"Swear fealty to the monarch, Oathbound one."
[… What a ridiculous proposition.]
Upon hearing those words, the Lord of War let out a hollow laugh. Never once had he imagined he would hear such a proposal.To swear loyalty to another sovereign—no less, a human—and not just any human, but a Flamebearer?And the terms were even more absurd.
"You may not cause me any harm, and without my permission, you cannot even mock the Oathbound. The rest of the terms will be decided at the time of the contract."[Have you gone mad?]
At this point, his disbelief turned into seething anger.Just what did this person think the Lord of Stars was?
[A monarch on the brink of annihilation… Did you think I'd accept any proposal under such desperation? If that's the case, you're gravely mistaken.I'd rather face extinction than become a mere human's slave.]"Did you not say you wanted revenge against the Lord of Justice?"[If I become your slave… will I really be able to achieve that revenge? No, the chances are still bleak… In the end, I'll only meet destruction all the same…]
He truly did want revenge. That was why he chose to flee, taking on countless disguises in search of the opportunity.But it was never to become a human's slave.Could he really exact revenge on the Lord of Justice by becoming this human's servant?There was no certainty. He might only suffer more and then perish.
[Your proposal… is—]"What if the odds are not bleak? What if you could truly have your revenge?"
[… Just what are you trying to say?]
Your proposal is unacceptable. Present different terms.That was what the Lord of War had intended to say.But Han Yuseong interrupted him and suddenly closed his eyes.
"Read my thoughts."[Thoughts…?]
The Lord of Stars could read the thoughts and memories of the Oathbound.Naturally, it required the consent of the other party. It was possible without permission, but that came with several limitations.Lords used this ability as a test of loyalty, or to weed out potentially rebellious Oathbound.
"I'll grant you permission, so do it quickly—we don't have time."[I don't understand… any of this… this situation, all of it…]
Han Yuseong was not an Oathbound.However, he held the sacred relic in which a monarch's essence resided—And perhaps that was why this was possible. In fact, it worked.
The Lord of War squeezed out the last of his power.The sacred relic gave off a faint glow.
—
It was a glow shaped like a girl.That light flowed into Han Yuseong's mind. Surprisingly, it wasn't hot.Instead, it felt like something was gently piercing into his thoughts.And then, several memories surfaced.
[These are…]
His past life.The events Han Yuseong had experienced, the path he had walked—And the ending he had reached at the end of it all.
[You… what in the world are you…]
The Lord of War, having read Han Yuseong's thoughts, could not finish her sentence.And for good reason.Standing before her was a human who had once possessed the qualifications to ascend as a monarch—And yet had forsaken that right, choosing instead to return to the past.
[I… I can't believe it. Regression? Something like that shouldn't even be possible… And to throw away the right to ascend as a lord… How could you…]
The Lord of War recalled her own final memories:A destroyed Earth.Han Yuseong, having killed the Apostate just before ascension, only to fall into despair as he failed to deal with the one behind it all—Akiros.Only now did she understand.Why Han Yuseong had made such an outrageous proposal.
[… You were confident—because you had walked this path before.]"And with a monarch by my side, it'll only get easier."[And the fact that you've shown all this to me…]"You already know what that means, don't you?"
At that moment, she fully grasped the truth.Han Yuseong had revealed the secret of regression—a truth that absolutely must be kept hidden.If she refused his proposal, Han Yuseong would eliminate her.It would be simple: all he had to do was destroy the relic.
"You and I share a purpose. If you stand with me, you will witness the fall of the Lord of Justice. That's the reason I returned."[Ha… Hahaha! You're utterly mad! Arrogant beyond belief! The absurd thing is… there's reason behind your madness.]
The Lord of War let out a laugh.She had steeled herself to endure all manner of humiliation—But never to become a human's slave. That much had been certain.And yet now, an intense curiosity toward the man before her had ignited.Even about the "war" he would one day wage.
[What can you offer me?]"I'll save you from annihilation. I'll help you bring down the Lord of Justice—Akiros.And I'll make you a monarch more powerful than Akiros himself.That is the condition I offer you."[And in return, I become your slave?]"It's a chance to witness Akiros' downfall from the closest seat in the house."
Han Yuseong smiled—A predator's smile, steeped in hunger and ambition.
"Will you stand with me?"[…]
The Lord of War remained silent.Reason screamed that this was madness.A monarch becoming the slave of a human? Unprecedented.And yet… she wanted to see it.
[Very well, human… no—Han Yuseong.]
She wanted to see the path this man would carve.The war he would bring.The fall of Akiros.And her own place beside him.
[I, the Lord of War… shall accept your proposal.]"Good. Then let's start with the oath."
Han Yuseong began writing characters in the air with the Quill of Oath.It was a contract that included everything previously discussed.
"The term is five years. If I die before then, or if the conditions are not fulfilled by the end of the term, the oath will be automatically nullified."[Truly ominous... this contract is filled with all sorts of toxic clauses...]
The Warlord, who had read the contract thoroughly, was at a loss for words.It was a contract entirely in Han Yuseong's favor.He had heard that the Quill of Oath only works when both parties propose balanced conditions.Could this really be considered balanced?
[The Quill of Oath measures the balance of the conditions.][These conditions are balanced. The contract can be executed.]
[Unbelievable! Could the quill be malfunctioning?!]"I extracted it directly from the Eye of Knowledge. There's no way it's wrong."
The Warlord let out a hollow laugh.That's how significant Han Yuseong's offer was. He promised to save the Warlord, who stood at the brink of extinction, and make him stronger than Akylos.He even offered to help bring about the downfall of Makylos.On top of that, he included termination clauses like time limits and death.There was no choice but for the terms to be considered balanced.
"Just sign it. We're practically at the end now."[...To a lord, five years is no different from a blade to the throat.]
After signing his name in the air, Han Yuseong handed over the quill.A flame in the shape of a girl bloomed from the castle and grasped the quill.The Warlord swallowed hard, then boldly signed his name in one stroke.
It was a sign that he had cast away all hesitation.
[During the duration of this oath, I shall watch over you to see if you can uphold it. As long as the oath remains in effect, I shall be with you.]
The inscriptions carved in the air began to glow.Then they were absorbed into the quill, forming an unbreakable bond between Han Yuseong and the Warlord.
— The oath has been sealed.
Han Yuseong checked the information window of the Quill of Oath.It showed that a new oath with the Warlord had been added.An oath that could not be broken unilaterally by either party had been sealed.
But there was still one more contract to be made.
[Normally this would be done with more formality, but we lack the time. Plebian Han Yuseong, will you become my oathbearer?]"Yes, I will contract with the Warlord of War."
It was a contract with the Eye of the Stars.An informal contract—yet one with undeniable effects.
[You have entered into a contract with
Then appeared the blessing—Similar to the Blessing of Trials obtained after conquering the Tower of Trials.But Han Yuseong did not have high expectations.
[Blessing of War (Common)]
* All stats +2
* Attack power +2%,
* Skill damage +2%
He had expected the blessing to be weak.
He knew it... but even so, this felt a bit much.
"What a garbage blessing."
[Truly... I have no words to argue...]
A Lord's blessing grows stronger based on the power their Eye possesses.
The Eye of War had only barely escaped destruction and was barely stabilized—so its power, understandably, was weak.
"It doesn't even come close to the blessing from the Tower of Trials."
It was worse than expected—so much so that it was genuinely surprising.
Even the Eye of War seemed flustered upon seeing how weak the blessing was.
It was the kind of awkward embarrassment that comes when you didn't realize how much you'd declined.
She likely hadn't expected to be this weakened either.
[W-With time… and if you just give me more coins… I can grant you a much better blessing… I could even appoint you as my Apostle…]
"So in the end, it all depends on what I do, huh? Well, that's not so bad."
Just as Han Yuseong had returned and was starting over from the beginning,
The Warlord of War was also starting from scratch, having lost everything.
There was something comforting about being in the same position—it wasn't a bad feeling.
Above all, Han Yuseong was confident he could grow quickly, so it didn't matter.
"I do have a few more things to say, but let's talk about them later."
Han Yuseong turned his head.
Footsteps had approached right up to where he stood.
It meant the Oathbearers of Justice—or perhaps those from another Eye—had arrived in the area.
"Dealing with those guys comes first."
'A good chance to test out a new skill.'
Han Yuseong used a skill he received from Jeong Seohyun:
"This is it!""Damn it, finally…!""We're not too late, are we?"
A group of players arrived at their destination.A vast space with a metallic door.The players who rushed inside stopped cold at the horrific scene before them.
"W-What the hell? They're all dead? Were they killed by the Guardians?""No, those are stab wounds—looks like... they were finished off…""Seems like there was infighting. Looks like they turned on each other."
The scene was filled with destroyed Guardians and countless corpses.The Oathbearers of Justice had met a gruesome end. Perhaps they had slaughtered each other in a bout of infighting.Among them, a familiar woman stood out.
"Is that... Jeong Seohyun?""Her face is smashed in, so I can't say for sure, but I think you're right. Damn… she was known as a top-tier rogue…"
"Enough. We'll worry about that later. Weapons ready!"
The players quickly shifted into combat stance.They held their breath and stared beyond the metallic door.
"This is our chance. Judging by the fact that all the Oathbearers of Justice are dead, it means no one's secured the Eye of War yet. If we get our hands on it...""...our Lord will be most pleased.""Yeah, and we might even earn a royal catalyst."
Tense, eager smiles spread across their faces.Feeding a loss to the Eye of Justice would bring even more satisfaction.Anticipating their rewards, the players cautiously approached the metal door.
"Be careful. Seeing those corpses, there's probably some sort of trap.""Could be mind control or an illusion. Be ready to dispel it.""Yes, understood."
The players stepped through the metal door—And confusion immediately spread across their faces.
"What… is this?""There's nothing here."
Beyond the metal door, there was truly nothing.Only a pile of corpses and an empty altar.It looked like there had once been something important on that altar—but now, it was completely bare.
"No way… did we miss it?! Someone already took it?""T-That can't be. We didn't run into anyone on the way here. If someone had taken it and fled, we would've crossed paths.""Damn it... what the hell is going on...?"
The players cursed under their breath in frustration as they glanced around the area.And at that very moment, they felt it.
Shhhk—!
A breeze brushing past their cheeks.At the same time, the strong scent of blood wafting into their nostrils.And then—something slipped between them.A presence.
As soon as they sensed it, they tried to react—But it was too late.
BOOM!
A shadow-cloaked fist slammed into the ground—
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
"Gahhh—?!""W-What the—?!"
A storm of blood rose,And by the time they could process it, their bodies had already been torn apart in a whirlwind of carnage.