Kael stood in the corner of the banquet hall, his presence cold and calculating as he watched the nobles gather, exchanging pleasantries and false smiles. But he was not like them—he was above them. His lips curved into a faint smirk as his eyes scanned the room, observing his prey.
He had done it. He had stolen Robert Voss's future. The Devouring Sword, an artifact meant to be Robert's greatest weapon, had fallen into his hands, and Isabella, the woman once destined for Robert, would soon be his in every sense of the word. He had altered the course of the story, twisted fate to his will, and now, as the power dynamics shifted, Kael stood above them all, watching from the shadows like a vulture waiting for its next meal.
His smirk widened as his gaze landed on Robert Voss, the so-called protagonist of this world. Once, in the original timeline, Robert had been a figure to be feared, a genius of cultivation and strength, a man who had reached the peak of the Soul Transformation Realm and claimed victory after victory. But now just initial stage of nascent soul realm?
Now, Robert was nothing more than a shadow of his former self but he never knew what happened to him.
Kael's smirk deepened. Robert had only reached the Nascent Soul Realm—far below where he should have been by now. Weak. Pathetic. And it was all because of him. Kael's interference had changed everything. Robert's arrogance had always been his undoing, but this time, it had been Kael who had delivered the killing blow, even if Robert didn't know it yet.
The banquet hall's heavy oak doors swung open once more, and the sudden shift in energy caught Kael's attention. His eyes flicked to the entrance, narrowing as he saw who had arrived.
Two figures, tall and regal, entered the room, and the air seemed to grow colder as they made their way through the hall. They moved with the grace and elegance of their kind, their silver hair glinting in the warm light, their pale skin marking them as otherworldly beings—Elves.
Kael's brow furrowed slightly, though his smirk never faltered. He knew them well enough, of course. Princess Elara and her younger sister, Lysandra, both members of the royal family of the Elven Empire, the fourth strongest empire on the continent of Odyssia. They were powerful, influential, and dangerous in their own right. But their presence here, now, with Robert? That was unexpected.
In the novel, the Elven Empire had never aligned themselves with Robert. They had remained neutral throughout the major conflicts, content to watch from the sidelines as Robert fought his way to the top. But now… now things were different.
The elder sister, Elara, exuded an aura of wisdom and serenity, but Kael could see the power that swirled beneath the surface, barely restrained. Her life attribute magic was renowned, though it paled in comparison to his Heaven-Devouring Body. Her younger sister, Lysandra, was less refined, more wild in nature, but no less dangerous. Both princesses walked with the kind of confidence that came from knowing they were nearly untouchable.
And yet, they smiled warmly as they approached Robert Voss.
Kael's smile faded, replaced with a cold, calculating stare. This wasn't supposed to happen. In the original story, Robert had fought his battles alone, relying on his Vitalis Sanctum, the most powerful life-attribute physique his harem and devouring sword, to carry him to victory. But now, with the Elven princesses at his side?
Kael's fingers tightened into a fist, though his expression remained unreadable. This was the heavens' doing. He was sure of it. This world had begun to shift in response to his actions, compensating for Robert's weaknesses by giving him powerful allies. The very fabric of fate had altered to try and maintain balance. Pathetic.
But Kael would not be so easily swayed. The heavens could throw all the compensation they wanted at Robert, but it didn't change the fact that Kael had already stolen his most prized possessions. The Devouring Sword was his. Isabella, the woman once promised to Robert, would soon be his as well. And Robert?
Robert was weak.
The aura of life and creation that surrounded Robert, granted by his Vitalis Sanctum, might have been awe-inspiring to those around him, but Kael only felt disgust. It was a pale imitation of true power. He could feel the depth of the Nascent Soul Realm in Robert, but it was a far cry from the heights the so-called protagonist had once reached. And now, with the Elven princesses standing beside him, smiling and laughing as if they were allies, Kael felt only satisfaction.
He had forced the world to change. He had bent fate but heavens and earth cannot interfere too much they are bound by the rules, by compensating him with stronger allies Robert must have lost too much of luck that was a good sign.
Kael felt new sence of confidence, the Heaven-Devouring Body would consume everything, and not even the Elven princesses, with their royal bloodlines and powerful physiques, would stand in his way.
Kael's gaze shifted to Isabella, who stood silently by his side, her expression unreadable. She had been meant for Robert, once. In the original timeline, she had fallen for him, been promised to him. But Kael had changed that, too. Isabella was his now, or at least she would be soon. The look in her eyes when they met his told him all he needed to know.
Robert was losing. And Kael was winning.
As the banquet continued, Kael kept his distance, watching the proceedings with cold detachment. The nobles fawned over Robert and the Elven princesses, bowing and scraping like the sycophants they were. They were all so blind, so unaware of the real power that lay just beneath the surface.
Kael chuckled softly to himself. Let them fawn. Let them smile and laugh and pretend that Robert Voss was still the man he had once been in the story. It didn't matter. Kael knew the truth.
Robert was nothing without the Devouring Sword. Without Isabella. Without the future that had and will be been stolen from him.
And Kael was the thief who had taken it all.
As the night wore on, Kael's mind raced with possibilities. He could see the paths stretching out before him, each one a step closer to his ultimate goal. The world might try to stop him, to correct its course, but it was already too late.
Kael had to devour fate itself.
And soon, he would devour the heavens as well.
And it will be the beginning of HEAVENS DEVOURING EMPEROR!