The Throne

The spy bird was dead.

The final image it captured- the sight of Malik Thana standing alone in an empy battlefield, only bloodstains and scorch marks left to show the remenants of massacre, his golden flames licking hungrily at the air, his sword glimmering with more power than when the war began- was burned into the minds of all who sat in the grand throne room of Potix's capital.

The silence was suffocating.

King Leviathan sat upon his blackened throne, his face unreadable, one hand resting against his cheek as if bored. The blood-red banners of Potix fluttered slightly from the cold draft seeping through the massive chamber, but no one dared to speak first.

The projection of Malik's massacre had vanished with the creature's death, but its impact lingered.

The first to break the silence was Theon, the 1st Prince, his voice thick with arrogance.

"This is ridiculous!" Theon's fists crashed onto the obsidian table before him, his golden armour clinking with the force of his movement. His sharp yellow eyes burned with frustration. "Father, why are we wasting time? We should send the full might of the royal army and crush him now!"

Glendell, the 2nd Prince, scoffed, his long raven-black hair shifting as he leaned back lazily in his chair.

"Exactly. We have numbers. We have power. Malik Thana is strong, incredibly so, but he is only one man. The fact we're even discussing this is an insult." His pitch black irises gleamed with murderous intent.

Leviathan did not move.

His golden eyes, eerily similar to Theon's, remained fixed on the shattered remnants of the spy bird's crystal lens, now dark and lifeless on the table before him.

It was Princess Rose who spoke next, her voice soft yet filled with a quiet weight.

"We should be considering more than just how to win," she murmured, her hands delicately folded in her lap. "What of the civilians? The cities caught in his path? If we make a mistake- if we provoke him recklessly- more lives will be lost than necessary."

Theon's fury flared.

"You're worried about the fucking peasants? Rose, wake up. This monster- this thing- has already slaughtered more than a billion! Do you think he cares about casualties?"

Rose's deep red eyes flickered toward Theon, her expression calm despite his outburst. Her beauty was undeniable, a woman whos very presence could topple nations. But in this moment, her delicate features were marred by worry.

"He was not born this way," she said softly. "You all know that."

Glendell rolled his eyes. "Here we go again. The princess and her 'soft heart'."

Katya, one of the strongest ability users in the kingdom and the King's trusted aide, gave a low chuckle, crossing her arms.

"Regardless of how he started, he is what he is now," she said. Her voice was rich, smoky, lined with amusement. "And what he is now... is a calamity in the making. I agree with the king- our next move must be calculated."

Leo, sitting beside her, nodded. His gaze was sharp, measured, lacking the arrogance of the two princes.

"Theon, Glendell- you two act as if brute force will solve this. That is precisely what Malik wants." He glanced toward Leviathan. "He's letting us send soldiers because he wants more strength. The more men we throw at him, the stronger he becomes."

Theon's jaw clenched, but he had no way to refute his claim.

Rose hesitated before speaking again, choosing her words carefully.

"Malik is... alone," she said, her tone tinted with sadness. "He fights and kills without hesitation, but that is because he has nothing else. No home. No family. No one left to tether him to this world." She turned her gaze to her father, who had still not spoken. "You knew this, didn't you?"

Leviathan finally moved, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Of course I did," he murmured in amusement.

Silence fell once more.

Then- Theon snapped.

"Enough of this!" He turned to his father, voice boiling with frustration. "You sit there, smiling, plotting- but you haven't told us a single thing about what we're actually going to do!"

Glendell nodded, irritated. "Exactly. Instead of letting Katya and Leo waste their breath, how about you tell us the actual plan, father?"

Leviathan exaled slowly, as if finally indulging a child's tantrum.

He leaned forward in his throne, his golden gaze setting upon his two sons.

"You want to know the plan?" His voice was low, amused, but laced with an edge that sent chills through the room, his kingly aura suffocating even the ability users.

The Princes tensed.

Leviathan rested his chin on his hand.

"We gather all of our forces at Potix. Every knight, mage and war asset we have. And we wait."

Theon looked incredulous.

"Wait? That's your plan?"

Glendell let out a bitter laugh. "So, we let him decide when and where to fight? That's pathetic!"

Katya and Leo remained silent.

Because they knew something the Princes didn't.

They understood that Leviathan was not a passive man.

He was a hunter.

And right now, he was luring his prey.

"Malik will come," Leviathan continued, his voice unbothered. "And when he does, he will not be fighting an army of nameless soldiers."

He gestured to Katya and Leo.

"You two, along with the others, will stand at the forefront."

Then, for the first time, Leviathan's golden eyes gleamed with true intent.

"I want him tested."

Leo's gaze darkened. "You mean you want us to see his limits."

Leviathan smiled. "If he has any."

The room grew cold.

Katya smirked, rolling her shoulders. "Now this is starting to get interesting."

Theon and Glendell looked furious, but neither dared to protest.

Princess Rose simply sighed, her heart heavy.

She had seen the truth in her father's eyes.

This wasn't about stopping Malik.

This was about studying him.

Leviathan knew something they didn't.

And then, the king's gaze shifted back to Leo and Katya.

"Before we move our forces and civilians to the royal capital, send Goliath."

A heavy silence followed, the tension tangible.

Katya raised an eyebrow, her curly platinum locks swaying and a smirk widening on her face. "The Madman?"

Theon's expression twisted. "You're sending that lunatic after him?"

Leo folded his arms. "Goliath can't tell ally from enemy on the battlefield. He's as much a danger to us as he is to Malik."

Leviathan's smirk didn't fade. "Exactly. Malik has never faced uncontrollable chaos. Nor has he faced a master of weaponry. He fights with precision, with overwhelming force. Let's see how he fares against something that cannot be predicted."

None of them realised the real reason Leviathan had made this decision.

He was stalling.

Because he wanted to see how much further Malik could grow.

"Now, then," he murmured.

"Let the final act begin."

...

It was now morning, the sun rising just above the horizon and brightening up the atmosphere.

The wind howled over the ruined plains, carrying with it the scent of blood, ash, and steel. The battlefield he left behind was already fading into obscurity.

Malik moved forward, his pace measured and unhurried.

[Time remaining: 4 days, 6 hours, 37 minutes.]

The third quest timer ticked down in the back of his mind, but he wasn't rushing.

There was no need.

If he wanted to, he felt like he could end this within two days, if he played his cards right.

But that wasn't the smart choice.

He was fighting to perfect himself, to test his limits and iron out any kinks in his way of battle. For that, he was willing to take it slow and steady.

With every step, he felt it- the sheer increase in his abilities, the way his body responded so effortlessly to his thoughts.

The 200 stat boost in every category wasn't just noticeable. It was transformative.

Vitality, strength, agility, endurance, mana, perception and even soul- everything had skyrocketed. His movements felt lighter, his speed unnerving, his reactions sharper than ever before.

The first time he tested it, he almost shattered the ground beneath him with a single step.

It wasn't just linear growth.

It was multiplicative.

Every 100 stat points were a milestone, exponentially greater than the last.

Malik didn't know if the stat gains were specific to him and his system, or if they affected ability users in a similar or entirely different way.

But he knew one thing.

If the best soldiers of the kingdom had 800 to 900 in their respective stats, Malik was already far beyond them.

He was no longer human.

Not even remotely.

And yet…

He wasn't arrogant enough to assume he was invincible.

It wasn't enough to be strong.

It was never enough to just overpower an enemy.

Because Malik knew- one day, he would meet an opponent he couldn't simply crush through brute force.

Someone who could match or exceed him.

And when that day came, it would be his efficiency, his understanding of his abilities, that would determine whether he survived or died.

So he experimented. Refined.

With every fight, every movement, he had analyzed how his body adapted to the armour, the way his speed and power interacted.

The Devourer's Adornments weren't just a temporary crutch. They were a glimpse into what true mastery could feel like.

When he moved, he forced himself to fight with deliberation, soaking up every movement he made.

Every strike- perfectly measured.

Every dodge- flawless, wasting no energy.

Every counter- precise, lethal, effortless.

He wanted to see how far he could push it.

How far he could go without fully relying on raw force.

Malik exhaled, slowing his steps as he came to the edge of a ruined village, left abandoned by its people.

He looked up at the sky- dark clouds rolling in, an omen of the storm to come.

Malik knew what was happening, how could he not.

King Leviathan was not an idiot, there was a reason he had ruled for so long.

After witnessing the destruction Malik had wrought, the King of Potix would have no choice but to move his remaining forces to one place- the capital.

One final battle.

One last war.

A true test of everything Malik had become.

And yet, the king wasn't foolish enough to expect Malik to wait.

Which meant-

'Someone is coming for me.' He had the thought, questioning the kings next action, but all paths led to this. It was the best move to make and Malik predicted the king would do as such.

'It will be a distraction, but not a hollow one. The king will undoubtedly send a powerful fighter meant to 'stall me', someone beyond anything I've faced so far.' Malik tilted his head in thought, the rays of sunlight licking at his face beneath the armour.

It was the only move that made sense.

But it begged the question- Who?

Malik had already fought and killed some of the strongest generals the armies had to offer. He had done so with ease.

Even with the knowledge he retained from the library, he was still unaware of the dangers that lurk within the kings forces. Something that left him agitated.

Malik contemplated this. 'Whoever they are sending now will be stronger than Rhodan, most likely someone wild, unpredictable. Someone I won't anticipate.'

His fists clenched in frustration, "Shit I hate being in the dark."

If Leviathan was smart- which Malik knew he was- he wouldn't send a disciplined solider after him.

He would send chaos.

And for the first time in a while, Malik felt something close to excitement, anticipation.

This would be a chance to see how much he'd grown and possibly even limit himself to train closer to perfection.

And whether this next opponent would be worthy or not.