The Story

Harith stopped in his tracks upon hearing what Hobs had just said. Hobs began to tell the story about the myth.

"If you want to hear it, I'd prefer you stay closer, son."

"Y-yes, please, let me hear it."

"If you say so," Hobs replied. And so the story began.

"Once upon a time, in the old days, each nation was protected by its own guardian. The most powerful among them were the Four Guardian Servants:

Taurus the BerserkerAngeline the Shield MaidenAarlv the ImmortalOnyx the Contractor

Together, they maintained peace and unity in the kingdom. No matter the crisis, they always lent us their help.

"First, Taurus looked much like a Minotaur, with unimaginable strength. Our great-great-great-grandfather once witnessed his prowess in war. Taurus could wipe out entire enemy companies with his giant axe.

"Second, we have Aarlv, the King of Knowledge. He discovered the mana within our bodies and taught our ancestors the art of infusing their power into weapons. Thanks to him, sword fights today are more deadly. Did you know the academy in the capital is named after him? The Aarlv Academy.

"Next, we have Angeline. There's not much information about her, but I did read a book that said she had the face of an angel. She could see through souls, making it impossible to lie in her presence.

"Last but not least, Onyx the Pact Maker. He has the body of a wolf, if I remember correctly. Legend says he once had a human form but preferred to disguise himself as an animal to hide his presence. He had unique patterns around his body, which made him quite striking. In the old days, our king would meet with Onyx to make pacts to protect the kingdom from any threat. Onyx was the mediator of these deals.

"If the king demanded protection from the Four, Onyx would demand something of equal value. Should any party interfere or break the deal, Onyx would make them regret being born. Once a contract was formed, there was no turning back."

After hearing the explanation about the myth, Harith became more excited and curious.

"Woah, that's cool."

"It is, but there's more," Hobs continued.

"With the Four as allies, the Kingdom of Ardonia was well-protected for a century. But that time is over. After the first Armageddon broke, the king demanded the assistance of the Four Guardians. They chose who to serve alongside in the war and made a blood oath with them. Every guardian accepted the oath except Onyx, who found them unworthy. Onyx had the right to choose whom he would serve.

"When they first deployed on the battlefield, the Four displayed incredible power, unstoppable until one day something happened to Onyx. He began to attack his own men on purpose. Nobody knew why, but it seemed he had decided to change sides and join the Abyssal. Onyx started craving more power, driven by jealousy and greed. To achieve that, he became the first party to form a contract with Voidtheris.

"Woah, that's crazy."

"Indeed. To form a contract, both parties must demand something from each other. Onyx demanded more power, but the Voidtheris' demand remains unknown. The Voidtheris is known as the darkest and most deadly art in the kingdom, capable of matching the power of all four guardians combined. Onyx might have been blinded by his desire for power. Once he fused with the Voidtheris, he transformed, corrupted to the core. His body grew many eyes, became larger, and he turned merciless.

"Since then, he has been known as the Weeping Wolf. To end the nightmare, the king asked the other three guardians to help defeat Onyx. The battle began, but even their combined power couldn't match him. Realizing the hell he had created, Onyx chose to isolate himself in the Mist Forest, never to be seen again. The other three still serve as summoned guardians. Many years have passed, and there is no longer any trace of Onyx. He has become a myth."

As the flashback ended, Hobs and Harith returned to the present.

"I feel bad for him," Harith said.

"Why so?"

"He used to be the guardian of this kingdom. Now, he's seen as a threat."

"You know, someone once told me, 'Sympathy for someone's downfall will only bring downfall to yourself.'"

"Wow, that's a nice quote you got there."

"I know, right? He's the one who told me that."

"Hahaha, I see."

As they continued their journey, the scene shifted to nightfall in a forest. On a mountain, a large creature watched the moon. It flinched and started sniffing the air as if sensing something.

Sniff Sniff

"Ah, someone is coming."

Sniff Sniff

"Twenty-four... No, twenty-five humans."

Sniff

"Ah, he's there."

The creature finished talking, jumped off the cliff, landed safely, and started running in a particular direction.