The scene outside King Lavien's palace was chaotic, filled with the sounds of rebellion.
Flames licked the walls, and the smell of smoke mixed with fear and blood.
As the citizens rushed inside, the castle's frontline soldiers took command to defend the stronghold.
"Fire! Kill everyone standing here! Don't let anyone get past this gate!" a commando officer shouted.
Gunfire erupted, bullets tearing through the air and into the flesh of the insurgents.
The screams of pain and terror echoed, turning the courtyard into a scene from a horror movie.
A sea of blood formed almost instantly as the rankers, high level hunters and ordinary citizens fought against the castle's forces.
Seizing the opportunity amid the chaos, Adrian Rael Zelias focused on King Lavien. The king, however, was not to be underestimated.
He laughed maniacally, ordering his knights to kill Adrian.
Many knights fell, suffocating as the sheer bloodthirst emanating from Adrian filled the air.
He drew his sword from his waist, his cold blue eyes filled with rage.
A crazed grin spread across his face as he raised his hand, tracing a cross in the air.
A path of red and black flames surged forward, consuming the knights. They barely had time to react before they were beheaded, slashed apart, their screams filling the hall.
Blood sprayed from necks and bodies, painting the floor in gore.
Hundreds, no, thousands of corpses lay behind Adrian, his evil smile infuriating the king.
Adrian remembered his past. "I was their pet dog, only doing what my master asked. And that's how I was treated, huh?"
To kill the remaining knights, Adrian slashed his sword through the air. Almost everyone was killed, except for the king.
Lavien stood, using his shield to protect himself. At that moment, the horrific fight between two SS rankers commenced, drawing the attention of reporters who rushed to the scene.
Their fight was broadcast live, revealing the king's dark secrets to the world. Despite this, some people still supported him.
-- In HRN HQ (Number 1 Streaming Channel) --
"Sir, we have hit a new record of 6 billion views!"
Everyone at the HQ was stunned. Never in history had 6 billion views been achieved on a live stream.
-- Currently at the King's Palace --
Slash! Slash!
The two world-rankers fought, both reaching their limits.
Though Adrian was 25 and the king was 36, Lavien had slightly more battle experience.
Adrian's movements were swift and precise, his sword a blur of deadly steel. He parried the king's strikes with ease, countering with vicious blows that left deep cuts on Lavien's armor.
The king retaliated with powerful swings, his massive blade cutting through the air with deadly force.
"Is this all you've got?" Adrian taunted, dodging a particularly brutal attack. "I expected more from this pathetic king and show this!"
Lavien's eyes burned with fury. "You'll regret those words, you insolent brat!" He lunged forward, aiming for Adrian's heart.
Adrian sidestepped, bringing his sword down on the king's shoulder. Lavien screamed in pain, blood spurting from the wound.
But he quickly recovered, delivering a powerful kick to Adrian's chest that sent him flying backward.
Gasping for breath, Adrian struggled to his feet. The king was on him in an instant, their swords clashing with a deafening clang.
The courtyard was a battlefield, strewn with bodies and soaked in blood.
Suddenly, Adrian felt a sharp pain in his back. He turned to see Hamein Norhart, the king's younger brother, pulling a dagger from his flesh.
"How…?" Adrian coughed, blood dripping from his mouth. He thought to himself ' I didn't even feel his presence.'
Hamein laughed, a cruel smile on his face. "You wonder how I easily put a hole in your chest? Do you know how many people I had to kill to get this skill?"
[Active Skill: "Assassin's Presence"]
"You demon bastards!" Adrian screamed in agony.
"Brother, should I kill him now?" Hamein asked, looking at the king.
Lavien, with a serious expression, shook his head. "Wait. I will use him as a living offering to get a good skill from another God."
As the battle ended, reporters flooded the scene, their cameras capturing the devastation.
High-ranking hunters showed their displeasure, murmuring among themselves.
"This is madness," one hunter muttered. "How can we let this continue?"
Another responded, "The king's tyranny must end. But at what cost?"
But they couldn't do anything because if the tried to do, The king will slain them without any hesitation.
The aftermath was a sight of utter destruction. The grand hall of the palace, once a symbol of power and authority, was now a massacre site.
The walls were splattered with blood, and the floor was littered with the bodies of knights and citizens alike. The air was thick with the stench of death and smoke from the burning remains of the battle.
Adrian was so angry he wanted to torture the king, imagining tearing out his own kidney and liver to feed him, to make him feel the same pain.
Adrian, kneeling and covered in blood, with a gaping hole in his chest, cried.
He thought to himself, "If only I were stronger… If only I had another chance…"
Another chance? He thought about 'them'—his last hope for revenge.
Summoning all his strength, he started walking, each step filled with pain. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached a massive, dark blue gate and stepped inside.
"Here goes nothing…"
[You have entered the Gate: "Domain of Space and Time"]
###Chapter-3 end###