Year 1295 of the Cambion Calendar
The highest mountain on the continent, with a height of 30,000 meters, is Mount Tornado.
The mountain rises on the horizon, shrouded in swirling gray clouds. It is surrounded by an aura of death, where the air is filled with the scent of ruin and destruction. Its towering rocks seem to speak of untold tales of sorrow, while the silence echoes with the colors of grief and death.
This mountain earned its name as one of the top 3 deadliest places on the continent.
On the final slope of the mountain, a group of people can be seen battling fierce winds and steep terrain. There were about 80 to 90 men in that group, wearing long, round woolen cloaks that covered their entire bodies, tied with a rope and hiding half their faces, making their features indistinguishable, but their exhaustion noticeable.
The cloak is distinguished by its unique design, which includes a clear white circle in the middle. The circle stands out prominently against the dark cloak, with a depiction of a balanced scale in its center, its right half in yellow and its left half in black.
Suddenly, a terrifying creature emerged from behind the rocky cliffs, a giant wind beast about 15 feet tall appearing majestic and menacing, as the winds swirl around its body with astonishing force, making it seem as if it is constantly dissolving and reforming. Its body consists of clusters of swirling winds that form various body parts.
It has a pale face that sways with the wind, and eyes shining like hurricanes, emitting sparks of anger and chaos. The features of its face appear undefined, constantly changing with the shifting winds, except for the small red gem in the middle of its forehead.
The swirling winds form long limbs and arms, moving at extreme speeds as if they are relentless arms searching for prey, while the lower part of the monster is a rotating tornado hovering in the same direction, with the body of the monster swaying in harmony with the turbulent winds.
The image of the monster blends with the swirling winds, making it difficult to capture a stable image of it, and its terrifying sonic echoes reverberate in the air, increasing the terror and panic in the hearts of the men with cloaks.
"The origin of the storm beast!" one of the men exclaimed. "Prepare for battle!"
The men began to fight the storm beast.
The battle began with the rush of the giant monster towards the group, as the men unleashed their united strength to confront it. They fought in harmony, using their various powers cleverly to minimize the impact of the monster and offer their maximum resistance.
"Remember, you must target the core," one of the men said before engaging in the battle. Some of them were drinking strange potions and spitting out fire from their mouths, while others were extracting things like wood and metal, transforming them in a scene that looked like magic into strange weapons, and some were fighting with their terrifying physical strength.
The winds swirled around the monster with force, and the monster tried to defeat the men with its strength and rage. The two forces struggled in a violent conflict that swept through the surrounding area, with swirling winds and intertwining arms and supernatural forces clashing with loud noises and shimmering flames.
The battle continued for a few minutes, and the number of men was reduced by half. Despite their sacrifices and collective efforts, they were still unable to approach the monster's core.
But in reality, reaching the monster's core was not their true goal, but rather to distract its attention.
While the cloaked men were engaged with the storm beast, there was a man watching the battle, the only one among the group not wearing a cloak. He had short white hair flowing gracefully in the strong winds, his blue eyes shimmering like calm seas reflecting the depth of wisdom and deep thought. His face showed traces of pride and bravery, as he stood tall, appearing to be about 6 feet tall, and wore a scarf dancing with the wind and carried a sword on his back with a handle shaped like a blue dragon engraved with strange and incomprehensible inscriptions.
"The time has come," the man with the white hair said as he drew the sword from its sheath.
While the storm beast was occupied with the cloaked men, the man dashed quickly towards it, unnoticed, and leaped towards its forehead, unleashing from his sword a terrifying blue halo, shattering the monster's core.
Moments later, the storm beast disappeared as if it had never existed, and the men sighed heavily, wiping the sweat from their brows.
"As expected of Captain Kalt, even after a month of climbing this mountain, he still has plenty of energy," the cloaked men cheered and honored their leader.
"This mountain is indeed as rumored. We were originally more than 1000 people, but now there are only 50 of us left," one of the men said fearfully, his face filled with dread.
"If it weren't for the storm beasts, our numbers wouldn't have dwindled to this extent, and yet they continued to attack us at every step we took towards the summit. How can we not consider ourselves fortunate to this degree?" another man exclaimed in despair.
"...Because we're not,someone directes them to us" Captain Kalt said coldly, looking up at the cliff above him. Before he could ask the men what he meant, Captain Kalt shouted so loudly that it deafened the ears.
"Black look, reveal yourself," Captain Kalt said coldly.
The cloaked men were shocked because the name they heard was the person they were looking for.
And after a few moments, the group heard a voice filled with a mixture of joy and laziness.
"Well, well, it seems I've been discovered. Oh, well, my provisions of food have run out anyway. There's no more bread or water, just cake."
From atop the cliff, the source of the voice appeared.
The man dazzled in a shirt and trousers adorned with intricate embroidery and exquisite decorations. His look was completed with a long, luxurious coat, and despite his untidy short hair, he exuded elegance and charm.
The man added a touch to his appearance by wearing round black sunglasses, giving him a touch of charm and mystery, adding a special allure.
Confidence and strength were reflected in the man's face, his eyes sparkling as if they were telling untold adventures. He walked with confidence as if he carried a timeless history and endless tales, amidst an atmosphere of luxury and relaxation.
In his hand, there was a triangular-shaped pastry with multiple layers of velvety dough and open sides. It could have a golden brown color on the outside with multiple layers of dough that were light and flaky, and it seemed to be stuffed with cream.
"Oh, wait, croissants are considered pastries, aren't they?" the man with sunglasses said as he took a bite of the croissants.
When the cloaked men saw the man with sunglasses, they could only question whether this person was the one they were looking for.
Although his appearance matched the specifications, it was still hard to believe the rumors about this person when looking at him.
The Black look.
He was named this because he always wears black sunglasses.
A name known to all peaple in the earthling continent, the youngest seventh-degree engineer since the beginning of the Cambion Calendar, and one of the most famous imaginers currently.
He invented a new type of transportation, the steam train, which greatly contributed to the prosperity of Lord Star's Empire.
He made the glasses that protect the eyes from the sun's rays, although he refused to obtain a patent for them for some reason.
And in the Tripartite Invasion War that occurred 100 years ago when three empires united against Lord Star's Empire, the Black look played a crucial role in saving the empire from destruction. Although Lord Star's Empire lost and weakened its forces, without his help, the situation would have been much worse or even annihilated, and the Black look was rewarded with the title of nobility from Lord Star's Emperor himself.
After a few years of that war, the Black look left Lord Star's Empire and applied to join Jovernor, the highest authority in the continent.
Due to his numerous achievements and significant impact on Lord Star's Empire, Jovernor agreed to his joining.
Gradually, the Black look advanced in rank and became the third-highest rank attainable in Jovernor.
However, something unexpected happened.
The Black look betrayed jovernor, and it turned out that he had been working with some opposing individuals to Jovernor, revealing their weaknesses and helping them set up an ambush in which he managed to eliminate 70 percent of Jovernor's members and steal a large number of their treasures.
This was the first time Jovernor had been hurt to this extent.
And now, the Black look had fled and come to Mount Tornado, and the men who were chasing him were some of the remaining members of Jovernor.
"It seems you've finally shown yourself," Captain Kalt said coldly, leaping from the slope with immense force and landing on the cliff where the Black look stood, just a few feet away.
"Hello Kalt, didn't you seem angry? It seems you didn't sleep well today," the Black look said with a smile.
"Shut up!" Kalt screamed, a scream that sent shivers down the spine in the face of the Black Gaze. "How dare you betray Jovernor, you scoundrel?"
"Betrayal?" the Black look said with fake surprise. "When did I betray you? Or rather, since when have I been with Jovernor to betray her?"
"So you've been working against Jovernor in secret all this time," Kalt said angrily.
"You can say that. Anyway, don't act like you're angry. We both know you hate me intensely," the Black look retorted.
"I am angry indeed," Kalt said, acknowledging his disdain for the Black look's personality. But his loyalty to Jovernor was more important than these things, and after saying that, Kalt looked at the Black look more seriously.
"Forget it, it's not like anything you say will stop me from killing you. But there's one thing. The higher-ups ordered me to arrest you if you hand over the Opportunity Clock, so give it to me quickly to spare your life."
"The Opportunity Clock? What's that? If something was stolen, what makes you think I have it?" the Black look retorted.
"Don't try to lie. We captured some members of the opposition army, and they said you agreed to help them in exchange for seizing the Opportunity Clock."The Black look frowned, but he was smiling inwardly. It seemed his plan was going in the right direction.
"Oh, I remembered. Do you mean this watch?" the Black look said, placing his hand in his pocket and pulling out a round-faced watch with a golden cover inscribed with unreadable words.
"Give me the watch, because you have no way out anymore," Kalt said, gesturing to the other side of the cliff where the Black look stood.
Underneath the other side, there was a massive dark pit, the depth of which was unclear, as was its bottom.
It was the famous Infinity Abyss in Mount Tornado, said that whoever jumped into this abyss would continue to fall forever.
"Do you want the watch?" the Black look said before dropping the watch to the ground. "Then take it."
The Black look stomped on the watch, causing it to shatter into small pieces.
"The watch!" Kalt screamed in madness, looking at the Black look with bloodshot eyes. "You scoundrel, in the name of Jovernor, I will kill you for justice!"
"Remember what I'll say, Kalt," the Black look spoke slowly before removing his sunglasses.
Kalt was about to attack the Black look, but he was shocked by the scene he saw.
Nothing.
There were no eyeballs, blood, nerve tissues, or any parts connected to the eye.
There was only endless darkness, resembling the Infinity Abyss.
"Justice doesn't always mean something good" the Black look said, before throwing himself into the Infinity Abyss.
Kalt ran quickly to catch him, but he couldn't do it in time, and the Black look disappeared into the deep darkness.
"Sir, we came to help. Where's the traitor?" moments later, Kalt's group arrived at the cliff, unlike Kalt, the group couldn't reach the cliff quickly.
"...He fell," Kalt said calmly, looking at the abyss with deep thought.
"Let's leave,Going down will be easier than going up, since we will not now be targeted by as many storm monsters as happened while going up,After we leave the mountain, inform the higher-ups that the traitor is dead, and the Opportunity Clock has been destroyed," Kalt turned to the group and ordered them before they left the cliff.
...
"Amazing, this abyss truly seems endless," the Black look said indifferently, still falling into the abyss while eating the croissant.
After finishing the last bite, he wiped the cream from his face and pulled out a small book from his pocket.
The Black look gently pressed the book, and it gradually grew to the size of a regular book.
He opened the book and touched one of the pages with a picture of a clock.
He pulled the clock from the page, and an identical clock to the previous one emerged, leaving the page completely blank.
"Thanks to August, I managed to deceive the fool Kalt. Now it's impossible for them to think I'm still alive," the Black look examined the clock, noticing the frozen hands attentively.
"It seems I have to go back to zero again," sighed the Black look before moving the clock hands forward.
The clock hands moved quickly after being pushed, and after a moment, they began emitting a golden light that could blind the eye when looked at directly.
Then suddenly, the Black look and the clock disappeared from existence, as if they had never existed in the first place.