Zensa

After being betrayed and executed by his most trusted general, Emperor Ezra  awakens ten years in the past—inside the prison where his downfall began.

Armed with memories of betrayal and a mysterious system granting him power,  Ezra refuses to be a victim again. This time, he won’t beg for mercy. He will rewrite history.

Escaping the dungeon is just the first step. To reclaim his throne, Ezra must outmaneuver old enemies, recruit new allies, and crush the traitors before they strike.

But as he grows stronger, he realizes something terrifying—he wasn’t the only one who regressed.

The Emperor Return

The trees seemed to shift when I looked away, branches twisting ever so slightly. The spatial distortion was subtle, but enough to throw us off. If we weren't careful, we'd wander in circles until exhaustion took us.

Damon clicked his tongue. "So, what? We just stand here?"

"No," I muttered, scanning the area. "There's always a way through. No mage, not even Varian, can make a perfect illusion."

I crouched, brushing my fingers against the dirt. The ground was slightly damp, but in some areas, the soil was loose. Something had disturbed it recently. I followed the uneven patches, eyes narrowing.

A faint glimmer in the air—like light bending unnaturally.

"There," I pointed. "That's the edge of the distortion."

Damon didn't hesitate. He strode forward and slashed at the air. His blade passed through nothing… and then everything.

Then, like glass shattering, the illusion cracked apart.

Damon grinned. "I love when you're right."

I ignored him, stepping into the revealed passage. The distortion was still active, but now that we had broken a piece of it, we could move forward without getting lost.

We pushed ahead, moving swiftly through the eerie forest. The unnatural silence still hung in the air. No birds, no wind—just our footsteps crunching against the damp earth.

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▶ [Caution! Entering High-Level Zone]

Damon noticed my hesitation. "What now?"

I exhaled sharply. "Something is here."

His grip on his sword tightened. "Varian?"

"No." I shook my head. "Something worse."

As if on cue, the ground trembled.

A deep, guttural growl echoed from the darkness ahead. Trees creaked as something massive moved between them.

Then, from the shadows, it appeared.

A monstrous creature—twice the size of a warhorse, its body covered in thick, darkened scales. Its eyes burned crimson, and jagged spines ran down its back. But the worst part?

Two more emerged behind it, their bodies just as grotesque, their claws glinting in the faint light.

These were something else entirely.

▶ [Enemy Identified: Abyssal Dreadwolves (A-Rank)]

▶ Special Traits: Regeneration, Shadow Blink, Pack Coordination

Damon cursed. "We just had to keep going, huh?"

I took a slow step back. "If we run, we die."

One of the beasts blinked. In an instant, it was gone—only to reappear inches from me, fangs bared.

I barely dodged as it lunged, its massive jaws snapping shut where my head had been a second ago.

Damon roared, slamming his sword into another beast's flank, but the thing barely flinched before slashing at him. He blocked, but the force sent him skidding backward.

They were faster than us. Stronger than us.

▶ New Skill Unlocked: Phantom Step (D-Rank)

▶ Effect: Temporarily phase out of existence for 0.5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

The next time the beast attacked, I activated the skill—and vanished.

For half a second, I was nothing. No weight, no presence, just emptiness.

Then I reappeared behind the beast.

It didn't have time to react before I drove my dagger into the back of its skull.

Blood sprayed. It staggered, letting out a guttural snarl before collapsing.

Damon blinked. "The hell was that?"

"No time," I muttered, already moving. "We still have two more."

The other wolves circled, their crimson eyes glowing in the dark.

Trap Or?