Eldoria

The old man remained remarkably calm, sitting in his chair without resistance. After hearing that he would be released if he answered this golden-eyed man's questions, he finally spoke.

"Ask whatever you wish."

This wasn't his first time being kidnapped. He knew that the person before him had taken him for information. But what information? He started thinking inwardly.

"Maybe he wants to know how to bypass the city's security? Or the whereabouts of the wealthiest merchants?"

But he quickly dismissed the thought. I'm just an average person in the city. What could he possibly want from me?

Then another possibility crept into his mind, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. What if he's after my family's secret…?

Azael observed the old man closely, noticing how he suddenly started sweating buckets.

"Why is he sweating so much? Could it be that he's afraid of my power?" Azael frowned.

Unbeknownst to each other, both were thinking about completely different things.

After a moment, Azael spoke.

"What is your name?"

"I... I am called Old Bass Rufas," the man stammered.

Azael nodded. "I see. What is the name of this city?"

"This is Blue Stone City, sir."

"Old man, tell me—what country are we in?"

The old man hesitated, confusion evident in his expression.

"Country?" he repeated, puzzled. "Sir, you don't know what country we are in?"

"Just answer the damn question, old man."

"Yes, yes!" he hurriedly replied. "We are in the Runebridge Kingdom. This city is located at the border, right at the edge of the kingdom, near to grasslands."

"Runebridge, huh? Nice name," Azael muttered. "Tell me more about this kingdom—its history, current rulers, anything significant."

"Yes, of course," the old man said. "The Runebridge Kingdom was founded by Runemaster Vargo 400 years ago when he became a 7-Star Master. After ruling for 146 years, he perished in battle against a powerful beast in the grasslands. The capital, Rune City, lies at the heart of the kingdom, and there are a total of fifteen cities, including this one.

Right now, his descendant, Vargo III, rules the kingdom."

Azael's eyes sharpened when he heard the term 7-Star Master.

"What is a 7-Star Master?" he asked, his voice firm. "Explain."

The old man was taken aback. Does this man live under a rock? He doesn't even know the world's power system?

But before he could voice his confusion, Azael released a fraction of his aura, making the air around them heavy and suffocating. His voice turned dark and commanding.

"Answer the damn question, you useless old man."

"Y-yes! Yes, sir!" The old man straightened up in fear.

"Sir… do you truly not know how the world's power system works?"

"I don't," Azael replied. "Explain it to me as if you're talking to a child."

The old man took a deep breath. "Very well. The world we live in is called Eldoria. It has two continents—this one, simply known as the Grasslands, and another called the Wastelands.

Powerful individuals are ranked from 1-Star Masters to 9-Star Masters. 7-Star Masters are considered the true powerhouses of the world. As for 8-Star and 9-Star Masters… they are like legends. No one has seen them, nor are there any confirmed records of their existence."

"I see," Azael mused. "And what about you? What rank are you at?"

"I am a 3-Star Master, sir," the old man admitted.

"Good. I've gotten the answers I need." Azael stood up. "You're free to go, old man."

"Really?" the old man asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Azael confirmed. "Free to go… to the afterlife."

Before the old man could react, Azael reached out, grabbing his head. A surge of energy pulsed through his fingers, and the old man's body instantly began disintegrating into tiny particles.

What Azael had truly done was extract the old man's memories—and with them, his Origin Core energy.

From the memories he absorbed, Azael finally understood the reason why people in this world carried Origin Core energy within them.

According to the old man's knowledge, those who called themselves Star Masters were, in reality, users of Origin Core energy. Over time, they had developed the Star System as a way to measure their power—the more energy one possessed, the stronger they became.

In essence, Azael himself was also a Star Master. He, too, stored energy within himself, and unlike them, he had even created an entire universe within himself using this energy.

This so-called Star System was named as such because people believed the energy came from the star in the sky.

But they were wrong.

The energy wasn't coming from the star or the blue sun.

It was coming from the very core of the planet itself.