"Hahahahahah..."
A laugh.
Distant.
Unfamiliar.
Yet strangely recognizable.
...
My eyes snapped open.
THUD!!!
THUD!!!
THUD!!!!
My heart slammed violently against my ribs, each beat feeling powerful enough to shatter them.
I shot upright.
Breath ragged.
Vision sharp.
Instincts screaming.
My head snapped left.
Right.
Behind me.
Then across every corner of the room.
Every shadow.
Every blind spot.
Searching.
Hunting.
Waiting for something to appear.
For several seconds—
The world refused to make sense.
The battlefield was still there.
The heat.
The pressure.
The overwhelming presence.
I could almost feel the destruction surrounding me.
Then—
My surroundings gradually came into focus.
Wooden walls.
A familiar ceiling.
Morning light slipping through the window.
The quiet atmosphere of home.
...
My room.
I was back.
Safe.
At least...
I should have been.
My breathing gradually slowed.
Just slightly.
"...Did I win?"
My voice came out hoarse.
Dry.
I swallowed before asking the question that followed.
"...Or did I lose?"
For a moment, I remained still.
Then the tension in my body began to fade.
And the moment it did—
PAIN.
"Hah...!"
It struck all at once.
Like my body had been waiting for my consciousness to return before reminding me of everything it had endured.
"Ahh...!"
I dropped backward onto the bed.
THUD!
Every muscle screamed.
Every nerve burned.
Every bone felt as though it had been shattered and forcibly pieced back together.
It wasn't ordinary pain.
It was damage.
Deep.
Fundamental.
My body hadn't simply been injured.
It had been pushed beyond its limits...
And somehow dragged back.
"...Hah... haha..."
A weak laugh escaped my lips before turning into a strained exhale.
I closed my eyes.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Slowly.
I needed to calm down.
Fragments of memory began resurfacing.
The battlefield.
Vorgrath.
The Devouring Thunder Core.
Crimson Devour.
The collision.
Then—
Darkness.
...
My defeat.
Or at least, what I remembered as one.
But something came after.
Something that shouldn't have existed.
My eyes slowly opened, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"I AM THE NAMELESS SOVEREIGN."
My pupils narrowed.
The words echoed inside my mind.
Not like an ordinary memory.
It felt as though they were being spoken again.
"THE PURE ONE."
Then came the other words.
The ones I couldn't understand.
You are not becoming...
You are remembering...
But you are still incomplete.
"...Remembering what?"
My voice was quiet.
Controlled.
But something beneath it had changed.
That wasn't a hallucination.
It wasn't instinct.
And it certainly wasn't something I had imagined.
Something had awakened.
Something had recognized me.
Something that knew more about me than I did.
"...Tch."
I exhaled slowly.
Thinking about it now would only drag me deeper into confusion.
I needed answers.
And there was only one place to start.
"System..."
I called inwardly.
Nothing.
...
"System?"
Silence.
For the first time, there was no immediate response.
No familiar notification.
No explanation.
Nothing.
Then—
FZZZT!
A faint blue light flickered before my eyes.
The familiar interface appeared, but its edges were unstable.
Glitching.
Disappearing.
Reappearing.
A notification slowly materialized.
[Loading... 1%...]
"...What?"
Another flicker.
Then my status appeared.
[Master Information]
Name: Velzahar
Race: Blue-Eyed White Tiger
Pure Beast Blood: 100%
Accessible Power: 1%
Threat Classification: THE NAMELESS SOVEREIGN
I stared at the final line.
"...The Nameless Sovereign?"
My expression became serious.
That title...
It wasn't something I had chosen.
Nor was it something I remembered earning.
Yet the System had classified me that way.
And then there was something else.
"...One percent?"
My brow furrowed.
Pure Beast Blood remained at 100%.
But my Accessible Power was only 1%.
That wasn't a small reduction.
It was practically nothing.
What exactly had happened to my power?
Before I could investigate further, another notification appeared.
This one was even more unstable.
[WARNING!]
System entering temporary shutdown.
Priority: Master Survival.
Emergency Resource Conversion Complete.
100 Azure Beast Pills have been condensed into 1 Supreme Azure Pill.
Instruction: Retrieve from Storage.
"...Shutting down?"
I stared at the notification.
That was new.
The System had always been there.
Even when I was injured.
Even when I was unconscious.
Even when I faced opponents far stronger than myself.
But now—
It was shutting down.
For the first time, it didn't feel like an all-knowing guide.
It felt limited.
Almost as though maintaining my survival had consumed more resources than it could afford.
Or worse...
Something had happened that even it couldn't fully process.
My gaze returned to the notification.
Supreme Azure Pill.
One hundred Azure Beast Pills condensed into a single pill.
That was quite the conversion.
"Well... at least you left me something."
With a thought—
A pill appeared in my palm.
It was small.
But its density was extraordinary.
A faint azure glow pulsed beneath its surface, resembling a miniature star trapped inside a crystal.
The energy contained within was so concentrated that even holding it made my fingers tingle.
I examined it briefly.
Then—
Without hesitation—
I swallowed it.
GULP.
I immediately sat cross-legged.
Back straight.
Eyes closed.
Mind steady.
The effect was instantaneous.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Energy exploded inside my body.
Warmth surged through my veins, spreading into every corner of my physical structure.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't soothing.
The energy forced its way through me.
Repairing.
Rebuilding.
Reinforcing.
My muscles tightened.
My bones vibrated.
My organs pulsed as the concentrated energy flooded through them.
"Kh...!"
I gritted my teeth.
This wasn't ordinary healing.
It was reconstruction.
Every damaged part of my body was being forced back into a stable condition.
The process continued.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But gradually—
The burning sensation began to fade.
My damaged muscles recovered.
My bones stabilized.
The unbearable pressure within my body weakened.
After some time—
I finally opened my eyes.
"...Hah."
I examined my hands.
They looked normal.
The wounds were gone.
My body had recovered considerably.
But something remained.
Weakness.
Not the ordinary exhaustion that followed a difficult battle.
Something deeper.
Something that even the Supreme Azure Pill couldn't completely repair.
"...Still not enough."
I rose from the bed.
My legs supported me, but my movements felt sluggish.
Heavy.
As though something inside me had been drained.
I flexed my fingers.
Then clenched my fist.
Nothing unusual happened.
No overwhelming aura.
No strange lightning.
No mysterious pressure.
Just my body.
My gaze lowered.
"...One percent, huh?"
I shook my head.
There was no point testing my limits while I was still recovering.
For now, I needed to regain my strength.
And perhaps—
Understand what had happened to me.
---
I walked toward the bath.
Hot water poured over my body.
Steam gradually filled the room, carrying away the lingering tension in my muscles.
For a moment—
Everything felt peaceful.
The warmth.
The silence.
The familiar sensation of water running across my skin.
I closed my eyes.
And for the first time since waking—
I felt human again.
Not a beast.
Not a sovereign.
Not some mysterious existence that could command reality.
Just...
Me.
After finishing, I stepped out and dressed.
White robes.
Light and flowing.
Subtle blue patterns shimmered across the fabric, resembling lightning sealed beneath its surface.
I stood before the mirror.
Same face.
Same body.
Yet...
Not the same eyes.
They looked calmer.
Sharper.
Deeper.
As though something had changed behind them.
I stared at my reflection.
"...What are you becoming?"
I paused.
Then slowly shook my head.
"No."
My expression hardened slightly.
"...What am I remembering?"
Silence.
As expected.
No answer.
---
An hour passed.
By the time I stepped outside, the house had come alive.
Familiar footsteps.
Quiet conversations.
The faint sounds of daily activities.
Everything seemed normal.
Almost suspiciously normal.
I followed the familiar energy signatures toward the dining area.
Everyone was already there.
"Morning, Mom. Dad."
I took my seat.
"Morning."
They responded warmly.
"Morning, brother."
Azharyon answered.
"...Morning."
Something was wrong.
I noticed immediately.
He wasn't looking at me.
His posture was tense.
His movements were stiff.
Even the way he held his utensils seemed different.
I continued observing him for a moment.
Then—
"...What's wrong?"
He paused.
His hand stopped moving.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then he slowly raised his head.
"...I've been hearing things."
I continued eating.
"About you."
"...Oh?"
He hesitated.
Then continued.
"The elders."
"Your awakening."
"The way they treat you now."
His grip tightened around his utensil.
"I feel..."
A faint crackle of lightning appeared around his fingers.
"...Useless."
There it was.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Something worse.
Doubt.
I understood immediately.
The way the elders looked at me.
The attention.
The expectations.
The sudden change in how everyone treated me.
Azharyon had noticed all of it.
And somewhere along the way—
He had begun comparing himself to me.
...
SWISH!
Before he could react, I was standing beside him.
My hand landed firmly on his shoulder.
He froze.
"...Don't let rumors control you."
I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Then—
I ruffled his hair.
Lightly.
"You're still my big brother."
His eyes widened.
I returned to my seat as though nothing had happened.
"If anything..."
I picked up my food.
"I'm the one standing here because of you."
Silence.
Azharyon stared at me.
I continued.
"You trained me."
"You pushed me."
"You watched me struggle."
My expression remained calm.
"So why are you acting like you've already stopped growing?"
His pupils trembled slightly.
For a moment—
He didn't respond.
Then I noticed it.
His expression changed.
Memories surfaced behind his eyes.
Training.
The countless hours of effort.
The pain.
The setbacks.
The moments when he had pushed himself forward despite everything.
He remembered.
His fists trembled.
Then slowly—
They steadied.
A faint spark appeared around his fingers.
At first, it was weak.
Then another followed.
ZZZT!
His lightning intensified.
Not the unstable crackling of frustration.
Something different.
Something focused.
Azharyon slowly stood.
His aura rose.
Lightning wrapped around his body, dancing across his arms and shoulders.
He didn't say anything.
He simply turned toward the exit.
BAM!!!
The door slammed open.
Then—
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!"
His roar shook the surrounding air.
It wasn't a cry of frustration.
It was a declaration.
A declaration that he hadn't given up.
BOOM!!!
He shot into the sky.
Fast.
Driven.
Determined.
I watched his figure disappear into the distance.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"...Good."
That was more like it.
The doubt hadn't made him weak.
It had simply reminded him of how much further he wanted to go.
And now—
He had found his reason to move forward again.
---
I turned back toward the dining table.
That was when I noticed something.
My parents were watching me.
Both of them.
Smiling.
Not surprised.
Not worried.
Just smiling.
As though they had understood everything without needing an explanation.
"...What?"
Neither answered.
I shrugged.
Whatever.
I returned my attention to the food.
And then—
My stomach growled.
GRRRRRR...
I paused.
"...Huh?"
Another growl.
This time, louder.
I looked down.
Then at the remaining food.
Then back at my parents.
"...I'm hungry."
Apparently, the Supreme Azure Pill had repaired my body, but it hadn't completely replenished what I had lost.
Actually—
I was starving.
Not ordinary hunger.
The kind that made every meal look like a feast.
I picked up my utensils.
And began eating.
Fast.
Very fast.
CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!
One plate disappeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Bowl after bowl.
The food vanished before anyone could properly react.
I didn't even notice when I started taking from the dishes in front of my parents.
Nor did they stop me.
They simply watched.
Silently.
With those same amused expressions.
By the time I finally stopped—
Nothing remained.
I leaned back.
Picked up a glass of water and emptied it.
Then reached for the juice.
"...Haaa."
A satisfied breath escaped my lips.
I rubbed my stomach.
The weakness had eased.
Just a little.
"...Still works."
I closed my eyes.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
My family.
The food.
The familiar atmosphere.
The quiet rhythm of life.
Perhaps I could enjoy this for a while.
Perhaps I could forget the battlefield.
The explosion.
The strange power.
The words that continued echoing inside my mind.
...
But deep within me—
Something shifted.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
Quietly.
A faint movement beneath the surface of my existence.
Something that had awakened...
But had not yet revealed itself.
It watched.
It waited.
And somewhere beyond the reach of my consciousness—
Something remembered.
...
The Nameless had spoken.
And its echoes had only just begun.