Beyond Calamity

The King stood on the balcony of the palace, watching over the ruined capital city, smoke rising high into the air. Never in his life had he imagined that the human kingdom's capital—a city with the highest security and home to countless high-level adventurers—would end up like this. 

And yet, from the reports he had received, it was all the work of a single individual. 

A stranger of an unknown race. 

The knights reported that he had the appearance of an ordinary human, but they couldn't clearly see his face. He also used a strange power—neither magic nor mana-based. A being that had never existed before. 

Every living being in this world, no matter how little, possessed mana. 

It was hard to imagine a living creature surviving without mana, especially in a world where mana was everything. Even for daily tasks, one had to use mana—to activate tools or simply to unlock a door. 

Even children played using mana. 

And now, there was a being capable of plunging the capital into chaos without it? 

"What's the situation down there?" The King asked his right-hand man, who was also watching the intense battle below. 

Using magic, he could enhance his vision as if looking through a binoculars, allowing him to observe the fight in greater detail—something that had left him questioning everything from the very beginning. 

How could the Grand Mage and Burning Star lose to him? 

The stranger didn't even seem to be trying. He was toying with them while both of them were already exhausted. 

"Not good, Your Majesty. The Grand Mage and Burning Star are still not enough to stop him." He paused before continuing, "I fear only the heroes may stand a chance against him. But even then, it would require a great sacrifice." 

"So, he is that strong?" 

The King's right-hand man nodded. "His strength, his speed, his abilities—everything surpasses the heroes. And I believe he is still hiding his true power." 

How could someone like that remain unheard of? 

No, it actually made sense. 

Only those with overwhelming power could pull off something like this. 

And that realization unsettled the King—what if there were more of them still in hiding? 

Down below, the stranger sat atop the rubble, watching the Grand Mage and Burning Star, both battered and bruised, blood dripping from the corners of their mouths, their bodies covered in bruises and wounds. 

He acknowledged their strength. 

Far more enjoyable than the five naïve heroes who relied only on their anger rather than skill, unlike the two before him. 

Burning Star, despite his fiery and explosive nature, was actually someone who could think with a cool head. Every attack, every movement, every step he took was calculated. But even so, he was still too slow. 

At equal strength, the stranger wasn't sure he could beat Burning Star. 

As for the Grand Mage, despite using his hands and feet as his primary weapons, he still relied on magic to enhance his attacks. Unfortunately for him, magic was useless against the stranger, causing every spell to fail and only result in destruction all around them. 

If he were to analyze the situation statistically, ninety percent of the destruction here was caused by those two. 

"What's wrong? Getting tired?" The stranger glanced at the King standing on the palace balcony before turning back to them. "Weren't you going to teach me a lesson? Make me regret causing all this chaos? Where's that courage and determination from earlier?" 

Burning Star spat blood to the side. "Don't think you've won. As long as I'm still breathing, I haven't lost yet!" 

"Oh? Alright then." 

In an instant, he appeared in front of Burning Star, grabbing the orange-haired man's throat and launching into the air like a rocket. For the first time, the Grand Mage felt true despair. 

"He... is truly terrifying." 

High above, Burning Star struggled desperately to break free, thrashing like a fish out of water. But no matter what he did, the grip on his throat only tightened, making it harder and harder to breathe. Panic slowly took over. 

Still, he refused to give up. He kept punching and kicking, but nothing he did had any effect. 

Until finally, they reached outer space—beyond the planet's atmosphere. His eyes widened in shock. Never in his life had he imagined seeing such a sight. 

And he had never expected it to be so cold. 

So cold that even high-level fire magic couldn't withstand it, slowly freezing as the oxygen thinned. 

"As long as you're still breathing, right?" 

The stranger released his grip, letting Burning Star float helplessly in the vacuum of space, desperately gasping for air that would never come. 

Perhaps because he possessed mana, he was able to survive a little longer beyond the atmosphere. 

Had he been an ordinary human, he would have died the moment they arrived. 

"What's wrong? Starting to feel what it's like to die?" The stranger's voice sounded as if it were coming from behind a thick wall. 

Darkness crept into the edges of Burning Star's vision, his heart pounding rapidly, his chest burning from the lack of oxygen. 

Just before his life slipped away, the stranger grabbed him and reappeared in the ruined city below, shocking the Grand Mage. His eyes widened at the sight of Burning Star's body—his skin was frozen in several places. 

And this was Burning Star—the highest-level fire element user, the very reason for his title. 

Like a star that would never fade, even in the darkest night. 

And yet, he had almost died frozen up there, his body now trembling violently. 

"What... just happened?" The Grand Mage whispered. 

"Nothing much. I simply granted his wish. And he just stopped breathing for a second." 

That answer sent a wave of fear through the Grand Mage. 

Not just anyone could say something like that so casually. 

Especially about someone like Burning Star. Even he wasn't confident he could defeat him easily. 

Yet this man didn't just send him to his death—he pulled him back right before his soul could be claimed by the reaper. 

A being unafraid to toy with death itself. 

There was only one creature he knew that fit such a description—one that had struck fear into the world since its very creation. 

A being that could not die, only be sealed within an instrument. 

The destined enemy of the heroes. 

The bringer of calamity. 

The Demon King.