Central Continent: Central Area: The Glacial Empire, ruled by the Glacial Royal Family, within the Ferras Kingdom, in the city of Lionheart—the capital of the Ferras Kingdom— at Midvest Academy.
A handsome young man with white hair and golden irises wore black, loose long robes as he stood calmly with his hands behind his back. He had long, pointed ears, and his robes were adorned with silver metallic ornaments. He wore dark, light boots as he stared at the barbaric man before him. He understood the man was from the barbaric tribes, which made him slightly interested in his strength. After all, his father had long taught him that the barbarians weren't given that title for no reason. They were all naturally born with strength capable of crushing skulls with a slap, and some could punch direct holes in mountains. Their bodies were truly hard to injure as well.
The young man in black robes stared at their instructor, waiting for the signal to begin the duel. After a few seconds, the instructor sighed. "Both of you be aware, while this domain allows for revival after death, it would be best if you both hold back." Staring at the youth with pointed ears, he spoke in exasperation. The instructor wasn't hiding his bias—he wanted to get the message across to the buff young man who stood holding a broad axe as tall as himself. His message was clear: "If you don't give up, you will die."
The young man with the axe harrumphed and said, slightly arrogantly, "Can we start?" The instructor could only sigh in regret and annoyance.
Brutus, the young barbarian, looked at the boy in front of him. He wasn't particularly unfazed, but the barbarian blood within him was stirred. He understood that the instructor wasn't trying to deter him because he thought he was incapable of beating his opponent. It was simply that the opponent before him was a true monster.
Kaien—the crown prince of the Sandrian Royal Family in the Northeastern continent. Brutus himself hailed from the same continent, so he wasn't ignorant of the crown prince's fame. It was said that the crown prince could potentially possess a legendary skill or even multiple. As if that weren't insane enough, some believed he also had a mythical skill. Of course, few doubted this, since mythical skills weren't something that touched the mortal realm that easily. They weren't called "mythical" for no reason.
Brutus wasn't sure if mythical skills even truly existed. He felt like they were just legendary skills that had surpassed level 50. After a tense staredown, Brutus bellowed as his body turned reddish, his muscles seeming as if they would rip out of his skin. He immediately charged toward Kaien, gripping his battle axe tightly as he swung it downward with tremendous force. A gust of wind cut toward the teenage elf, who stood still, looking up at the incoming attack.
Kaien moved to jump back to dodge the blow, but with an even quicker strike, the axe lifted off the ground as Brutus spun his body around, holding the axe steadily to cut the crown prince horizontally in half. Kaien was surprised—the attack came at the perfect moment. His feet had yet to touch the ground after he dodged the first blow.
Kaien moved inexplicably fast, yet the technique of his movement was mesmerizing. His speed caused onlookers to see his actions yet feel too slow to respond. His left hand remained behind his back, while his right hand caught the tip of the sharp metal axe between his fingers. He used the momentum of Brutus's swing to subtly guide the horizontal strike past his hips, grazing his clothes.
Brutus's instincts screamed at him—he was wide open for a counterattack. Fearing a strike too strong for him to handle, he tried to regain his footing, but the force of his swing was too great. However, just as he attempted to move himself out of harm's way, the force suddenly disappeared. He regained his footing in confusion, nearly stumbling. He wanted to figure out what had happened, but first, he needed to locate his opponent.
Brutus turned—Kaien was just standing there, not making a move at all.
Brutus tensed. His combat instincts rang alarm bells, but he couldn't understand why. He knew that was the perfect moment for Kaien to counterattack, yet he did nothing but stare.
Suddenly, Kaien started walking backward. Brutus was confused. His skill, Warborne Instinct, allowed him to have incredible mastery in fights. He could sense an enemy's movements based on their muscle tension, breathing, and movement patterns. In their brief exchange, he had tried to acquire information—but Kaien's breathing was normal, his muscles were relaxed. And as for the fluid movement he had used to dodge the attack, Brutus understood nothing about it.
Moreover, Kaien was at least ten wide steps away, yet he seemed to be getting even further away. And yet, he was winding up for what looked like a strong punch.
Brutus suddenly sensed danger. His instincts told him to dodge back. He took a step back—but in the next instant, Kaien, who had clearly been walking backward, was suddenly right in front of him. A punch shattered his jaw with momentum that didn't match the speed and power Brutus had perceived.
He stumbled backward, only for another punch to land on his face. Brutus was in complete disarray. He clearly remembered stumbling backward, yet it felt as if he had walked straight into Kaien's punch. He jumped to the right to create space, but again— he seemed to jump directly into Kaien's kick, which landed squarely on his abdomen. Brutus was no longer just confused—he was utterly baffled. His battle instincts had never failed him before. He had traded blows with many of his tribe members, yet this was the first time he felt completely outmatched.
'Was it teleportation?! It has to be. How else did he just appear in front of me, and how am I appearing in front of him every time? Damn it! This has to be my worst matchup. Moreover, he packs a heavier punch than I assumed. But my instincts tell me otherwise—he doesn't seem to be physically equal to me. Then why is the momentum of his attacks equal to mine?'
Kaien nodded in satisfaction. 'I'll have to focus on leveling up again, but for now, these skills are amazing. The epic-tier skills "Flow" and "Dread Delirium" are truly remarkable.' Dread Delirium alters an opponent's perception of movement and direction, making even their instincts unreliable. Flow allows me to use my opponent's strengths against them. Moreover, it stores and redirects the momentum of an enemy's attack.'
Kaien chuckled as he watched Brutus struggle to make sense of the battle. He took slow steps toward him. Brutus tensed and gripped his axe. Kaien, still at a distance, seemed to be moving farther away, but Brutus feared moving. His instincts screamed for him to dodge—but they told him to dodge upwards. Not jump, but dodge upwards, what that meant? He had no idea! . A wave of apprehension overcame him as he realized his instincts were in complete disarray.
Brutus bellowed and ran toward Kaien, trying to anticipate his skill's range. He slowed down at fifteen steps and prepared a powerful vertical strike. But as he swung, Kaien simply swiped his hand to the left. No attack. Brutus understood then—Kaien also had an instinct-altering skill.
Kaien used his hand like a sword, redirecting the stored momentum of Brutus's own axe strike. His hand touched Brutus's neck, and his head flew off.
Brutus's expression at the moment of death was one of pure fear and confusion. The instructor sighed. "Fight is over. Kaien wins."
After the fight, Kaien smiled as he turned to the instructor, who could only sigh in exasperation. His eyes glowed as Brutus's body turned into partial lights and reappeared in front of him. "The fight is over; Kaien wins!" Immediately, a group of teenage girls squealed in excitement, and claps resounded. Kaien smiled in the direction of his fellow classmates and nodded to show his appreciation. The boys returned toothy grins, while some displayed amazement and confusion etched on their faces. The girls, too, were divided – some squealed, while others looked confused.
The instructor gave a few words of encouragement and dismissed the class, as their half-year break was about to start. As Kaien walked, he sensed a familiar presence beside him. A handsome young man with black eyes and short, forehead-length hair, dressed in a tight, short-sleeved black shirt paired with black loose pants and dark boots, reached his side and said, "Show-off." Kaien could only give a wide grin and replied, "Jealous you can't do the same? Or that you still can't figure out how to beat me?"
"Give me two more months, you arrogant prick, and I'll figure out exactly what you did," the young man retorted. Kaien chuckled and was about to respond when a girl wearing a tight white shirt, white pants embroidered with silver stars along the sides, and white boots, with pointy ears, stood with her hands folded, looking at Kaien. Everything about her showcased her developing body, with light silver hair and orange irises. Her pale skin and outfit accentuated her beauty, leaving all who saw her starstruck.
Kaien lifted an eyebrow in confusion but still patted his friend Givan's shoulder and said, "See you later," as he jogged toward the girl. Reaching her, he saw her solemn expression and asked, "Are you okay?" The girl's expression softened as she pulled her brother's hand, and wind carried them upwards as they flew faster toward the dorm sections where Princess Salvia stayed.
After reaching her room, she looked at the door and sat down on the bed. Kaien, confused about what his sister needed and why she was so nervous yet excited, sat next to her and asked, "What happened, little sis? Talk to me; were you bullied? Unlikely, but if that's the case, who dares!?" Salvia shook her head as her delicate hand flicked against her older brother's forehead, and said, "Shut up; I'm waiting for Uncle Octov and Fey to explain."
Immediately after she spoke those words, the world around them turned deathly white and silent. A symbiotic, peaceful black emerged from the white, as the colors coexisted in a peaceful state. The two teenagers didn't stand in fear but took time to look around the area surrounded by white and black. Two people appeared – two beautiful elves who looked to be in their mid-30s.
One was a beautiful, slim-figured elf wearing a dark grey, loose body suit that left some breathing room. She had her arms resting in front of her, and her long black hair stayed beautifully tucked along her shoulders. Her black eyes stared at the two with eager loyalty and servitude. The young man next to her, her husband Octive, had two swords behind him, stuck to his back, dressed in black, loose robes, and his black hair tied up, with a few hairs falling over his shoulders.
The two bowed before the Crown Prince and Princess, their expressions showing pure loyalty and tender care for the two they cared for as if they were their own children. "My prince, princess," they said in unison. Kaien looked at them and shook his head. "At ease, Uncle and Aunt; we spoke of this many times, but there's no need to bow before us." The two only smiled at their handsome prince and beautiful princess.
Kaien sighed and asked, "What's the matter? Why is Salvia in this weird mood?" The two skilled warriors handed the prince a letter. Kaien read it, as did Salvia, though this was her tenth time reading it. Kaien's face was first in shock, then pure joy overcame him as he finished reading. He picked up his equally excited sister and twirled her around. As they both let out joyous laughter, Kaien placed Salvia down and read the letter again and again, each time with a smile that would captivate the hearts of all girls.
Octov and Fey smiled as well, knowing the two would fail to control their emotions, hence why they brought them to the black and white world. "What shall we do, my lord? Do you wish to leave next week or the week after that?"
Kaien looked at his uncle as if he were mad. "My little brother will have long grown old by then. We leave now!" Octov could only clear his throat and said, "My lord, the winterbreak is starting next week. Would it not be better to wait until it starts before we leave?" Kaien immediately said, "You dare speak back to your prince? Do you wish to stop me from meeting my younger brother? He has overcome death, and yet you want him to still wait before he can meet me? Impossible! We leave now!"
Fey could only give a wry smile and hoped Salvia would speak some sense into her older brother, but her eyes had tears in them as her beautiful face stared at Fey. Fey's heart melted as she looked at her husband, as if to ask what he was still waiting for – the prince had spoken.
The four immediately prepared to leave, excitedly wanting to see the little one. The trip from the center continent to the northeast continent normally took over one year close to 2 depending on the means of transportation, but they were using modern spatial teleportation channels, since the elves, who had existed far longer, had access to a spatial teleportation ring that would let them arrive in three months' time.
As others prepared to see the fifth royal child, the same child cutely stretched out on the bed as he woke up. "Ohhhhh, that's a good nap. Ohh, baby naps are powerful – listen to them tiny bones loosen up, oh yeah, man... Sigh. If this were like the thousands of novels I've read, this should be the point where the author introduces the main characters who would be integral to the plot and should be transitioning to me."
"Hehe, Dante's growth arc is going to be a cataclysmic event for those siblings of mine, who I know, without a doubt, are going to try their best to cut me out early. Those bastards are probably confused as to how I woke up. I can feel it – the coma was caused by one of those little shits. I've long lived a life of murder; I don't mind skipping the existential issue of having to take a life. Matter of fact, these little shits are about to die young now. Heh. DANTE GROWTH ARC STARTS, KEKEK!"