected.
The small, normally desolate outpost had transformed into a sea of chaos. People appeared in flashes from multiple teleportation circles like scattered bubbles surfacing from the depths. Dozens of families, servants, and commoners arrived in frantic waves, clutching bundles wrapped tightly against their chests. The narrow streets of the outpost, usually barren and silent, now teemed with the panicked voices of the desperate.
"This..." The envoy's eyes narrowed in disbelief, momentarily stunned. He had expected a quiet, empty place—a simple waypoint for his pursuit. Instead, he was met with the sight of frightened townsfolk flooding in from every direction.
As he scanned the crowd more closely, realization dawned - Robert and Marissa might be hiding the baby somewhere here.
"Sir," one of the mages reported, stepping beside him, "it seems... the children are being smuggled here to evade the king's purge."
The envoy's gaze sharpened, catching glimpses of women and men clutching tiny infants wrapped in cloth, shielding their faces as they slipped into the growing throng, vanishing into the bustling, overrun alleys of the outpost.
"So this is where they've been hiding them..." the envoy hissed through clenched teeth. His hand trembled with rage as he turned toward his men.
"This is my order!" he bellowed, his voice booming across the plaza. "Kill every child in this place!"
His soldiers hesitated, glancing at one another nervously as his ruthless command echoed over the panicked cries of the crowd.
Much to his frustration, the crowd refused to back down. Instead, they grabbed whatever weapons they could find, ready to defend the hidden children with their lives.
"This is enough of the king's tyranny! You want my baby? Then come and take him, you demon!" shouted a man in his thirties, drawing his blade and charging at the envoy's men.
His defiance ignited the fury of the other parents, and in an instant, the once desolate town descended into yet another blood-soaked battlefield.
Meanwhile, far from the spreading slaughter, Robert and Marissa sprinted through the dense underbrush outside Luwas Outpost, their breaths ragged but determined. In Marissa's arms, Rin remained asleep, his soft golden aura flickering faintly like a dying ember.
They ran toward a place few dared to approach—the ancient and forbidden forest of Runewood, a cursed domain whispered about in fearful tavern tales. It was the land of the savage Dark Elves—merciless, territorial, and hostile to humans.
But for Robert and Marissa, the danger behind them left no other choice