Round Table
In the Kingdom of Beasts: The Sixth Kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms
King Basto, one of the Seven Kingdoms' rulers, received a message from his spies. He opened it and read its contents. After a few moments, he set the letter aside and scoffed, saying,
"Huh? What is this? I sent him to gather intelligence on the Empire, not to praise and glorify it."
His deputy, Mosk, known as one of the most intelligent human minds and a minister among the Seven Kingdoms, quickly responded,
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I will order his execution the moment he steps into any of the Seven Kingdoms."
The king replied,
"No, I don't think I want that. How are things in the south with our war against the Red Tribes?"
Mosk answered confidently,
"Your Majesty, do not worry. Soon, they will be subdued. Only four tribes remain out of a hundred."
The king nodded,
"Hmm, that's excellent. You may leave if you have nothing else to report."
Mosk bowed his head respectfully and stepped back before exiting the hall.
---
(In the Empire)
The unknown figure (Kox) arrived at the Empire and headed directly to the inner hall to meet the Fifteen Ranked.
Banz, the Eleventh Rank, spoke angrily,
"You damn bastard, Kox! We've been waiting for you for three hours!"
Hunter, the Seventh Rank, said coldly,
"Hmm, at least he's here now. Let's begin without any more delays."
Hold, the Fourth Rank, agreed,
"Yes, let's start."
Kox, the Thirteenth Rank, laughed,
"Hahaha, seems like I'm receiving a warm welcome here."
Banz retorted sharply,
"You bastard, you're three hours late, and you reek of blood and filth. And who is this that you brought with you?"
Henesia, the Fourteenth Rank, sneered,
"Yeah, what's this trash you dragged in? Don't tell me you went to play with those mortal insects again?"
Kox smirked wickedly,
"Hehehe, I was just killing some boredom and found something interesting, so I took it."
Bair, the Ninth Rank, said seriously,
"Enough talking. Go clean yourself up, dump the trash, and return. We won't wait for you again next time."
Kox then took Karsu's body, threw it to one of the researchers, and ordered him to examine it—to check his condition, analyze his Qaz types, and confirm that Karsu did not possess the book.
Inside the grand hall, adorned with golden decorations and intricate engravings, the Fifteen Ranked sat on their elevated seats. The air was thick with aura. Massive pillars supported the high ceiling, while dim lights flickered on the hall's walls, which were covered in historical paintings.
Hunter, a muscular man with a rugged face lined with wrinkles, wore a gleaming silver armor that reflected the light. His deep voice filled the hall,
"Where did you take that mortal's body?"
Kox, with his rough black hair and dark, grim attire, had sharp eyes like a hawk. He answered in a loud yet respectful tone,
"I gave it to the researchers."
Zyron Kaldor, the Eighth Rank, was reclining strangely on his chair, his feet propped on the armrest while slowly chewing an apple, seemingly indifferent to everything happening around him.
He wore a long, tattered gray coat, its edges appearing burned or eroded. The inner lining of the coat was decorated with dark purple engravings that faintly glowed with every movement he made. Underneath, he wore a tight black half-sleeved shirt and dark trousers patterned with irregular silver streaks, resembling shattered glass.
On one hand, he wore a black leather glove adorned with small buttons that resembled golden eyes, while his other hand was bare, fingers long and slender, decorated with multiple rings—some ordinary, others pulsing with an eerie energy.
His face was as unsettling as ever—pale skin, light gray eyes with pupils so small they seemed to observe everything at once. His short, messy silver hair stuck out in all directions, while an unnervingly wide grin stretched across his face at all times.
Suddenly, he tossed the apple core into the air, caught it with his mouth, and then chuckled,
"Ooooh, all this tension, all this blood… Who died?!... Oh, right... that handsome one you threw away like a bag of garbage?"
He then tilted his head at an unnatural angle, as if his neck might snap, and gestured as if drawing circles in the air,
"But really, why so serious? Aren't we here to have a little fun? Hahaha, joke!"
He abruptly stopped laughing, his eyes widening slightly before he whispered in an icy tone,
"Or perhaps… we are simply watching a catastrophe unfold before us? Who knows?"
A heavy silence fell over the hall, broken only by the distant dripping of water from a fountain.
Banz glared at him in clear disgust, his brows furrowing as if he were facing a repulsive creature.
"Fool, as always..." he muttered, his sharp blue eyes gleaming with irritation.
Hunter remained still, his cold gaze locked onto Zyron, expressionless, but his clenched fist on the armrest betrayed his simmering frustration.
Hold exhaled heavily, closing his eyes for a moment before fixing Zyron with a hawk-like stare—full of warning and boredom, as if watching a jester who had lost control.
Henesia smirked mockingly, idly wiping the tip of her ornate spear as she murmured,
"Zyron… insane as ever. Perhaps we should kill him someday to rid ourselves of this mess."
Meanwhile, Bair tilted his head slightly, studying Zyron with a detached, analytical gaze, as if examining a strange specimen in a cage,
"Whatever he does… it won't change the decision ahead. Let's continue."
Banz, his piercing blue eyes sharp and his dark blue attire impeccably elegant, ran a hand through his short blond hair and said,
"Then, let's begin discussing the current situation. Spy reports indicate unusual movements in the Seven Kingdoms."
Hold, a towering man with a massive build and a thick mustache, dressed in a decorated red cloak, nodded,
"Yes, it seems the Sixth King is preparing for something big. We must be ready for any escalation."
---
(Meanwhile, in the Research Labs)
The researchers meticulously examined Karsu's body. One of the leading scientists, Dr. Elias, a slender man with thick glasses and a white lab coat, worked tirelessly to understand Karsu's abilities.
Elias:
"These samples exhibit unusual cellular activity. It appears he possessed a distinctive aura ability."
Another researcher, a young man with curly brown hair and an energetic face, asked,
"Do you think he was using his aura's full potential?"
Elias:
"It's difficult to say, but it's possible. We need more time to analyze everything."
---
(Back in the Sixth Kingdom)
As the researchers delved into their work, King Basto closely monitored the Empire's movements.
King Basto was a massive man, towering at two meters tall, exuding an aura like that of a lion. His green eyes held unwavering confidence, and he wore garments crafted from the finest black silk, a rare material as strong as steel yet as flexible as fabric.
Basto:
"Mosk, prepare the troops. We must be ready for any attack from the Empire."
Mosk, a tall man dressed in an elegant white suit, had piercing red eyes. His sharp glasses added to his intellectual presence. Though not overly bulky, his physique was that of a peak warrior—lean yet powerful. His short, curly black hair was tinged with white at the edges, and he had no beard or mustache.
Meanwhile, the dense forests surrounding the Empire teemed with life. Beasts roamed through the thick trees, and colossal