The moment I chose "Level Up", a torrent of energy surged through my meridians.
Damn… this feels incredible.
It wasn't just raw physical strength—this was control.
Clarity.
The world around me felt sharper, my thoughts faster.
One notification after another appeared in front of my eyes:
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
My entire body glowed with a deep violet aura, pulsing like living fire.
"What the hell…?"
"Host has entered the Qi Realm."
So this realm above the Novice Realm is called the Qi Realm.
Fine, then. If others call it Qi, for me… it will always be Shinsu.
I laughed, a low, sinister laugh that echoed through the empty hall.
I had shot up straight to Qi Realm – Stage Five in an instant.
That was fast.
From this body's memories, this land was called Escaria Kingdom, under the banner of a Rank 1 Knight Empire—one of the weakest empires on the continent.
"Tch. Just my luck. I'm a king of a pathetic Rank 1 Kingdom."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Weak kingdom, weak enemies… and yet, this would make for the perfect stage.
According to the memories, the Empire would eventually send reinforcements to protect this little kingdom.
Perfect.
I would prepare a message.
Not for them—no, for this entire rotten world.
What came next was a massacre.
Escaria had about fifty thousand inhabitants.
With my newfound power, slaughtering them was no different from slicing through warm butter.
Flame Dragons from my Flame Dragon skill roared across the city, consuming soldiers, civilians, men, women—anyone who dared to breathe.
Screams filled the night sky, houses collapsed, and fire painted the kingdom in shades of crimson and black.
No one understood why their young king had turned against his own people.
Hours passed.
Then… silence.
Far away, on a mountain peak five kilometers from the kingdom, an old general watched the rising flames with a grim expression.
"Mobilize the army!" he barked.
"Something's wrong in Escaria. We march now!"
But he was too late.
At the heart of the blood-soaked kingdom stood a boy—no older than fifteen—his expression calm, almost serene.
Me.
I had gathered the heads of the fallen—soldiers, civilians, even the nobles who tried to hide—threading them together with Shinsu chains and suspending them in the air.
With meticulous precision, I used the heads to form glowing letters in the sky:
"This Continent Shall Bear Witness—
The Heir of Nihara Has Descended.
Raven Kailos."
When the Imperial Army arrived at dawn, their legs trembled at the sight.
"What… what happened here?"
The old general dropped to his knees, unable to comprehend the carnage.
One of the scouts shouted, voice cracking:
"Sir! We found the corpses of the Black Bird Empire's army—nearly two thousand of them—slaughtered as well!"
"What?!" the general's voice was hoarse.
"Then who—what—did this?!"
And then it hit him.
"...A third party. Someone interfered here… 'Nihara?' I've never heard of such a bloodline!"
He swallowed hard before giving the order.
"Retreat. Now. We return to the capital."
Ten thousand knights left Escaria, their faces pale, their hearts forever scarred by what they saw that day.
News of Escaria's annihilation spread like wildfire across the empire.
And with it—my name.
Raven Kailos.
As for me?
I was already deep within the Northern Dark Forest, hunting demon beasts.
To me, everything that moved was nothing more than walking experience points.
While slaughtering, I noticed several system notifications I had ignored during the carnage:
"Host has reached Qi Realm. System may now evolve to Version 2 for free."
"Host has achieved Major Realm Breakthrough. Reward Package granted."
Interesting.
So every major realm breakthrough gives me gifts.
"Open rewards."
I didn't expect much… but when I saw what I received, my jaw nearly hit the ground.
Reward 1: Skill – Emperor of Thunder
Reward 2: Complete Map of the Continent
Reward 3: 10,000 System Points
And then another notification:
"Seal on Domain 1 has been removed."
"Domain 1…?" I asked aloud.
"Domain 1 is a world connected to the host's soul. A vast independent space. The host may now enter it and claim its privileges."
A private world?
My grin widened.
If anyone discovered this system, entire wars would break out across worlds just to claim it.
I needed to grow stronger—fast.
Because friend or foe, everyone would come for me eventually.
...Not that I believe in friends.
The word left my mouth just to finish the saying, but the thought of trusting anyone was laughable.
Letting your guard down in this world was just asking for someone to shove a blade up your ass.
I turned my attention to the new skill: Emperor of Thunder.
The name alone sent chills down my spine.
Its rank?
Unknown.
Above Heaven-Rank, perhaps?
Emperor of Thunder: An ancient, integrated skill that grants offense, defense, and speed—perfect mastery over lightning.
Subskills:
Thunder Armor – Envelops the body in crackling thunder for ultimate defense.Thunder Spears – Offensive ability, pierces through almost anything.Lightning Dash – Movement skill that turns the user into living lightning.
"This… this is on a whole other level."
I could barely contain my excitement.
With a thought, my body became a streak of crimson lightning.
BOOM.
The forest exploded around me.
Trees splintered, the ground tore apart, and I left a kilometer-long path of destruction before crashing and rolling, blood seeping from every pore of my body.
"Damn it! I almost killed myself!"
I laughed maniacally despite the pain.
"Hahaha! Damn, I'm such an idiot!"
But I knew one thing for certain—
I was still weak compared to the true monsters out there.
If I wanted to survive, if I wanted to rule… I would need to train harder, hunt more, and gather enough points to buy the rarest, most powerful treasures.
Because Raven Kailos does not settle for scraps.
And so, deep within the Northern Dark Forest, my first true hellish training began.