Paradox Dungeon.

Catherine stared at her young master in shock, just minutes ago, he was no longer breathing, but now he was not only breathing, but looked better than ever.

Ryan stared down at his new body, his old once frail body was now on par with that of an Olympic athlete.

His arms that were once as lean as a broom, had no buffed to a size that would strike fear in the hearts of anyone that tried to pick a fist fight, his stomach has developed well sculpted abs and his leg muscles has also grown.

It wasn't just his height, there were also other changes in his body, his hair had turned golden blonde, and the color of his eyes had become more vibrant.

"Master Ryan, what happened to you?" Catherine asked, she had visibly witnesses the changes in her Master's body happen, and it made no sense.

"Well, I don't really know what happened, but it has something to do with my system." Ryan responded, he didn't want to give away too much information, because he himself didn't understand his power.

And there was another major problem, humanity had rebelled against the gods and had burned their temples down as a way to honor the Beyonders, so if people were to find out he could summon the same gods they saw as evil, he would be eliminated instantly.

Ryan himself didn't care if he was being helped by the gods, they had given him a healthy body and enough power to surpass those who had mocked him earlier.

While Ryan was still debating the source of his powers, a knock could be heard outside Ryan's room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Let me get that." Catherine said, she cautiously made her way to the door, preparing her skills just in case.

The door opened to reveal a man adorned in a metallic armor, this was one of the kingdom's foot soldiers, soldiers that were assigned to menial tasks.

"The King has requested to see Master Ryan." The guard stated his purpose, and vanished before any questions could be asked.

"Wht would my father want to see me?" Ryan asked, the last time he had seen his dad was when he was 7, and he couldn't lie, he could barely remember how he looked.

"I don't know, but it seems important, you should go." Catherine said, it would be beyond foolish to decline or postpone the King's invitation.

"Well, let's go" Ryan said, he made his way to the door, but stopped as soon as he realized that Catherine wasn't moving.

"Catherine, you are aware that I don't know my way around the palace?" Daniel said, the last time he had stepped out of his room was when he was forced to attend a royal event 11 years ago.

Catherine nodded her head and decided to escort Ryan, she initially didn't want to follow, because the king hadn't summoned her, just Ryan.

Ryan moved through the palace with Carolyn leading him, his eyes were darting everywhere like a child from a small village who found themselves in a mega city, it had been so long that Ryan had forgotten how the palace looked.

"Who's that handsome man?" A random lady said while staring at Ryan, but it wasn't just her, almost every woman he walked past turned their head to look at him, and they all asked the same question, 'Who is he?'

Ryan ignored the stares, he had finally reached the throne room, he took in a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come.

"Who are you?" One of the two red-armored knights asked, the red armor knights were the third strongest knights in the kingdom, they were the first line of defence when it came to protecting the king, and well were respected.

"I am Prince Ryan RoyalBlood." Ryan said, it wasn't shocking that the guards didn't recognize him, in fact, he would be shocked if they had.

"Lies, the second prince is just a myth." The guard said confidently, and without wasting time, he drew his sword and pointed it at Ryan, while his colleague took a step towards Catherine.

[Hostile Intentions Detected.]

[Inspect activated.]

[Enemy is leaps and bounds above you, inspect has failed.]

"Ryan, pull out your crest." Catherine said calmly, she wasn't even the least bit scared by the guards' hostility, she knew their strength very well, and they were no match for her.

Catherine's voice had drawn Ryan's focus away from the system message and back to the matter in hand.

Ryan put his hand into his shirt, and pulled out a necklace, he raised the necklace to the face of the guards, revealing the Royal Crest.

The Royal Crest was a talisman, given to only those possessing royal blood, every royal family had their own crest, it was simply a way for one to prove their royalty.

"My prince, I apologize." The guard said while sheathing his sword, and so did his colleague, making sure to also apologize to Catherine.

Ryan and Catherine made their way into the throne room, while being accompanied by a red knight, ready to neutralize them in case they tried anything.

"Ryan, I see you have been taking good care of yourself." The king said as soon as he set his eyes on Ryan, he hadn't seen Ryan for years, and frankly, he had forgotten Ryan existed, until he heard the news.

"I'll cut straight to the chase, I heard you awakened a summoning talent." The king said, not even giving Ryan or Catherine the chance to acknowledge him as their king.

"Yes, that is true." Ryan declared confidently, while staring into the King's pale blue eyes and stark black hair.

Those who had seen Ryan often doubted that the king was Ryan's father, because their looks were nothing alike, Ryan had green eyes and blonder hair, while his father had blue eyes and dark hair, physically there was no similarity between the two of them.

"Well, this kingdom cannot have a summoner as a prince, you would need to prove yourself to the people of Valeria." The king said non chalantly, frankly he was disgusted by Ryan's presence, and wanted him out of here as soon as possible.

"And how do I prove myself?" Ryan asked confused, he had never heard of a prince being forced to prove himself or his power to the people.

"You will need to do something, something powerful enough to solidify your place as a prince, or you risk being banished." The King said, he had been searching for a way to rid himself of Ryan, and finally the chance had presented itself.

"Once again, how do I prove myself?" Ryan pressed, his voice sharp with frustration.

The King's pale blue eyes bored into him, cold and unfeeling.

"You will need to clear the Paradox Dungeon," he said, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.

"No," Catherine's voice broke the tension, filled with desperation. "You can't ask this of him!"

Ryan glanced at her, a mix of gratitude and sadness on his face. But deep down, he knew. There would be no mercy, if clearing the Paradox Dungeon would save him from being banished, then he might as well pack his bags.