Samuel's POV
After the battle, I traveled deeper into the Southern Region—into the so-called Land of Beasts. But what I saw wasn't the savage wilderness I expected.
No, this… this felt like walking through a kingdom lost in time. The roads were earthen but well-kept, winding through scattered stone homes with glowing runes etched into the walls.
Elegant banners fluttered above towers, and humanoid figures moved about in tailored robes and armor—some with beast-like features: claws, tails, fangs, glowing eyes.
An Imperial aura lingered in the air, ancient and commanding.
But what caught my attention most?
Their eyes.
Everyone here… looked at me. Calmly. Silently. They weren't afraid—but they were watching.
"They're not here to attack… but they're ready if I give them a reason," I thought.
I passed by a marketplace—fruit stands, smiths working enchanted steel, kids running barefoot with lion tails swaying behind them. One girl with silver wolf ears blinked at me and tugged at her mother's robe.
"Mama, look… that human smells different."
Her mother glanced at me, her eyes golden and slit like a panther's.
"Shh, child. That's not just a human. That one reeks of death… and power."
I smirked. "She's not wrong."
A tall man with antler-like horns and a commanding presence approached me in ceremonial armor, flanked by guards.
"You. Outsider."
His voice was calm, deep, with an underlying growl.
"You come bearing weapons, battle-aura still clinging to your skin… and yet, you walk calmly through our lands. State your purpose."
I raised my hands slightly. "Not here to fight. Just passing through. Got a few quests tied to your land."
I gestured to the ground beneath my feet.
"Didn't expect it to feel like walking through an empire of lions wearing crowns."
The horned man narrowed his eyes. "Do not mistake peace for weakness, human."
I grinned. "Didn't. I know what I'm surrounded by."
I let out a wave of mana—just enough to rattle the air, and immediately every Beastkin nearby went tense, their pupils dilating.
Then, just as quickly, I cut it off.
"See? I'm not here to start something. I'm here because your King might be more than he seems."
A younger warrior with tiger stripes on his skin stepped forward, curious.
"You mean Lord Owen?"
He tilted his head.
"He's not just our king—he's the strongest being in the Southern Region. You challenging him, stranger?"
I chuckled. "Not yet. But I might have to."
Whispers broke out around the market.
Another beast-woman—this one with falcon wings—fluttered down beside the group.
"I felt it… the energy of the Harbinger. You're not a normal human, are you?"
"No," I said flatly.
"Name's Samuel Gebb. And I've come a long way to get stronger. If Owen's as strong as I think, meeting him might be fate."
The horned warrior nodded slowly. "Then speak with our Seer. If fate has truly guided you, she will know. Follow me."
I gave a side glance at the crowd. They all watched, still, but no longer with suspicion.
Just… interest.
Curiosity.
I walked forward, hands still at my side. I could feel it—the power beneath their skins. The barely restrained instincts.
They were calm. Noble. But if I threw a punch…
This land would ignite like dry forest in hellfire.
And I'd enjoy the fight. But not yet.
________________________________________
Temple of Whispers
The stone halls of the temple were quiet, the only sound the distant flutter of wind chimes made of bones and crystal.
I followed the horned warrior through the corridor, passing old murals of beasts in their primal forms bowing before a glowing figure—probably Lord Owen.
We stopped at a room bathed in soft blue light, torches flickering with cold flame. Sitting in the center on a raised dais was a woman dressed in white ceremonial robes.
Her black hair shimmered like obsidian and her blue eyes glowed softly in the dark. A human… in a land ruled by beasts.
She looked up as I entered.
"So you are the one they speak of," she murmured, her voice smooth, laced with something ancient.
"The one who walks in human form, but carries the scent of the abyss."
I raised a brow. "I smell that bad, huh?"
A faint smile played on her lips. "You smell like a storm that hasn't arrived yet. Sit."
I stepped forward and took a knee before her. She extended a pale, delicate hand.
"Give me your hand. Let the threads of fate show me the road you walk."
I hesitated only a second before offering my hand. Her fingers were cold and soft, but the moment our skin touched—
Her eyes widened.
"No… this—this can't be…"
A rush of wind filled the room though none blew from outside. Her pupils dilated, and her breath hitched. Sweat trickled down her temples as her body began to tremble.
"What… what are you…?"
Her mind was being dragged through a storm of visions I couldn't see, but I felt the pulse of raw energy coming from her.
Then she gasped—loudly—and yanked her hand back as though she'd touched fire.
She fell backward onto the floor, eyes staring at nothing. Her attendants rushed to her, but she raised a hand weakly, signaling she was still conscious. Slowly, she sat up and locked eyes with me—no longer calm, but trembling.
"You… You are not bound by fate."
"What did you see?" I asked, voice low.
She swallowed.
"Nothing. Everything. Darkness. Fire. Blood. Power that grows without limit. Your future is empty… not because it doesn't exist, but because it hasn't been written. You are the King Without a Crown. The Harbinger without chains."
She stared deeper, voice trembling now.
"You will surpass gods if you are not stopped. Your power—it mirrors Lord Owen's in scope… but its source is different. Where his is like the sun…"
She pointed at me slowly.
"…yours is the void."
Silence hung heavy.
I said nothing.
She clenched her robes, still shaken. "You are destruction given form. Right now… you cannot defeat Lord Owen. But you will catch up to him."
I smirked faintly. "Good. I wouldn't want to miss the thrill of the climb."
She looked at me one last time—blue eyes filled with fear, awe, and a strange flicker of curiosity.
"The world will tremble when the Harbinger stands atop the mountain," she whispered.
I stood and turned away, stepping out of the temple and back into the warm daylight of the Land of Beasts.
"A King without a crown, huh…?" I muttered to myself.
"I like the sound of that."