After the war, the balance of the domains—Dothan, Edom, Winter, and Ashkelon—shifted.
Humans rose to the top, and many of them, having forgotten the will of the man they once followed, sought to exact vengeance against the Edomites and Dothanites.
After the day of the war, the races waited for Asher to make an appearance. But he never did.
All people remembered was that he looked half dead when he fell into the fairy’s bosom.
Three months have passed since then and during this time, small human towns had taken laws into their hands to exact vengeance, hunting down stray Edomites while the Dothanites turned against them.
The rumours were that the chief of the Dothanites and the closest man to being a giant in this era was furious at the death of his sister and had waged war against the Edomites.
Finally, the truth of the matter came to light—the chief of the Edomites was nothing more than a figurehead.
The true power behind the Edomites had been Aldrich.
_____
Step. Step. Several footsteps echoed down the grand hallway.
A striking woman, her black cascading beneath a hood, moved with measured grace. She wore priestly robes adorned with gold and precious jewels, a row of four-winged priestesses trailing behind her.
Amongst all of them, only her head was covered by a hood.
She walked into the inner chambers of the Ashkelon manor. The paladins standing guard at the door stepped aside and pushed open the massive oak doors.
Sapphira’s violet eyes trembled as she gazed at the unconscious man lying on the king-sized bed. His long white hair spilled all over his chest, and his body remained completely motionless.
Though all the wounds on his body had healed just a few days after the war, he refused to wake up.
His coma had shaken the domain. It had resulted in distress throughout the region, with the lords being on their feet, restless.
Now that the Mormont and Adamos were on their side while Intis, Wyvern and Nubis were against them, their lord couldn’t fall.
No one could replace him!
Sapphira turned to Nero, who sat silently on a wooden chair, his hands clasped together. The depth in his gaze made it seem like she was looking at a man in his thirties.
“Any signs?” she asked.
Nero shook his head. “Still the same.”
“The nobles and officials are growing angry. They are upset at the chaos going on in the depths and are prepared to dispatch troops to restore order.”
Nero’s eyes widened, and he rose up abruptly. “It would cause a war! Those people only bow to Lord Asher!”
“I believe the same,” Sapphira said, her voice calm but firm. “But the elders of the court are more than just me. And they are not wrong. Those people are ruining the peace we bled for…”
His eyes softened. “He bled for it.”
“They’re hurt. They’re exerting vengeance out of pain, and only His Lordship can put an end to it,” Nero murmured, stepping closer to Asher’s bedside.
He looked at the man who had grown so much in such a short time.
In mere months, Asher had transformed. He now appeared like a man in his early thirties with a chiseled, beautifully defined chin and long snow-white hair that could reach his back!
His frame had grown broader and more powerful. His muscles, firm and well-defined, bore the signs of unnatural growth. Even without flexing, his six abs were fully in view.
His white eyebrows were sharp as swords, giving him an air of quiet menace.
“His rapid growth stopped a week ago,” Nero said. “Do you think he will awaken soon?”
“I pray so,” Sapphra whispered.
Suddenly, creases formed on Asher’s forehead, startling both of them.
Shua!
The next instant, his eyes opened.
After several months of darkness, those outstanding golden eyes brimmed with life and saw the world once again.
What lay before his vision was something Asher had never expected.
[Reward: King’s Body.]
[Warning: This transformation will alter your bone structure, muscles, ligaments, and vessels and potentially increase your organs.]
‘Organs?!’
[Your spirit now inhabits the King’s Body, a vessel so powerful that it surpasses the boundaries of humans. You possess two hearts to sustain the immense amount of oxygen your powerful body demands, and the second heart may also serve as a lifesaver should you lose one. Additionally, your king blood is now considered a resource, capable of forging nightmare-grade troops, but this process can be highly lethal. Proceed with caution.]
Nightmare grade troops?!
Aren’t those the highest tier forces?!
“My Lord!”
Just then, two familiar faces appeared in his line of sight—Nero and Sapphira.
Their presence triggered the memories of the war, and instinctively, Asher rose up and began inspecting his body.
Compared to his current physique, his former one, which he admired a lot, made it seem mediocre at best. He wasn’t just large but also well built, and even according to humans, he was sculpted for perfection.
Finally! The system had worked on him!
The amount of raw mana coursing through his veins and muscles was just so much that he was afraid that even the slightest action would release it.
The mana stored inside of him was simply too staggering!
In God’s name, what rank was he right now?
Sapphira and Nero exchanged glances as they saw numerous expressions flash across Asher’s face.
Then, after a while, his gaze focused on them.
“We greet His Lordship!”
Both of them fell on one knee. Asher came down from the bed, standing at an imposing height of 6’10 feet.
“Rise.”
Both of them obeyed and rose up.
Asher smiled at Sapphira, stepping forward to gently wipe the tears that threatened to fall from her trembling eyes.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled her into his embrace before turning to Nero.
“What happened?”
“You have been unconscious for three months, My Lord. Your newly conquered lands are in shambles.”
“Nero!” Sapphira exclaimed, but Nero ignored her.
“Humans are at the necks of Edomites and Dothanites, and they have also picked up arms to fight back.”
“I see. Where are we?”
“We are in Ashkelon.”
“Hmm… What do you propose?” Asher lifted Sapphira’s chin, meeting her gaze.
“You should appear before them and restore peace. There are bigger factions that might take advantage of this chaos.”
“Peace?” Asher arched a brow. “How do you propose we achieve that?”
“A city. Unite them under one banner. And those who refuse to obey… will be left out. Whatever happens shall fall on them alone.”
A slow smile formed on Asher’s lips. “Nero. Where is Blacksmith Dan’s masterpiece—one I entrusted to you?”
Nero reached out beneath his collar, pulling out a spiral ring on a rope around his neck. Unlike an ordinary ring, this one carried weight—not of gold, but of meaning.
He had never been able to give Sapphira the Assassin’s Delight in person because of certain circumstances, but this ring, although not as expensive, was closer to his heart.
He had Blacksmith Dan forge it after he returned from the depths and realized how foolish he had been to ignore Sapphira.
“You might be kind in heart, a weakness many shall call it, but it is this weakness I want to protect. You are a side of me that I have lost…”
Sapphira’s eyes trembled.
“Though this isn’t how I planned it. I choose to put this ring on now because the moment calls for it.”
Asher twirled a strand of her hair before slipping the ring into it, letting it dangle.
“Your hands are meant to handle the ill, the weak, the wounded. They belong to many. But your hair…” His fingers brushed through them, his voice a quiet promise. “Those are mine alone to touch.”
He smiled, took one step, sealing the gap between them before caressing her hair.
Then, he turned to Nero and gave his final command.
“Send word. I have awakened.”