In the heart of the Avaloria Kingdom, King Alexander stood at his palace balcony, his royal robes billowing in the increasingly chaotic winds. His weathered face turned skyward, watching the impossible sight of another world descending upon them. Despite his years of ruling through countless crises, nothing had prepared him for this moment. Behind him, his advisors huddled in terrified silence, their usual political machinations forgotten in the face of potential apocalypse.
Throughout the kingdom's streets, common folk emerged from their homes, work forgotten as they gazed upward. Mothers clutched their children, merchants abandoned their stalls, and even the ever-present city guards stood transfixed. The massive celestial body filled most of the visible sky, its alien continents and oceans clearly visible through the atmospheric distortion.
Across the continent in the Xia Empire, Emperor Chen Ming's hands gripped his dragon throne with white-knuckled intensity. The massive planet's shadow had already plunged his lands into premature darkness, and reports flooded in of coastal cities evacuating as unprecedented tidal waves threatened their shores. His people, traditionally stoic in the face of adversity, found their composure cracking as nature itself seemed to turn against them.
Within the Holy Theocracy's grand cathedral, Cardinal Helena led her congregation in desperate prayer. Hundreds knelt before the towering statue of Aurora, the goddess of light, their unified voices rising in supplication. The stained glass windows cast eerie shadows as the foreign world's presence distorted the natural light.
The Beast Kingdom's various tribes set aside their eternal rivalries, their enhanced senses overwhelming them with signals of impending disaster. Even the proudest warrior-chiefs stood humbled before this display of power that transcended mortal understanding.
Deep in the demon realm, upon his throne of twisted obsidian, the Demon King threw back his head in thunderous laughter. "These foolish humans," he roared, his voice echoing through his dark domain. "To think they would destroy themselves before I had the chance. If not for that meddlesome Spirit King's interference..." His amusement carried an edge of genuine regret at missing his opportunity to personally oversee humanity's downfall.
A/N - Just thought I'd use this chance to expand what we know about the world. I'm thinking of drawing a map, I'll post it on discord or the fandom when its finally created.
Victoria maintained her position, her transformed features betraying no emotion as she guided the massive planet ever closer. Suddenly, her serene expression shifted slightly. "He's here!" she announced, surprising everyone with the speed of response – barely a minute had passed since she began her cosmic display.
A voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously cut through reality itself: "What do you want?" Though the Spirit King remained unseen, his authority resonated through every syllable.
A/N - Are you aura farming rn bro?
"Open it!" Victoria commanded simply, her tone carrying neither plea nor desperation.
"I can open it, but you'll have to pay a price," the Spirit King responded, his voice shifting to something more personal as he continued, "you'll return with me to fulfil your duties as the spirit princess."
Friedrich's face contorted with horror. "No!" he shouted, lunging forward only to find himself completely immobilized. He quickly assessed the situation – he was trapped in a spatial barrier. "Wife?" he called out questioningly, but Victoria's subtle head shake crushed his last hopes. He had failed twice now – unable to protect either his son or his wife.
"Get on with it," Victoria stated flatly.
"Alright!" The Spirit King's acknowledgment manifested as golden light surrounding the blue portal. "It's open now! Remember your promise," he declared, finally materializing and extending his hand toward Victoria.
In a flash of movement, Victoria appeared beside Principal Cassandra, whispering something in her ear before reappearing at the Spirit King's side. Both figures vanished instantly, leaving only disturbed air in their wake.
The spatial barrier constraining Friedrich dissolved, and he immediately appeared where Victoria had stood moments before. His fists clenched in helpless rage as he turned to the still-prone ace team. "What are you still waiting for? Go and save my son!" he commanded. The elite squad scrambled to their feet and rushed through the portal, carrying the last hopes of the Rothschild heir's survival with them.
Friedrich watched them disappear, acutely aware that his own tremendous power now served as a limitation. The dungeon's natural restrictions prevented individuals of his caliber from entering – any attempt would cause the entire structure to collapse. All he could do now was wait and trust in his wife's sacrifice.
A/N - Just realized that these previous chapters made the top powers of the world seem weak, I should do some chapters to show their powers in action without the monsters. Also, a moment of silence for mommy Victoria. It had to be done.
…
Hualing staggered forward, leaning heavily on Adelaide's shoulder. Her physical condition was concerning enough, but the mental battle raging inside her head proved even more exhausting. Minghua's voice thundered through their shared consciousness: "What were you thinking? What's the point of killing the enemy if you die in the process? Can't you at least dodge? If you want to die so badly just go to sleep and give the body to me!"
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Will you shut up now?" Hualing muttered wearily, but Minghua was far from finished. "No, I won't! Do you think..." The internal tirade continued unabated.
Meanwhile, Meihua supported Ambrose as they watched Adelaide and Hualing approach. Her attention shifted to Marcus, who had descended into what appeared to be a complete psychological breakdown. He sat mumbling to himself, seemingly oblivious to their presence: "Why is it like this? Why has nothing changed? Why am I still like this?"
Ambrose analyzed the situation with growing concern. As someone well-versed in story progression, he recognized this as a critical moment – typically, this would be where the love interest steps in to provide emotional support. His eyes scanned his companions: Meihua appeared completely lost, Adelaide found sudden fascination with the local flora, and Hualing... he quickly abandoned that line of thought.
"Brother, it seems we have to find you a love interest soon," he thought wryly as he approached Marcus. For now, he would have to make this sacrifice himself, hoping Marcus would remember this favor. Kneeling beside the distressed warrior, Ambrose embraced him awkwardly. "It's okay, calm down."
A/N - I swear its not BL ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
But Marcus continued his spiral: "No, it's not okay! Even when I said I didn't want to rely on anyone anymore, I still relied on him. And when I was betrayed, I still trusted again even after vowing never to trust again. And I even relied on her. And in the end, nothing changed. And I'm still doing the same thing now! I'm still the same, I can't change. I didn't deserve this chance."
"Why..." Marcus's voice cracked with emotion. "Even now, nothing's changed. I still need others to save me. I swore I wouldn't trust again, wouldn't rely on anyone, and yet..."
Ambrose studied him thoughtfully before speaking. "You know, for someone who claims they don't want to trust people, you're remarkably bad at it." His tone carried no mockery, just quiet observation. "Even now, when you say you don't want to rely on others, your first instinct was to protect everyone by fighting alone."
Marcus looked up, surprise momentarily breaking through his despair. Ambrose continued, "I don't know what happened to make you fear trusting others, but maybe that's not really who you are. The person I see is someone who keeps seeing the good in others, even when they've been hurt before. That's not weakness – it's probably the bravest thing I've seen." He paused meaningfully. "There's nothing wrong with relying on others. If anything, it proves you're human. The fact that you can still open your heart to others after being betrayed... that's not something to be ashamed of. It's what makes you stronger than those who hurt you."
"But how can you be sure?" Marcus whispered, vulnerability evident in his voice. "How do I know it won't happen again?"
"You don't," Ambrose replied simply. "But I can promise you this – I'm not the type to betray those who trust me. My word might not mean much to you now, but I hope you'll give me the chance to prove it."
A/N - okay, maybe just a little
"Really?" Marcus looked up with tear-filled eyes, and Ambrose nodded while internally cringing. He could see Meihua and Adelaide's knowing smiles and swore this would be his last venture into emotional support. "I've sacrificed my dignity for you so make sure to repay me by protecting me," he thought, particularly aware of Hualing's trembling form, clearly ready to forcibly separate them at any moment.
Suddenly, Ambrose felt cold steel against his neck as Marcus coughed violently, blood spraying from his mouth. Marcus collapsed forward, revealing a grotesque wound in his back. Ambrose's enhanced perception traced the retracting weapon to its source, his Mind's Eye immediately providing information about their attacker:
[Name: Giant Spider Queen]
[Level: B]
[Type: Berserker]
[Weakness: Fire, Ice]
[Description: An enormous spider three times larger than normal giant spiders. Known for its incredibly tough webbing and highly toxic venom. Enters a berserk state when its eggs are threatened.]
The massive arachnid loomed over them, its numerous eyes gleaming with predatory intelligence as it surveyed its prey.
A/N - Next two chapters should be the end of this volume. Although I keep saying this then switching up, I'm fr fr this time. Also, should we go the BL route or not? Asking for a friend.