《The Royal Quest》


 Prologue : The End of a Reign, The Beginning of a Legend

    On the vast continent of Belfort, a mystical energy permeates every being and every element: Reiki. Present in the air and within all living things, it is harnessed daily to craft objects and sustain cities. But among the countless men and women, some have mastered this force with extraordinary skill. They are known as Rangers.


    Divided into four great classes, they dominate the battlefield.


    Warriors, masters of close combat, wield their weapons with power and discipline.Mages, scholars of Reiki, transform this energy into devastating incantations.Hunters, specialists in ranged combat, strike down their targets with unerring precision.Enchanters, mysterious priests, alter the very essence of beings and objects, granting them unique powers.


    At the world''s summit, the royal citadel of Taza stood like an eternal fortress, offering King Alden an unobstructed view of his vast kingdom. That night, in the grand council chamber, a crucial meeting was taking place. The flickering torches cast wavering shadows over the grim faces of the ministers and Rangers gathered.


    One chair remained empty.


    The silence was broken by the slow, steady footsteps of a man. Alden, draped in a mantle embroidered with gold, walked forward with unwavering poise, though the weariness in his features was undeniable. His long, crimson hair cascaded over his shoulders, while his wise, piercing eyes scanned the room.


    With measured grace, he took his seat.


    ¡ª "I thank you all for coming¡­ and I apologize for my delay," he said in a calm yet authoritative voice.


    ¡ª "Do not apologize, Your Majesty," replied his Prime Minister. "We are gathered here to discuss a matter of the utmost importance."


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    Alden nodded solemnly, folding his hands before him.


    ¡ª "I am aware. In two years, the Royal Quest will begin. My reign will end, and a new sovereign will be chosen by the heavens."


    A heavy silence fell over the room. Everyone present knew the truth.


    The king had little time left. His illness advanced day by day, and many questioned whether he would even live to see the next Royal Quest.


    Soon, the Celestial Treasures would manifest across the land.Soon, legendary creatures would awaken from their millennia-long slumber.Soon, the Heroes, those who had trained in secrecy for this very moment, would finally emerge.


    The Royal Quest would plunge the world into an unforgiving competition.


    A towering figure rose to his feet. His armor gleamed in the firelight, bearing the insignia of the Silver Fangs, one of Belfort''s most powerful guilds. His gauntleted fist slammed onto the table.


    ¡ª "Your Majesty, we must prepare the continent. If we allow this Quest to unfold like those before it, some may seize it for dark and twisted ambitions¡­ like Doma."


    A shudder ran through the assembly. His name was spoken, yet no one dared linger on it.


    Some knew.Others preferred not to speak of it.


    Alden slowly nodded, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon.


    ¡ª "The Royal Quest is a decree of the heavens," he murmured. "We have no control over it. We cannot stop it, nor alter its rules. Those who seek the throne must submit to the judgment of the heavens."


    The Prime Minister furrowed his brow.


    ¡ª "But if the wrong hands claim this power¡­ Belfort could be doomed."


    Alden turned to him, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.


    ¡ª "The heavens have never abandoned us¡­ and they will not start now."


    A royal guard stepped forward.


    ¡ª "Perhaps a member of the Pentagram will claim the throne and continue your legacy, Your Majesty."


    The king shook his head slowly.


    ¡ª "That would not be an ideal outcome."


    The guard hesitated.


    ¡ª "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"


    Alden took a deep breath, gazing at the night sky, where the first stars had begun to pierce the darkness.


    ¡ª "A king must not be a reflection of the past. He must be the wind of change. I have done my best, yet my reign was not without flaws. We need new eyes, a pure will, someone who will lead Belfort into a new era."


    He paused, then murmured as if foreseeing the future.


    ¡ª "I can feel it. This Royal Quest will be the most significant our world has ever known."

 Chapter 1 : Fenril

    In the oppressive darkness of the Rezha Forest, a place where legends whispered of fearsome creatures, a trail of white wolf corpses stained the ground. The scene was gruesome, a silent testament to a brutal confrontation. The culprits behind this massacre? A group of five adventurers in search of glory and rewards.


    Among them was a sorceress, one of the three categories of mages, whose presence was both commanding and sharp-eyed. A berserker, from the four categories of warriors, a wall of muscles and fury. Two archers, emblematic figures of hunters, precise and stealthy. And finally, a healer, belonging to the enchanters'' category, struggling to keep up with his companions'' relentless pace.


    ¡ª Hurry up, healer! You''re lagging behind! the sorceress barked impatiently.


    ¡ª Yes, sorry! the young man replied, quickening his pace, trying to mask his breathlessness.


    ¡ª I swear, why do we have to drag this dead weight along? the berserker grumbled, arms crossed. He''s clearly not up to the task. Even his healing is useless!


    ¡ª We didn''t have much of a choice, one of the archers sighed. This was a surprise quest. They''re rare, and the rewards are valuable. We needed five people to participate. We stick to the plan. The final boss is a level 90 Red Dragon. We should be able to handle it. Kaz¨¦, as the berserker, you''ll strike first. The dragon will focus on you. Hilda will use a binding spell to prevent it from advancing, then Selma and I will finish it off. As for you, healer, stay in the back. Heal us if necessary, but don''t get yourself killed.


    ¡ª O-okay, ma''am! Fenril stammered, unsure of himself.


    Fenril. This was his third mission as an adventurer. Even though he didn''t meet the required level, he had accepted the role to gain experience and claim even a small fraction of the reward. Healers were rare because they were slow and difficult to level up.


    He activated his Reiki, channeling energy into his eyes to assess his teammates'' levels. Hilda, level 94. Kaz¨¦, level 96. The archers, 93 and 95. And himself, only level 45. His spells weren''t even strong enough to boost their power or heal their serious injuries.


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    "One hit from that dragon would kill me instantly. Even a single blow from those white wolves could''ve ended me."


    The title of Hero was the ultimate reward for those who reached level 150, the maximum level. Only heroes were allowed to take part in the Royal Quest, an event held every ten years that granted the chance to claim the title of Supreme King. For Fenril, it was an almost unreachable dream, but he clung to it nonetheless.


    A deep, rumbling noise stopped them in their tracks. Kaz¨¦ raised a hand to signal them to halt.


    ¡ª Are we close to the dragon''s lair? Hilda asked, on high alert.


    ¡ª No¡­ we''re IN its lair, Kaz¨¦ replied, scanning the darkness. It''s nearby¡­


    A massive shadow darkened the sky. The ground trembled. The group looked up just in time to see an enormous creature descending upon them. The Red Dragon.


    A bone-chilling roar echoed as a torrent of flames engulfed them. The archers swiftly dodged and took cover in the trees. Hilda, with a flick of her wand, conjured a Reiki barrier to shield herself and Fenril. Kaz¨¦, however, stood firm, taking the flames head-on without flinching.


    ¡ª HAHAHAHA! You''ll have to do better than that to take me down, you overgrown lizard! the berserker roared, gripping his axes.


    He lunged forward, striking the dragon straight in the eye. The beast howled in pain and countered with a violent swipe of its snout, sending Kaz¨¦ crashing into the ground. But the berserker shot back up, enraged.


    ¡ª RAIN OF PAIN!


    A relentless flurry of blows rained down on the dragon. Seeing an opening, Hilda sealed the beast inside a giant cube of Reiki.


    ¡ª You''re ours now, she murmured, her wand pointed at the trapped creature.


    The archers unleashed a storm of poison-tipped arrows, slowing the dragon''s movements. Yet, even after an hour of intense combat, the beast refused to fall. Kaz¨¦, Hilda, and the archers were breathless, their Reiki nearly depleted. Kaz¨¦, who had endured every attack without faltering, now felt his muscles stiffen under the continuous onslaught.


    ¡ª Why won''t it go down?! Kaz¨¦ yelled, exasperated.


    ¡ª It''s a Solar Quest¡­ These monsters are abnormally resilient, Hilda panted.


    ¡ª Hey, healer! Heal us! Kaz¨¦ shouted.


    Fenril chanted "Revigorate!" A sphere of light appeared above each of them, but its effect was pitifully weak. His level was far too low.


    ¡ª Tsk, you''re completely useless!


    The dragon let out another deafening roar and raised its massive claw. Kaz¨¦ instantly understood.


    ¡ª Hilda¡­ The quest is a failure. Run.


    The claw came crashing down on him with terrifying force. His body was smashed into the ground, motionless. Silence fell.


    Fenril, paralyzed with fear, turned to Hilda with pleading eyes.


    ¡ª W-what do we do?


    The sorceress gazed at him, expressionless. Then, she raised her wand.


    ¡ª I''m sorry, she whispered.


    A transparent cube materialized around Fenril, trapping him inside.

 Chapter 2 : A Meeting guided by Destiny

    Hilda once again created a cube of energy and trapped Fenril inside.


    ¡ª "You''re going to be our bait while we make our escape!" she declared without a hint of hesitation.


    ¡ª "What?!" Fenril shouted, eyes wide with shock.


    ¡ª "Girls, let''s go!" Hilda ordered, taking off without looking back.


    The survivors didn''t waste a second and ran, leaving Fenril to his fate. But just a few meters away, a thunderous roar shook the air. The dragon appeared in front of them, its eyes blazing with fury.


    ¡ª "Looks like it didn''t appreciate the arrows," Selma remarked with a nervous smile.


    The beast retaliated instantly with a powerful swipe of its claw. Selma dodged effortlessly, and the second archer followed suit. Enraged, the monster launched attack after attack with growing ferocity, yet none of its blows landed.


    ¡ª "You''re wasting your time, lizard," Selma taunted with a smirk. "Archers are incredibly agile. Your attacks are way too slow to hit us."


    The dragon froze for a moment, then reared up on its hind legs. With a mighty beat of its wings, it unleashed a raging storm that swept everything away in its path. The two archers, thrown off balance, crashed violently against a tree. The impact left them stunned, sprawled on the ground. Before they could even recover, the dragon lunged at them and devoured them in one swift motion.


    ¡ª "SELMA! SARAH!" Hilda screamed, horror twisting her face. "Damn it¡­ I barely have any Reiki left¡­ If I''m alone, I still have just enough to teleport¡­ The teleportation to the hideout takes about fifteen seconds to charge¡­ At this distance, it should work!"


    Trembling, she lifted her wand to the sky and traced a circle in the air. Several glowing rings appeared around her, slowly rotating up and down. The dragon, sensing the danger, roared and charged up a massive fireball. The blazing attack shot toward Hilda¡ªbut she vanished just in time, her spell activating at the last second.


    At the same moment, the spell imprisoning Fenril dissipated. He sprang to his feet, relieved, but his hope was short-lived as he saw the dragon slowly advancing toward him, a cruel glint in its eyes.


    ¡ª "Well¡­ looks like I aimed too high," Fenril thought, clenching his teeth. "I wanted to become king¡­ to change my village''s fate¡­ I''m sorry, everyone. I wish I could have seen you one last time."


    The dragon raised its massive claw and slammed it down on Fenril. The ground shook under the impact. But when it lifted its paw, there was nothing underneath. Confused, the monster scanned its surroundings.


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    Fenril slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground, unharmed. He turned his head and saw the dragon a few meters away.


    ¡ª "What the¡­ How¡­?"


    Then his gaze lifted to a young man standing nearby.


    He was about 1.85 meters tall, with short brown hair falling slightly over his forehead. A chain hung around his neck, and a single earring adorned his left ear. He wore an open blue hoodie, a white t-shirt underneath, worn jeans, and black sneakers. He observed Fenril with a calm that was almost unsettling.


    ¡ª "Nothing broken?" he asked, his tone casual.


    ¡ª "No¡­ I''m fine," Fenril replied as he got up. "Thanks¡­ uh?"


    ¡ª "Tenma. My name is Tenma. Stay here. I''ll handle this thing."


    ¡ª "How do you plan on doing that? It''s¡­ it''s insanely strong!" Fenril said, despair creeping into his voice.


    ¡ª "Don''t worry, I got this."


    Fenril instinctively activated his Reiki to gauge his savior¡­ and nearly choked.


    ¡ª "N¡­Ninety¡­ Level 100?! You''re Level 100?!"


    ¡ª "Exactly," Tenma replied, already taking his stance. "Sora, my weapons, please."


    ¡ª "Who are you talking to?" Fenril asked, bewildered.


    Suddenly, two swords materialized above Tenma. Identical in design, their guards were shaped like dragon heads with sapphires embedded in their eyes.


    ¡ª "I must be dreaming¡­ Those are¡­ sacred treasures¡­ The legendary weapons of Hephaestus!" Fenril gasped. "They''re one-of-a-kind for each class! Where did you find them?!"


    ¡ª "We''ll talk about it later," Tenma replied. "Right now, I''ve got a dragon to kill."


    He dashed forward with astonishing speed, delivering a flurry of precise and lethal strikes. Unlike Kaz¨¦, he dodged every attack with ease and countered with devastating efficiency. The dragon couldn''t keep up.


    After thirty minutes of relentless combat, the beast began to show signs of weakness. Tenma rushed in to deliver the finishing blow, but an unexpected strike from the dragon sent him flying, landing hard in front of Fenril.


    ¡ª "It''s almost done¡­ Just a few more hits and I''ll finish this," Tenma muttered. "But my defense is practically nonexistent¡­ That hit really did a number on me. If only I had a little more Reiki¡­"


    Suddenly, a white glow appeared in front of him. A beam of energy slowly descended upon him, restoring some of his strength.


    ¡ª "I''m sorry¡­" Fenril panted. "That''s all I can do¡­ I''ve been nothing but a burden during this whole mission¡­ I should have died¡­"


    Tenma smirked.


    ¡ª "Sorry? Don''t be sorry, my friend. Your actions just changed the outcome of this battle. What''s your name?"


    ¡ª "Fenril."


    ¡ª "Watch closely, Fenril. Watch how a seemingly small action can change everything!"


    He raised both blades toward the sky and crossed them. A small spark flared to life, growing rapidly until it formed the face of a demon. Dark marks spread across Tenma''s forehead, covering part of his face, while a crimson aura surrounded him.


    ¡ª "I''ve heard of this transformation before¡­" Fenril thought in shock. "An assassin can enter a state of absolute focus, amplifying their abilities tenfold. This is¡­ Fury!"


    Tenma lunged at the dragon once more, his attacks now like streaks of lightning, striking from every angle. Within moments, the beast collapsed at last. Victory was theirs.


    Tenma turned to Fenril and extended his hand.


    ¡ª "Without you, we wouldn''t have made it. Thank you, Fenril."


    Tears welled up in Fenril''s eyes.


    ¡ª "I wanted to be king¡­ but I''m not strong enough¡­"


    Tenma grinned.


    ¡ª "Then let me carry the weight of your dream. Our meeting must have been fate. I am Tenma¡­ and I will become the next king of Belfort!"