P R O L O G U E

  It was quiet now. Echoes of steel clashing against steel had long since abandoned this place. It was here, at the pits of the Wailing Mountain; the place where the last alliance of Gaians, Ethliris, Labrans and the Hexarachs all fought valiantly, side by side, against the terrible forces of Bakunawa--- the Tyrant of the Shades.

  It was the clash that ended all clashes. Two million Es Gians went tooth for tooth against the deathly horde of five hundred thousand.

  While it was true that Bakunawa's forces were far fewer, their ferocity was enough to destroy an entire continent. Akin to merciless death machines, a single Shade was more than enough to cull twenty men at once. Their wickedness were unparalleled.

  Despite their fears, however, the Alliance weren't deterred. Capitalizing on their collective strength, they were confident that their numbers would help them turn the tide of war.

  Unfortunately, hope was a deceitful double edged sword. The Alliance was foolish enough to hold-on to its fragile strength.

  At some point during the battle, just when victory was within the Alliance's grasp, the Tyrant of the Shades let out its most malicious and most destructive spell yet. Tragedy struck as Infinite Black was finally unleashed into all four corners of the Desolate Lands. It drowned everyone in a sea of black blood.

  What came after it was nothing short of horrifying. In a blink of an eye, deadly droves of indestructible metallic onyx thorns, both gigantic and lithe, sprung out from deep underground. In mere seconds, a forest of spikes as tall as a hundred feet grew unprecedentedly. It devoured the entire pit and the whole of Wailing Mountain with its monstrosity. The deathly thorns shredded everything in its path, living or otherwise. None escaped its murderous grasp. Blood, screams and disfigured bodies were strewn all over the place. Mercy was given to no one. Even the Tyrants own weren't spared.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  With a strike so powerful, all that were present inside the epicenter died under Bakunawas hands instantly.

  All...

  but one.

  Defying the impossible, King Fenris had beaten the odds. The high monarch denied death during that short period of time.

  Split second before Infinite Black was released, using the last of his aetherium, King Fenris shielded himself with a seven layered light barrier. The multi-reinforced borg protected his body from the ravages of the thorns while he simultaneously summoned the Secret Light of Luminares unto his blade.

  As a caster himself, Fenris knew that once Bakunawa would cast a world tier spell, its aetherium reserve would be spent entirely. By then, the Tyrant would be at his weakest. Without any aetherium left to support its body, Bakunawa would be vulnerable. The recoil upon completing the spell would debilitate the caster, and that was just the perfect window of opportunity that the king had waited for.

  Fenris wasted no time. He quickly drew Neverfall, flew to where Bakunawa was, and struck the ArchLich down with all his strength. It all happened in a blink of an eye. From Bakunawas left shoulder, the king slid his secret light imbued blade all the way down to its left pelvis. Cleanly, Neverfall sliced through the Tyrant’s armored body as if it was cutting down mere air. By then, the Tyrant’s fate was sealed.

  In the year 528 of the Evanil calendar, Bakunawa, the enemy of the people of Gran Es Gia, was defeated.

  Fenris, King of Atlas, along with the rest of the Alliance, ended the long and exhausting thousand year war. They achieved the peace that the people of Gran Es Gia had wished for. And although millions of lives were sacrificed, they were not spent in vain. Thanks to them, evil was finally vanquished that day. However, peace didn’t last long.

  Days became months. Months became years. Seasons flipped from winter to spring, then from summer to fall. Nature slowly took over the once war riddled Wailing Mountain. And there, once again, right at the deepest part of the pit, where all life was once believed to have been extinguished, some old powers were suddenly reawakened. It all started with the mischief of one Ashvali, a book and the lone Shade who was woken by it.

  The wheels of war was turning yet anew.