A Gold Mine

The clash between Ilia and Baltier was unlike anything I had ever witnessed.

The air shimmered with a chilling, biting energy ice and silver weaving together in a deadly dance.

Each movement was precise, each strike calculated. Baltier's blade moved effortlessly, slicing through the frozen battlefield with an unsettling calm.

His every motion was smooth, a display of controlled mastery.

Every word he spoke held weight, his voice cold and commanding. "Shatter," he whispered, and with each utterance, the ground beneath them trembled.

Cracks spread rapidly, shards of ice erupting like jagged spears from the frozen earth.

Ilia's silver threads responded with equal precision.

Shimmering with light, they weaved intricate patterns, forming barriers and defensive constructs to ward off Baltier's relentless assault.

Yet, despite her skill, Baltier's magic pushed forward without relent a storm of cold that seemed to engulf everything in its path.

His control over ice was unyielding.

Her movements were fluid, faster than his, but even her agility couldn't escape the suffocating pressure of his ice.

Every parry, every counter, was met with a more devastating countermeasure.

"You can't win," Baltier said softly, his voice a steady whisper as the tip of his blade pressed lightly against Ilia's neck.

His gaze was cold and detached, yet his confidence seemed impossible to break. "You no longer have the strength to be my Master."

"Really?" Ilia said, a smirk barely touching her lips.

Suddenly, the very world seemed to shift around them.

Long silver threads materialized from the sky, weaving down toward Baltier like chains.

He was ensnared, held up by the very clouds themselves.

"I'm going to make sure you never get the chance to utter those words again!"

As Ilia lunged forward, the earth beneath us trembled as if the very fabric of reality had shifted.

A moment of stillness followed a strange silence before Baltier's voice shattered it.

"Shatter, World!"

In an instant, everything broke. The world cracked apart, shattering into fragments around us.

I froze in shock, unable to comprehend the sheer power behind his command.

Then, just as quickly, the pieces snapped back into place.

Baltier stood once again amidst the shattered remnants of reality, calm as if nothing had happened.

"What a monster," Albert muttered beside me, his expression pale. "He tore through the very sky and ground."

"Allow me to show you, Master," Baltier said with a cruel smile, "the real reason why you are nothing."

Raising his sword high, he swung down with a force that sent Ilia flying backward. She landed hard but swiftly recovered, stepping just feet away from him.

"Frozen Pin Cushion."

In an instant, hundreds maybe thousands of ice needles manifested around us.

Each needle was sharp, deadly, and precise.

Yet, as they surged toward us, I didn't feel the expected cold bite. Instead, a wave of heat washed over me.

Then I saw two flaming wings, a brilliant azure blue, spread wide in front of me.

And just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving behind a figure cloaked in shadows a dark, imposing man.

He turned back to us, his gaze fixated on Ilia, a cold smile curling his lips. "It seems I've been reborn once again."

Before anything else could be said, his fist slammed into Baltier's jaw.

I barely saw him move as he grabbed Baltier's neck and slammed him into the ground.

Fire erupted from under him, surrounding the icy sorcerer in a roaring blaze.

Baltier gasped and screamed, "Shatter!" but Daniel quickly flew upward, tossing a flaming javelin.

Baltier caught it mid-air and with a cold command, created an ice spear.

Yet, before it could meet Daniel, the fire erupted again.

Daniel was already behind him with a flaming sword piercing through Baltier's shoulder.

Baltier spun around, swinging blindly, hitting Daniel in the jaw, but Daniel spat out blood and kicked him back.

As Baltier rolled, he shot up once more, swinging upward in a fierce clash with Daniel's fiery blade.

Then Baltier was instantly shot into the air, a pillar of fire erupting beneath him. As he soared higher and higher, Daniel spoke with a voice full of wrath.

"Flogo's Wrath!"

In a flash of blue light, a massive spear, dwarfing the one earlier, shot directly at Baltier. The spear pierced through him, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

Daniel flew up and caught him, holding Baltier's neck as they momentarily hovered in the air.

Then, with a powerful descent, Daniel drove Baltier into the ground, blasting him into a crater.

Ilia rushed to Daniel, her silver threads dissolving into wisps as she threw herself into his embrace.

She kissed him deeply, her relief evident in every touch, every movement. "You came back," she whispered softly, her voice trembling.

Daniel held her tightly, a smile playing on his lips. "Always."

Albert collapsed to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He sat back on the ground, staring up at the sky as if in disbelief. "I was only able to watch… in awe."

I stood there, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. The sheer intensity of the fight left my mind racing, and yet, I could barely process it all.

Daniel gently pulled away from Ilia, but his arm remained around her waist as they moved toward us.

He looked at me, a seriousness in his eyes. "Thank you, Inanis, for freeing me. I'm sorry for what almost happened… for almost killing you."

I waved him off with a smile. "It's not a big deal. You were caught in the heat of the moment."

Before we could say more, a voice pierced the stillness.

"Father!"

Reid's voice rang out sharply as he sprinted toward us.

His expression was a mix of relief and fear as he reached Daniel, embracing him tightly. "You've come back… You've come back to us."

"Now that you've all hugged," I said, cutting through the emotional moment, "we need to go over the next part of this mission killing the king."

Daniel glanced at Ilia, his face confused and almost afraid.

She softened her expression, her grip on his arm tightening slightly. "Yes. After freeing you, we planned to take him down."

"But I don't mind that," Daniel continued, his voice steady, "but aren't you all aware...he is far stronger than me."

I paused for a moment, my thoughts swirling back to the novel. Not once had it mentioned the king's strength.

All it had said was that he was foolish, but why? If he's stronger than Daniel… wait.

The king, damn it all, I should have known.

Whenever a character wasn't named in the novel, they always had a grand reveal, with them saying their name almost like a spell.

When his name was finally revealed, she received massive hate from the readers.

When she came to me, I was confused. At that time, I was still holding off on reading her novel. In fact, my stupid self only read it upon my death.

But if this world follows the novel's original script, that means his name must be different as well.

I looked at Daniel. "What is the name of the king?"

He gave me a confused look. "Stark Stultus."

Yes, I remember everyone said she stole the name, but she was fluent in German and Latin as well, as I was.

"Damn it, we all need to run away."

Everyone turned to me, confusion etched on their faces as I stood up. "That bastard king… he plans to come himself.

As I stumbled to walk, I glanced at my palm.

Damn it, no, this isn't real. It can't be.

My palm was completely blank.

My fate, it's ended.

I die.

No.

I.

"The waking sound of a monster creaking from its slumber."

"The calling of a king from his bed."

"The rage of a man with his heart taken, a stray."

"I stand before the putrid filth I so desperately need to cleanse."

I turned left, and with eyes as golden as the sun, sharp and piercing, hair as long and flowing as a river, smooth and untamed.

Skin lightly tanned with an almost ethereal glow, his presence commanding the very air around him.

His refined crimson cape was embroidered with intricate silver patterns, cascading down his shoulders in folds of royal luxury.

Each thread was woven with purpose, a testament to his heritage.

His armor, polished to a mirror-like finish, glinted with hints of gold and onyx, accentuating his regal demeanor.

Black laces secured his boots, each step deliberate, each movement a reminder of his dominance.

The king of Veritas stood before us, his gaze cold, yet calculating.

"So many mice I need to catch, how elegantly… disgusting."

In his hands, he held a golden sword, its blade shimmering with an almost divine light.

The weight of the weapon wasn't just in its appearance it exuded power, a manifestation of his unyielding dominance.

As I stared at him, memories surfaced of the changes she made.

Yes, she had told me that he was the strongest character in her novel one that was only limited by his own foolishness.

His ability to turn anything he touches into gold, an insatiable greed that consumed everything in its path.

With the pathway to Sin, he possessed the sixth Order: Greed.

My body is openly rejecting the mere sight of him, this bastard I think he's a transcendent being as well.

I could feel my eyes bleed but as I looked down ay my mask it was covered in gold.

Then I collapsed to the ground.

I didn't even have time to look around I could barely stop myself from passing out.

I could feel my body rebel against the idea of looking back up at him. All I could do was listen.

"My foolish king, have you finally started your march?" Daniel's voice was sharp, laced with defiance.

The king's reply came, smooth and unsettling, like honey hiding venom. "No... I simply wanted to see who it was that dared to steal my heart. And with that, it seems I've struck gold once more."

Ilia's voice broke the tense silence, trembling yet brave. "What... what do you do when you've struck gold?"

The king didn't answer with words. Instead, he took a single step forward.

I knew he had moved not because I saw it, but because of the overwhelming pressure that followed, described perfectly in the novel.

It felt as if even breathing might force golden bars to spill from my mouth, and with that oppressive weight, my legs became encased in solid gold.

A wave of something unnatural like an invisible tide—crashed over me. The sensation was indescribable, a pull stronger than gravity itself.

When I finally looked up, my heart stopped.

Everything was gold.

The world around me had shifted entirely. The air, the ground, the trees, the very

people I stood with all of it was encased in an unyielding, radiant solid gold.

I forced out words, my voice cracking under the strain. "You... are quite the greedy man."

The king turned his gaze toward me, his golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

Then, for the first time, he smiled a smile that chilled me far more than his words.

"Greedy, you say... yes, I suppose I am something along those lines."

With a deliberate slowness, he began walking toward me.

I didn't know why, but I was the only one who hadn't succumbed completely.

My body, trembling under the weight of his presence, resisted his spell, though my strength was almost entirely gone.

Perhaps it was because I knew this moment was coming.

Or maybe he wanted me to be the last one to fall.

He stopped just before me, his towering form casting a shadow that seemed to stretch endlessly. "You are a bizarre creature," he said, his voice almost pitying. "So weak... yet so strong."

"Maybe... maybe you'd get more people to like you if you weren't such a prick," I managed to say through gritted teeth, my defiance flickering like a dying flame.

The edges of my mouth began to harden, my teeth turning to gold even as I spoke.

The king tilted his head, his expression one of mock contemplation. Then, he laughed a low, melodic sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"Yes, I suppose I could share my wealth." His grin widened, dripping with cruel amusement. "But then again... I'm greedy, aren't I?"