< Humanity couldn't defend the world >

< The destruction of world will now commence >

As the heavens voice announced that everyone started to panic, they didn't know what to do in this situation.

"Did they fail? But how? I was pretty sure that they defeated the dragon lord, then how did it happened?"

Those thoughts started to swirl around his mind, those thoughts slowly started to consume him as whole.

As the weight of confusion and despair settled upon him, he couldn't shake the nagging question: how had humanity failed? He had witnessed the valiant efforts to defeat the dragon lord, seen the sacrifices made by countless brave souls. Yet here he stood, amidst the ruins of a world torn asunder.

Memories of the battle flashed before his eyes – the clash of swords, the roar of fire, the cries of the wounded. But amidst the chaos, there had been a glimmer of hope, a belief that victory was within reach. So how had it all gone so terribly wrong?

He paced back and forth, his mind racing with possibilities. Had they underestimated the dragon lord's power? Had they been betrayed from within? Or perhaps there were forces at play beyond their comprehension, forces that sought to see the world burn.

As he grappled with these questions, a sense of urgency began to build within him. He couldn't afford to dwell on the past, not when the future of humanity hung in the balance. With a steely resolve, he vowed to uncover the truth, to seek out those responsible for this cataclysmic failure.

Drawing his sword, he set out into the desolate landscape, determined to reclaim what had been lost. For though the world may have been destroyed, the spirit of humanity would endure.

As one of the proud knight from the Lionheart guild, I was ready to fight the minions of dragon lord.

I charged towards the minions as they used their magic and swords to attack humans around them, me and some of the fellow knights from the Lionheart guild were the first line of defense against the encroaching darkness. We moved as one, our swords and shields not just weapons but symbols of the hope that humanity was not yet defeated. Each clash of metal, each parry and thrust, was our refusal to yield to despair.

Despite the overwhelming odds, we started make some progress in pushing back the minions. But as low ranking knights our power was not enough to completely push those minions back.

As my comrades fell one by one, I was the only one remaining. I take my sword and gripped it tightly on my hand then I took an oath. "I swear upon my honor and the memory of those who have fallen, that I will not rest until the darkness that threatens our world is vanquished," I declared, my voice ringing out with determination.

Then I charged forward and faced the horde of minions before me, their twisted forms a grotesque mockery of life. Though fear gnawed at the edges of my resolve, I pushed it aside, focusing instead on the task at hand.

The minions surged forward, their weapons gleaming in the dim light, but I held my ground, meeting their onslaught with a fierce determination. Each blow landed with the force of desperation, fueled by the memories of all those who had given their lives in defense of humanity.

As my battle was going on, I was at a losing end I started to spew blood from mouth. But I wasn't ready to give up, I muster the last ounce my strength and called upon the power of knights mark.

Knights mark was the power source of every knights, it was blessed upon us pitiful humans by the heavens voice. Each one has its own set of powers. And there only a few can be chosen by the heavens voice, and those who don't get chosen have nothing to fight against the dragon lord's minions.

But the greedy humans found a way around it, humans created artificial knights mark and supplied it amongst the aspiring young one's.

I was also one of those guys, who only got artificial knights mark. My knights mark only increase my strength and speed by 7%.

With the last dregs of my strength, I tapped into the artificial Knight's Mark coursing through my veins. Though it paled in comparison to the true power bestowed by the heavens, it was all I had in this desperate moment.

As the energy surged through me, I felt a newfound vigor coursing through my limbs, my muscles bulging with enhanced strength and my movements quickening with newfound speed. With a renewed sense of determination, I fought back against the minions with a ferocity born of desperation.

Each strike landed with increased force, each movement executed with precision and speed. The minions, taken aback by the sudden surge in my abilities, faltered for a moment, allowing me to gain the upper hand.

But even as I fought, I knew that this artificial power was not enough to sustain me for long. Already, I could feel the strain on my body, the energy draining away with each passing moment. I knew that if I did not end this battle quickly, I would succumb to exhaustion and the minions would overwhelm me.

With a final, desperate push, I unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one fueled by the last vestiges of my strength. The minions, sensing my weakness, redoubled their efforts, but I refused to yield. With a mighty roar, I struck down the last of my foes, their twisted forms collapsing to the ground in a heap.

As the dust settled and the echoes of battle faded, I collapsed to my knees, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Though victory had been won, it had come at a great cost. My body ached, my vision swam, and I knew that I had pushed myself to the very brink of exhaustion.

But as I looked upon the battlefield, littered with the bodies of fallen minions, I knew that my sacrifice had not been in vain.

As I was finally catching my breath, i heard footsteps behind me. I looked back while each bones in my body were breaking.

As I looked back to who it is, I saw the high ranking knights from other knight orders. They were a group of 12 knights.

While blood covering my eyes I couldn't properly see their faces, I only knew who they are from the emblem on their Armor.

One of the knights started to speak, "Oh there really is an alive one here"

With great effort, I forced myself to rise to my feet, my muscles protesting with every movement. Despite the pain coursing through my body, I stood tall before the group of high-ranking knights, refusing to show weakness in their presence.

"What brings you here?" I managed to rasp, my voice hoarse from exertion and the taste of blood lingering in my mouth.

The lead knight stepped forward, his armor gleaming in the dim light. "We've been tracking the movements of the dragon lord's minions," he explained, his voice grave. "We sensed a disturbance in this area and came to investigate."

I nodded, understanding dawning on me. "The minions were relentless," I replied, my words punctuated by a cough. "But I managed to hold them off... for now."

The high-ranking knights exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions grim. "You've done well, young knight," the lead knight said, his tone respectful. "But the battle is far from over. The dragon lord's influence spreads like wildfire, and we must do everything in our power to contain it."

I clenched my fists, determination burning bright despite the pain. "I won't stop until the darkness is vanquished," I declared, my voice steady despite the exhaustion threatening to consume me.

The high-ranking knights nodded in agreement, their resolve matching my own. "Then come with us," the lead knight said, extending a hand. "Together, we will face whatever challenges lie ahead, and we will emerge victorious."

With a nod of gratitude, I clasped the lead knight's hand in mine, feeling a surge of camaraderie wash over me. Though the road ahead would be treacherous and fraught with peril, I knew that as long as we stood united, we would have a fighting chance against the darkness that threatened to consume our world.

At that exact moment I felt something cold inside my body, I looked back to see what was that and found out that a sword has been pushed into my heart.

With a gasp of shock and pain, I stumbled backward, the cold steel of the sword piercing through my chest. Agony lanced through me, searing through every fiber of my being as I collapsed to the ground, clutching futilely at the blade lodged in my heart.

As the world began to blur around me, I struggled to make sense of what was happening. Betrayal? In the midst of battle, surrounded by allies, how could this be?

Through the haze of pain and confusion, I saw the figure of the lead knight standing over me, his expression twisted with malice. "Foolish knight," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Did you truly believe you could stand against the might of the dragon lord?"

My breath came in ragged gasps, blood bubbling from my lips as I fought to speak. "Why?" I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper.

The lead knight's laughter echoed in my ears, mocking and cruel. "Why? Because it is our destiny, our rightful place as servants of the true power in this world," he spat, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

With a final, agonized gasp, I felt the darkness closing in around me, swallowing me whole as the world faded to black. Betrayed, defeated, and alone, I succumbed to the darkness, my last thoughts consumed by the bitter taste of betrayal and the haunting question of how humanity could have failed so utterly in the face of such overwhelming evil.

As my consciousness started to slip away, I started to think back, "if I was more stronger I could atleast save my comrades, if I was chosen by the heavens voice I could have atleast stop these traitors, if I could get another chance to make things right..."

But as darkness enveloped me completely, swallowing me whole, my consciousness started to fade away then I saw an image in my mind, a broken thread floating above the endless void of darkness. As I looked at that thread, it slowly started to connect, and a flash of light emerges from it.

My eyes got blinded by the light that emanating from the thread, then slowly everything become white.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing with other people, everyone was shouting and screaming in panic.

I couldn't believe my eyes, I rubbed it again and again, then I started to pinch my self to make sure I wasn't dreaming. But the chaos around me remained real, the panicked shouts and frenzied movements of the people confirming that this was indeed happening.

I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings. It seems that I was trapped inside a cube with others like the day when heavens voice send everyone one on the earth to the tutorial world but that was 12 years ago.

But I was sure that I died after the high ranking knights betrayed me and sold themselves to the dragon lord.

"Did the heavens voice responded to my final request?" I muttered to myself, my voice barely audible over the cacophony of noise.

As he pondered over the situation, he clenched his fist to and promised himself that this time he would get chosen by the heavens voice and take revenge on the traitors.

The atmosphere in the cube was tense, filled with uncertainty and fear. People scrambled around, searching for answers, but none seemed forthcoming. As I observed the chaos unfolding around me, a sense of determination settled within me. If I had indeed been granted a second chance, then I would make the most of it.