Nova stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing. Then, as a thrill coursed through him, he thought, ‘I almost wish there were more of these sky serpents around.’

  Shaking off his daze, he focused and commanded mentally, ‘Status’.

  [Status]

  Rank: 0

  Name: Nova Grey

  Species: Human

  Affiliation: None

  Level: 6 (170/500)

  Mana: Mana Core (Low) (796179/100000000)

  Class: None

  Titles: Goblin Exterminator, Kings Slayer, Survivor, Spear Novice, Troll Exterminator, Orc Exterminator, Rune Novice, Mana Novice

  Stat Points: 343

  Attributes:

  Strength: 127 (+1357)

  Vigor: 100 (+1056)

  Dexterity: 150 (+1637)

  Speed: 110 (+1189)

  Intelligence: 66 (+677)

  Wisdom: 110 (+1128)

  Will: 10

  Luck: 10 (+1)

  Skills

  Active: Spear Thrust (15) (160/16384000), Spear Jab (15) (67941/16384000), Spear Sweep (16) (8162498/32768000), Spear Lunge (11) (583746/1024000), Spear Overhead Strike (10) (757/512000), Sword Slash (1) (75/1000), Sword Stab (1) (11/1000), Sword Chop (0) (141/500), Sword Sweep (1) (48/1000), Sword Parry (1) (184/1000), Sword Block (0) (497/500), Blacksmithing (1) (346/1000), Woodworking (0) (54/500)

  Passive: Regeneration (11) (154213/512000), Keen Reflexes (7) (41791/64000), Momentum Streak (15) (1440146/16384000), One with the World (Spear) (MAX), One with the World (Footwork) (MAX)

  ‘49 Stat Points gained. Not bad at all.’

  Nova scanned his Status, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. His Keen Reflexes had skyrocketed, no doubt honed by the relentless onslaught of the sky serpent. That brutal encounter had pushed him further than ever before.

  But he had no time to bask in his progress. He still had a kingdom to conquer before he could return home.

  With that thought, he swam upward, retrieving the token to unlock the array. As he finally breached the surface, his eyes swept over the aftermath in the cave.

  The walls were fractured, riddled with deep cracks, and the ground was littered with debris. It looked as though the cavern itself had barely survived the battle.

  Eiruk was still in the same spot, but now seated, his head tilted back toward the ceiling—like a man who had just witnessed the end of the world and the calm that followed.

  Ordun, however, remained unmoving at the center of the cave, surrounded by rubble. Judging by the amount of debris near him, he must have destroyed anything that dared approach. His expression was unreadable, carved into a mask of cold indifference, but his eyes were locked onto the lake.

  At the sight of movement, Eiruk stirred, his daze shattering as he turned toward the water. His breath hitched when he saw Nova emerging—drenched in blood from head to toe.

  A wave of relief washed over him, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.

  “I-Is it over?” he asked, his voice shaky but hopeful.

  “Yeah, it’s done,” Nova said, running a hand over his face in an attempt to clean himself. It was useless. The lake water had turned a deep crimson, staining him further instead of washing him clean. The thick, sticky sensation of dried blood clung to his skin, making every movement feel sluggish. Irritated, he exhaled sharply before turning to Ordun.

  “So, do I have to kill you to conquer the kingdom?”

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  Ordun met his gaze, his expression unreadable. “Yes and no,” he said flatly. “There are two ways to claim the throne. You can either kill me and the three noble families… or you can have us appoint you as king.”

  Nova frowned. “Why can’t you alone appoint me? Did you really give up your rights?” His voice carried a mix of surprise and frustration. If he had known, he could have just slaughtered everyone and been done with it. But there was no point in dwelling on it now—he had gained far more than he expected from this portal, and he was about to gain even more.

  Ordun’s expression remained cold as he explained, “I didn’t give up my rights. The Giant race has always had three noble families alongside the king—it’s the law. Sometimes the king maintains a strong alliance with the noble families, relying on their influence from the shadows. Other times, the king uses force to keep them in check, ensuring their complete submission.”

  He hesitated for a moment before continuing, his voice quieter.

  “I… chose to distance myself from them.”

  Nova raised an eyebrow at Ordun’s words, mulling over his choice. ‘This king isn’t exactly a people person. If something like this happened with humanity, there’d be chaos everywhere. But then again… if this system has been in place for so long that even the common folk don’t question it, I suppose it makes sense that they see it as normal.’

  Shaking off his thoughts, he said, “Alright, gather the three noble families and bring them here to appoint me as the new king. I’d like to finally be done with this.”

  Ordun gave a curt nod. “Wait here. I’ll be back.” Without another word, he turned and strode out of the cave, not once looking back.

  Left to wait, Nova and Eiruk passed the time talking. Nova described what had happened at the bottom of the lake—the relentless battle with the monstrous sky serpent. At first, Eiruk was thrilled by the tale, his blood running hot at the thought of such a battle. But as Nova continued, detailing the sheer power of the creature that excitement gave way to a quiet, lingering fear.

  Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long. Just two hours later, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the cave.

  Nova turned toward the entrance as four figures emerged from the shadows—Ordun at the front, leading three others.

  Nova turned as the four figures approached, his gaze immediately landing on a familiar face—Varkun.

  The giant’s expression was frozen in disbelief. He had never expected Nova to return alive after meeting the king. And to make matters worse, Ordun had personally briefed him on what had happened—Nova hadn’t just survived, he had slain the sky serpent their race had sealed away for over a thousand years.

  Hearing about it was one thing. Seeing Nova standing there, very much alive and drenched in dried blood, was something else entirely.

  Beside him, the heads of the Yurnokar and Morkhalas families stood together. They weren’t as openly stunned as Varkun, but their gazes held the same underlying disbelief. The problem that had plagued their race for such a long time had been solved… and not by one of their own, but by an outsider.

  Ordun led them to stand before Nova. The three nobles studied him in silence, as if appraising a weapon—one even more terrifying than the sky serpent itself.

  Nova arched an eyebrow before saying flatly, “Finished looking?”

  A pair of awkward coughs escaped the two noble heads, while Varkun hastily turned his head away.

  “Good. You already know what to do. No need for me to explain further,” Nova said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

  Ordun turned to the three family heads, his voice sharp and commanding.

  “Kneel.”

  Varkun swallowed hard. “Are we… seriously appointing him as our king?” His voice wavered, uncertainty thick in his tone.

  Ordun slowly turned his head toward him, his gaze like ice.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice cold and absolute. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  Seeing the cold, unyielding look in Ordun’s eyes—and feeling another equally frigid gaze from his side—Varkun clenched his fists, his resistance crumbling. With a heavy breath, he lowered his head in resignation and slowly kneeled.

  The other two family heads hesitated, their minds grasping at the last remnants of hope for a miracle—some way to escape this fate. But none came. Accepting the inevitable, they too sank to their knees beside Varkun.

  Ordun stepped forward, passing Varkun without a glance. Stopping before Nova, he knelt as well, retrieving an ancient tome from within his robes. The book’s worn leather cover bore the weight of countless centuries—perhaps even tens of thousands of years.

  Holding it up with both hands, Ordun spoke solemnly. “Sign with your blood to complete the ritual and become our King.”

  Eiruk, standing off to the side, swallowed hard. His heart pounded with excitement. He had heard stories of how kings were appointed, but to witness it firsthand was another matter entirely. There was no grand ceremony, no crowds, no fanfare—just six people in a ruined cave. And yet, it was a moment that only happened once in a thousand years, perhaps even longer.

  Nova’s gaze fell upon the giant book, at least twice as big as him, had its pages already marked by the signatures of rulers long past. He exhaled through his nose. ‘This kingdom is far older than I thought.’

  Without hesitation, he stepped forward and jumped landing on the book. Raising his hand, he pinched his index finger until a bead of blood welled up. Pressing it against the aged parchment, he signed his name.

  Nova Grey

  The moment he finished, a notification rang in his mind—followed by many others in rapid succession.

  [Title acquired: Lord (Giants)]

  [Mission: Conquer the kingdom has been completed]

  Rewards:

  · Gold: 170000

  · EXP: 10500

  · Fortune Band (+10 Luck)

  · Book Thunder Basics

  · Title: Hunter

  (You’ve escaped your status of a prey and become someone who sees others as preys. All Stats +5%)

  ‘Another title?’ Nova frowned as he scanned the notification. Lord (Giants)? But wasn’t he supposed to be king?

  Confused, he glanced at Ordun, who had just risen to his feet. “I got the title Lord (Giants), but shouldn’t I be King?”

  Ordun sighed, crossing his arms. “Do you really think we’re the only kingdom of Giants inside the portals?”

  With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Nova without further explanation.

  Nova stood still, his mind churning. ‘Does that mean… the Universe split every kingdom and empire of each race into different portals?’ The thought settled in like a stone dropping into deep water. ‘It must have done this to give every challenger a fair chance to grow and train.’

  ‘Things are getting more and more complicated.’

  Shaking off his thoughts, he focused on his new title and read its description.

  Title: Lord (Giants)

  (The lowest rank of nobility within the Giant race. It grants the right to own land in a Giant Empire.)

  Nova exhaled slowly.

  ‘Indeed…’

  [Portal will close in 10:00]

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