Two years of struggle. Two years of wasted effort. And for what? A world so set in its prejudices that it refused to see beyond its own ignorance. I leaned against the balcony railing in my chambers, the sprawling Barbarian Kingdom below me illuminated by the pale glow of moonlight.
We had carved this kingdom from nothing but ambition and blood. Yet, to the others, we were no more than savages. Brutes without a cause. Uncivilized. I couldn't fault them entirely; I'd seen firsthand the rough edges of my people, but those edges had been honed for survival, not for show.
Despite my best attempts to change their perception—educating the masses, promoting trade, even sending emissaries with offers of alliance—nothing had worked. The nobles, with their bloated egos and rigid traditions, had poisoned the minds of their people against us. Assassination was a tempting solution, but even the death of a king wouldn't change the whispers of the common man. It was like trying to strike lightning into an ocean to empty it of water. Futile.
I sighed and turned my gaze toward the horizon, my frustration simmering beneath the surface. If words and diplomacy were ineffective, then perhaps another approach was needed. A whisper of fear, wrapped in mystery—a prophecy.
A Seed of Prophecy
The idea was simple. A rumor seeded in the hearts of the people, a tale of impending doom that even their nobles couldn't suppress. Seven years. Seven years until calamity descended upon the land. Without unity, all would perish. The bards and merchants I discreetly funded spread the tale across the kingdoms. By the time the kings tried to suppress it, it was already too late. Fear had taken root.
But my focus now had to shift. The Nikki Kingdom—formerly Melford, once the Edgegard Empire—held the next piece in my plan. And it was home to someone I hadn't seen in lifetimes.
I pulled my robe tighter around me and reached for the vial on the table. A single gulp of the potion altered my features—my sharp jaw softened, my striking silver eyes dulled to a mundane brown. My fame had grown too widespread to risk recognition, especially in Nikki.
"It's time," I muttered, stepping into the night.
***
The dungeon loomed ahead, its entrance like the maw of a beast daring the brave—or foolish—to enter. Tier 6. A place few dared to tread, even among the Nikki Kingdom's seasoned warriors. For me, it was a test—a necessary one.
The first floors were nothing but a warm-up. Goblins swarmed me in packs, their crude weapons glinting in the dim light.
"Let's dance," I said with a smirk.
Thunderbolt.
A streak of lightning arced from my palm, striking the lead goblin. The electricity surged through their ranks, frying them in an instant. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air, but I didn't linger. Goblins weren't worth my time.
As I descended deeper, the dungeon threw its best at me. Golems with stone fists capable of crushing a man in one blow lumbered toward me. I activated Thunder Step, vanishing from sight and reappearing behind them. A single Electric Discharge turned their massive forms into rubble.
The hellhounds were faster, their fiery maws snapping inches from my face. One lunged, its molten saliva sizzling on the ground where I'd been standing. I activated Thunder Transmutation, my body dissolving into pure lightning. I reappeared behind it, my hand glowing with charged energy.
"Good try," I muttered before releasing the energy in a devastating burst. The hound yelped once before collapsing, its charred body lifeless.
The lower floors held more formidable challenges—shadow wraiths that resisted physical attacks, elementals immune to conventional spells. They weren't a match for me. My Thunderbolt tore through their incorporeal forms, and my life affinity allowed me to manipulate the battlefield in subtle ways, ensuring they couldn't touch me.
***
By the time I reached the sixth floor, my robe was singed, and the air crackled with residual electricity. I wasn't tired, but there was a weight in my chest that had nothing to do with the dungeon. The deeper I went, the closer I came to a confrontation I wasn't sure I was ready for.
The Nikki Kingdom wasn't just another target. It was a thread connected to my past, to a person I had once called a Ally—a lifetime ago. If my calculations were correct, they would still be here, tied to this place by duty or perhaps ambition. I needed them for what was to come.
But would they still recognize me? Did I want them to?
I shook the thoughts away as another wave of monsters surged toward me—this time a mix of skeletal warriors and dark mages.
"Perfect. Just what I needed," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Thunder Step carried me into their midst. The mages barely had time to react before I unleashed Electric Discharge, the wave of lightning reducing them to ash. The skeletal warriors crumbled soon after, their animated forms unable to withstand the electric onslaught.
I stood amidst the destruction, breathing deeply. The dungeon wasn't challenging—it was a distraction. A way to prepare myself for what lay ahead.
***
The final chamber was eerily silent, a stark contrast to the chaos of the floors above. In the center stood a massive crystal, its surface glowing faintly. I approached cautiously, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
A shadow moved. Then another.
The dungeon's guardian emerged—a colossal chimera with three heads, each representing a different element. Fire, ice, and darkness.
It roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber.
"Alright, big guy," I said, rolling my shoulders. "Let's see what you've got."
The fire head attacked first, spewing a torrent of flames. I activated Thunder Step, dodging the attack and closing the distance. My palm crackled with energy as I struck the chimera's side, the lightning surging through its massive body.
The ice head retaliated, sending jagged shards of frozen air toward me. I countered with Electric Discharge, the heat from the electricity melting the shards before they could reach me.
The darkness head was trickier. Its attacks were subtle, shadows twisting and coiling like snakes, aiming to trap me. I activated Thunder Transmutation, turning into pure energy and escaping the snare.
For every attack it launched, I responded with overwhelming force. It was a test of endurance, but I wasn't about to lose. With a final surge of power, I activated Thunderbolt, the concentrated blast striking the chimera dead center. It collapsed with a thunderous crash, its massive form dissolving into light.
The crystal in the center of the room pulsed once before shattering, revealing a small, glowing artifact. I picked it up, feeling its power hum beneath my fingers.
This was just the beginning. The Nikki Kingdom awaited, and with it, the next step in my plan to defeat the calamity.
I adjusted my robe and started back toward the surface, the faintest hint of a smirk on my lips.
"If I achieve my next step of the plan, I might have a realistic hope of defeating the calamity"