"You and I draw power from the same source. But unfortunately, the power you wield now is one I have yet to master. Therefore, I need your strength to make myself stronger and more complete," Muria said softly.
Before him, the young officer Eric knelt, listening intently. He now roughly understood why he had felt so strange in the presence of his king. But while understanding the reason clarified his confusion, it also left him even more lost.
The truth was straightforward: his king had openly stated that he would take his power. Yet, because Eric was too weak at the moment, Muria told him to focus on cultivating himself first.
Although Eric was deeply loyal and admired his king greatly, the notion of losing his power made him uneasy. He was no mindless fanatic. Living in such turbulent times, he knew very well that losing his power would mean losing his life.
"I'm not asking whether you're willing to give me your power because the question is meaningless. Whether you consent or not, I will take your power. You have no choice," Muria said, walking over to Eric and patting him on the shoulder. "However, you are not my enemy. You are a soldier who fights for me, and I will never treat you unfairly. When I take your power, I will grant you even more in return. So, is there anything you want?"
"I... I want to become a marquis!" Eric blurted out without much thought.
"You're not shy, are you?" Muria chuckled at the young officer's bold request. But he wasn't surprised—someone raised in a military system that rewarded merit with titles and honors would naturally have such ambitions.
"Granted," Muria replied readily, his tone open and decisive. "After you complete your ninth awakening and offer me your power, I will personally bestow a marquis title upon you."
"Ninth awakening?" Eric lifted his head in disbelief, staring at Muria. For the first time, he saw a side of his idolized king he hadn't known before—Muria's audacity. Offering power after achieving nine awakenings in exchange for a marquis title was almost comical. Anyone who reached that level of power could easily earn the title of marquis on their own, even without Muria's favor.
"Does it seem too difficult? Fine. Let's say eight awakenings instead. That's the minimum requirement, though. No lower than that," Muria said, noticing the young officer's stunned expression and adjusting his terms. Each awakening doubled the difficulty of the previous one, making it exponentially harder to achieve.
"Eight awakenings?" Eric's face grew even more peculiar. If achieving nine awakenings made a marquis title a certainty, eight awakenings would make it practically guaranteed. Even a mindless fool could secure such a title with that level of power.
"Still think it's too hard? Well, this is as low as I'm willing to go. Rest assured, all the resources you need for cultivation will be provided without limit. Whatever you require, I will supply," Muria said confidently.
"But, Your Majesty, if I attain the power of eight awakenings, I wouldn't need to rely on you to make me a marquis. I could carve out my own path on the battlefield," Eric replied, his tone shifting. Having realized a certain aspect of Muria's personality, he began thinking more critically.
"You want something else instead?" Muria asked with a knowing smile. It seemed his attempt to corner the young officer had failed faster than expected.
"Exactly," Eric nodded fervently. Using the power of eight awakenings to trade for a marquis title was absurd. With such power, he could secure the title on his own in battle.
"Alright, what do you want, then?"
"I..." Eric hesitated, now unsure. Without the marquis title, the pinnacle of his ambitions, he didn't know what to ask for.
In his worldview, power brought everything. The marquis title that so many soldiers of the Seraphic Empire pursued could be easily obtained with sufficient strength. The same applied to almost anything else he might desire.
"…" Eric fell into silence, pondering deeply but unable to think of anything else to request.
"Nothing else you want besides the title of marquis?" Muria asked with a soft laugh, amused by the young officer's struggle.
At the same time, Muria internally marveled at the power of the military meritocracy under which Eric had grown. It had shaped individuals into bloodthirsty wolves and tigers, obsessed with combat and killing.
"No… nothing else," Eric admitted, unable to come up with any other desires to voice.
"Really? If that's the case, let me make a suggestion," Muria said, pacing slowly around the small single-occupant barracks. He then turned back to face Eric, who was still kneeling on the ground. "What about strength? Would you like that?"
"What?" Eric was confused.
"The power you currently possess is something I need and will take from you once you've completed eight awakenings. But I can grant you a different kind of power in return. What do you think of that?"
"That's… possible?" Eric's face lit up with excitement.
"Of course, it is," Muria replied matter-of-factly.
"That's amazing!" The young officer, overwhelmed with enthusiasm, clenched his fist in exhilaration.
"Looks like you're satisfied. In that case, focus on your cultivation. I'll assign someone to work with you. Whatever resources you need, just let them know, and they'll provide it," Muria said, patting Eric on the shoulder again. He seemed quite pleased with the young officer's reaction.
As a king, Muria believed his actions should be transparent and magnanimous. Even though taking his subordinate's power might sound unpleasant to outsiders, he was upfront about his intentions and offered appropriate compensation. With his status, he had no need to resort to covert tactics—that would be beneath him.
"Whoo…" After Muria vanished from the room, Eric leaned back, slumping to the ground in exhaustion and letting out a deep breath.
"What even was that?" Eric muttered with a bitter smile. The encounter had completely overwhelmed him. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his king would stand before him and say, "I need your power."
This unexpected turn of events filled Eric with both anxiety and anticipation. He couldn't predict what his future would hold, but he was hopeful. If his king needed him to achieve eight awakenings, then he trusted that the king and the empire would provide the support he needed to reach that goal.
Sure enough, a few days later, a mysterious figure cloaked in black, emanating an ominous aura, visited Eric's barracks in the dead of night. This figure asked him about his cultivation resource requirements.
When Eric listed what he needed, the enigmatic figure fulfilled his requests with astonishing speed. The resources he received were beyond what he could have ever imagined.
Apart from interacting with this unsettling figure and receiving an unrestricted supply of cultivation resources, Eric's life seemed largely unchanged. However, subtle differences became apparent upon closer observation.
For instance, everything Eric attempted seemed to succeed despite occasional setbacks. His luck had improved dramatically, as if he had become the protagonist of a legend.
Eric knew, however, that this so-called "protagonist's halo" had been forcibly bestowed upon him. He attributed all the positive changes in his life to Muria—and rightly so.
Giving Eric an extraordinary and flawless protagonist-like life was Muria's way of compensating him.
…
The world was ablaze with war and chaos—conflict, slaughter, death, and plunder defined the land. This was a world where even epic beings had fallen. But over time, the dominant melody of destruction began to shift.
Peace, stability, harmony, birdsong, blooming flowers, laughter—signs of an era of prosperity emerged in this chaotic world, or more accurately, within its most powerful nation, the Seraphic Empire.
Peace had begun to take root in the empire, even as the scent of war lingered. For the Seraphic Empire remained the world's greatest aggressor, waging war against nearly every other nation on the Seven Calamities World. It was an unprecedented scenario: an entire world united against one nation.
In this global conflict, countless heroes emerged, each one a shining star. Yet among them, none shone brighter than Eric. He was like the sun in the sky, eclipsing the brilliance of all other talents.
Now, this young man, hailed as the world's greatest genius and soon-to-be-marquis, walked into the imperial palace—the very heart of the Seraphic Empire's power, a place countless others could only dream of entering.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The tall and imposing general knelt on one knee, bowing to the unfathomable figure seated above him.
"Five years, and you've made remarkable progress—faster than I expected," Muria said, rising from his throne. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at the calm and mature man below.
"Your Majesty flatters me. Everything I've achieved is thanks to your guidance. Without you, I would still be just an ordinary officer," Eric replied humbly, his voice steady yet filled with respect.
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