《The Dark Continent - Kingdom Building》


 Chapter 1 The Dark Continent

    The Dark Continent


    Dust and dawn merged into an unbroken veil of dread. This world, once teeming with might, was now but a shadow of its former glory. Empires crumbled, kings clashed, and brothers turned against one another. It was as if the heavens themselves had forgotten that light ever graced this realm.


    As the final flicker of hope dimmed, the storm ceased its rage. Shadows ruled unopposed, creatures of darkness ravaged the lands, and the dead walked¡ªno better than the living who cowered in despair. Centuries passed, and only fragments of humanity endured. Scattered tribes survived, their existence a testament to defiance. Among their relics, the bones of swords stood as silent proof of a once-mighty world now lost to time.


    The Tribe of Silas


    "Listen, boy. You are the last heir of Silas. You know our roots, our story, but today you''ll prove if you are worthy of inheriting our burden," the man said, his resolute voice betraying the turmoil in his eyes.


    The boy, battered and unkempt, his body marred by scars, stood unwavering. "I''m ready, Father. Today, the heavens shall take me¡ªor I shall force them to look upon me with glory," he declared, his voice filled with defiance.


    "The gods have not abandoned us," the man intoned, lifting his gaze to the skies. "This world¡ªO Lord of Heaven, hear our name! If you could witness our journey and deeds, surely you would look down upon us from your celestial throne."


    "I''m ready," the boy repeated, his resolve unshaken.


    "Truth, laws¡ªthese are the pillars upon which both we and the heavens themselves stand. Some are harsh, others merciful, but it is these laws that keep the heavens from crumbling into the abyss. The world was born from chaos, a singularity that became duality, then multitudes. Chaos was the shepherd¡ªit became a stone. That stone birthed the universe. Yet even the embrace of the universe was empty, until the stone, overwhelmed by chaos, shattered into matter and non-matter¡ªthe syllables of life itself. From this chaos came the Gate, the Law, God, and the One Beyond the Stone."


    The father''s words trailed off, and an eerie silence settled. Suddenly, the boy''s body began to steam, his eyes bleeding as if the truth he had heard was a blasphemy too vast for mortal comprehension. So simple, yet so perilous.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more."Stay strong, my son. Hold on. God is with you," the father cried, desperation cracking his voice. The boy''s screams, raw and primal, echoed through the air, capable of striking terror into the mightiest of beasts.


    "Father¡­" the child''s voice softened, trembling as his skin burned with fiery spikes that shimmered in a faint blue haze. "What''s¡­ going on? My skin¡ªahhh¡ªit''s burning! Pain! Pain! Pain! Father!" he cried out, writhing on the ground, clutching his arms around an amulet.


    Moments later, he stopped, he¡¯s mouth open and echoed ¡°I¡¯ll finally hear mother sing again, dad...¡± The boy said, as he stared his father in the eyes, until he had eyes no more.


    Osiris watched, his glowing crimson eyes betraying neither surprise nor comfort. His face was a mask of anguish, yet his movements were precise. His hand¡ªgnarled, monstrous, and beast-like¡ªtransformed in an instant. Before hesitation could take root, it plunged into the boy''s skull, cracking bone and crushing brain in one swift, merciful act.


    "My boy, Aries¡­ death is not the end," Osiris murmured, his voice trembling. "The heavens will cradle you, and angels will sing their melodies for your weary soul. Your pain is mine, my son, and beyond the Gate, you will find rebirth."


    The man''s voice faltered, but his resolve did not. This was his third son to fall to the Curse of Cain''s Flame. Like his brothers before him, Aries had awakened only to be consumed by the truth¡ªa truth the heavens deemed blasphemy.


    Blood coated Osiris''s hands, but it did not stain the ground. Instead, it burned into ash, disintegrating before it could touch the earth. Flesh and bone followed, crumbling into fine dust that Osiris gathered in his trembling palms. No tears fell, yet he cried in silent agony, kneeling in the shadow of the moment.


    With a heavy breath, he swallowed the ashes of his son. One handful at a time, he consumed the remnants of Aries, his body quivering with each mouthful. When the last trace of his son was gone, he stood, his posture solemn as a lone willow in the wind.


    "The bones of my sword, the ashes of death¡­ when one Gate closes, another opens," Osiris whispered, his voice like the rustle of falling leaves. "Thank you, my son, Aries."


    As he spoke, his form began to shift. Neither tall nor short, his once sturdy frame trembled as if under an unseen weight. His hair, long and as black as the abyss, coiled like serpents in a slow, sinister dance. His crimson eyes glowed brighter, a blood moon in the night. Then, his skin cracked and split, forming the shape of a Gate across his chest¡ªa curse carved into his very being.


    This was his curse¡ªthe Curse of Deliverance. On the Dark Continent, curses were not blessings nor punishments. They were truths that shattered the fragile mortal shell. Few survived the awakening, and those who did became something¡­ other. To awaken a curse was to hear a truth so profound it tore apart the soul, blaspheming against the heavens themselves.


    In this merciless land, mortals without curses perished swiftly. The cursed were humanity''s only shield against the darkness. But awakening one''s curse demanded a price.


    "He''s dead," Osiris said, his voice hoarse. "My last son¡­ gone like the others. Taken by the hand of fate."


    He stood before a solitary tombstone, its polished surface far superior to the weathered stones surrounding it. A name was etched upon it: Melody. She had been his wife, a victim of nature''s cruelty, devoured by a beast of the night.


    With her loss, the tribe had crumbled, leaving Osiris to wander alone. His few possessions¡ªragged clothes and tools bundled in a small bag¡ªhung over his back. The sun shone weakly through the forest canopy, but the chill in his heart remained.


    This tribe, once a bastion of resilience since the Age of Man, was now on the verge of extinction.


    Osiris, a name inherited from his father, carried the burden of truth. Born with eyes like the Gate of Hell, he had been destined to bear this curse. Generations of his bloodline passed down the truth of the world¡ªa knowledge so profound it gifted them power, a means to survive in the Dark Continent.


    Yet the truth came with a cost. It destroyed as much as it created, granting life through the curse or taking it in merciless silence. Those who heard this truth either awakened their curse¡­ or perished under its weight.

 Chapter 2 Echoes of the Past

    The forest was silent, save for the whisper of the wind weaving through skeletal branches. Osiris crouched by a dying fire. A pendant, carved into its surface with grooves smoothed by years of wear, was held tightly in his monstrous hand, dwarfing the delicate piece.


    ¡°She would have told you to stop sulking,¡± came a voice from across the camp.


    Aries, barely a teenager, sat on a log with his arms crossed. His hair was matted with dirt, and his face bore the stubborn defiance of youth. But his eyes¡ªso similar to Osiris¡¯s¡ªheld a flicker of sorrow he couldn¡¯t fully mask.


    Osiris glanced at the boy, his lips curving into the ghost of a smile. ¡°And you think you know what your mother would say?¡±


    Aries shrugged. ¡°She¡¯d say, ¡®Osiris, get up. The dead don¡¯t need your tears, but the living need your strength.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that what you always told me she said?¡±


    The words cut deeper than the boy realized. Osiris placed the pendant back around his neck and rose to his feet, his towering frame casting a shadow over the dim firelight.


    ¡°She did say that,¡± Osiris admitted, his voice low and heavy. ¡°But saying it and living it are two different things.¡±


    Aries stood, his own posture mirroring his father¡¯s in stubborn resolve. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore, Father. You can¡¯t protect me from the truth. I¡¯ve seen the things you¡¯ve tried to hide¡ªthe marks on your chest, the way you wince when the Gate burns you. Whatever burden you carry, I¡¯m ready to share it.¡±


    Osiris¡¯s gaze softened, but his voice remained stern. ¡°You think you¡¯re ready? You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking for, Aries. The truth isn¡¯t a gift¡ªit¡¯s a curse. It will tear you apart before it makes you stronger. If it even lets you live.¡±


    Aries stepped closer, his fists clenched. ¡°Then teach me! Train me! I¡¯m not afraid to die if it means I can protect what little we have left. You¡¯re always talking about the Tribe of Silas, about our legacy. Well, isn¡¯t it time I became a part of it?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Osiris turned away, his broad shoulders tense with the weight of the conversation. He looked up at the crimson-tinged sky, where clouds twisted like specters in the fading light.


    "Do you remember when your mother would sing, Aries? Her voice was like the first light after the long night."


    "Yeah... I miss that. I miss her."


    Osiris paused, his voice softening. "She believed you could bring light to this world too. Never forget that," he said after a long pause. "She thought we could escape this cycle, that we could find a way to break the curse without losing more lives. I wanted to believe her¡­ but this world doesn¡¯t care for hope. It crushes it under its heel."


    Aries¡¯s voice softened. ¡°But you believed in her, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Osiris nodded, his hand absently brushing the Gate etched into his chest. ¡°Every day of my life. And I believe in you, Aries. But belief isn¡¯t enough. If you want to walk this path, you¡¯ll need to be stronger than I ever was.¡±


    ¡°I will be,¡± Aries said, his voice firm.


    The wind picked up, carrying with it the distant howl of a beast. Both father and son instinctively reached for their weapons¡ªOsiris for his jagged blade, Aries for the makeshift spear he had crafted from scavenged parts.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start,¡± Osiris said, his voice cold and resolute. ¡°No more words. Show me you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Aries nodded, his eyes alight with determination.


    Time quickly passed, and in the blink of an eye, three months passed.


    During these three months, they conducted long-distance endurance training every day. In addition, Aries had to undergo "The Hunter Test". This was a general term referring to methods and tactics tested over long periods within the Tribe of Silas. It was divided into two main categories: "Survival Arts" and "Resource Harvesting". These were the basic set of abilities every warrior had to master.


    "Survival Arts" was subdivided into "water", "shelter", "access to food", and "subsistence". Each course contained a wide range of content.


    The first was the "Water Source" course, which focused on finding water sources in different environments, divided into four broad categories: the jungle, the desert, the mountain, and the swamp. Finding water sources in the jungle was much easier compared to other environments. However, beasts lurked in the jungle; hence, the "Survival Arts" course also taught Aries how to avoid these dangers.

 Chapter 3 The Trial of Ten Days

    In addition to searching for water, Osiris taught techniques for filtering it and testing its quality, among other vital skills.


    Without a doubt, warriors not only needed to survive in the Dark Continent, but also to collect water samples for analysis. Some of these samples proved to be lethal¡ªeither as toxins or as organisms far deadlier than they appeared.


    Beyond ¡°Survival Art¡± and ¡°Resource Harvesting,¡± the syllabus broke into four major disciplines: ¡°mining,¡± ¡°herb gathering,¡± ¡°geological surveying,¡± and ¡°exploration.¡±


    Each of these lessons could have been a standalone course in any college under normal circumstances, each requiring years of study to master. Yet here, they were merely fragments of a larger tapestry.


    In other words, while one might graduate college after specializing in a single subject for three years, survival in this world demanded mastery over all of them¡ªor death awaited.


    Only by mastering everything could a warrior hope to endure the Dark Continent.


    For Aries, the three months of endurance and ¡°mining¡± training tested his limits more than any other challenge. During the first week, it took him 30 minutes to complete five laps.


    After two weeks, he managed the same distance in 20 minutes. By the end of a month, he cut his time down to 15 minutes.


    As he pushed himself through each grueling run, Aries¡¯ thoughts wandered to a memory of his mother, Melody. She had laughed with the sunlight in her hair, dancing with him in a clearing now silent and overgrown. Those fleeting memories gave him strength to take one more step, no matter how heavy his legs felt.


    After two months of relentless effort, Aries finally earned the rare privilege of seeing his father smile.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    His speed and endurance improved astonishingly as a by-product of daily training, and he even secured the occasional word of praise.


    By the end of the third month, his body brimmed with power.


    The Clan of Silis, though reduced to just him and his father, were far from ordinary. They had preserved generations of wisdom¡ªbooks, ancient scrolls, and knowledge that set them apart from other tribes. Once, their clan had stood above the rest, but beast hordes and internecine strife had decimated their numbers.


    Reflecting on this, Aries turned to the herbalism shelf and pulled out a book titled Plants. Flipping through the pages, he made a few confirmations before returning it to its place.


    Exhausted, he crouched on the ground and traced the symbol of the Gate with a stick¡ªthe same emblem carved into his father¡¯s chest. His eyes lingered on the marking, his voice a whisper. ¡°Is this what awaits me?¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, Aries stood and walked toward his next round of training.


    The outer region of the Tribe stretched vast and empty, a desolate field brimming with the silent echoes of history. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay, a faint warning carried by the distant cries of unseen predators. Beneath Aries¡¯ feet, the ground was a mosaic of bones¡ªhuman and beast alike¡ªsilent testaments to battles long lost. This was the Tribe¡¯s training field, where generations before him, including his father and brothers, had been forged.


    Osiris stood with a cold smile, his voice steady, cutting through the oppressive atmosphere like a blade. ¡°After three months of training, you¡¯ve barely earned the basic qualifications of a guard dog. Garbage, at best.¡±


    The weight of his father¡¯s judgment settled heavily on Aries, but he didn¡¯t flinch. Osiris continued, his tone sharp and unwavering.


    ¡°The painful truth is a heavy cloak, Aries. It shields you, but it also weighs you down. Learn to bear it, or it will crush you.¡±


    Aries straightened, his voice quiet but resolute. ¡°I¡¯ll wear it like armor, Father. I¡¯ll make it light by understanding it.¡±


    Osiris¡¯s cold smile shifted, almost imperceptibly, into one of approval. ¡°Good. Starting today, every six months, there will be an exam. A man does not falter, boy. To lose your dream is to live in death. The gods reward those who work hard. And I have a test for you, son.¡±


    Aries tensed as his father¡¯s words fell like stones.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Osiris said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°I will send you to a place where you need only survive for ten days. Succeed, and you are qualified to continue our training. Survive, and you keep our legacy alive. Fail¡­¡± His gaze grew heavier, colder. ¡°Fail, and the last light of Silis will be extinguished. Not just our tribe, but you, Aries. Do you understand?¡±


    Aries clenched his fists, his resolve unshaken. ¡°I¡¯ll make it back, Father. I¡¯ll prove I¡¯m more than just the last of us.¡±


    Osiris stepped closer, handing him a small, ancient amulet. The metal glinted faintly, worn smooth by time and touch. ¡°This belonged to your mother. She wore it for protection. Now, it¡¯s yours. Say the words of our truth.¡±


    Aries grasped the amulet tightly, its weight grounding him. His voice, though soft, carried the echoes of generations.


    ¡°By the light of the past, guide my steps, shield my soul. Let the legacy of Silis endure the strings of the Gods.¡±