In the Meeting Hall, a grand rectangular table of mithril stood at the center, surrounded by numerous chairs. At either end of the table sat two imposing thrones—one reserved for Pope Julius and the other for the Elf Hero.
As nobles, commanders, and emissaries took their seats, a high-ranking priest of the Church stepped forward, positioning himself beside the Pope. He first bowed in reverence to Pope Julius, then turned to address the gathered assembly
Clearing his throat, he began.
Priest: "Based on intelligence gathered from both kingdoms, as well as reports from guilds, adventurers, and hunters, the situation in Death Valley is far more dire than we had feared."
A tense silence settled over the hall. All eyes were fixed on him as he continued.
"A massive horde of Wrath-class monsters has been detected, with their strongest member reaching Level 89. He appears to be the leader, guarding the entrance to the Mountain Range. We can estimate that the Monster leading them is more stronger then them. Their numbers remain unknown, but their Leader —a late Sky Tier ([1]Lv. 249) Evil Druid—has begun orchestrating something far more sinister.",
The Druid are the species born from the nature and have wood element physique and strong affinity with nature.
The murmurs grew. A Sky-Tier powerhouse? That was unheard of in these lands. The Eastern Continent, scarce in resources and energy, had barely produced warriors beyond the Earth-Tier. Even Sky-Tier beings could be counted on one hand.
The priest's expression darkened. His next words sent a chill down their spines.
"The village that was recently attacked was not destroyed. Instead, an estimated 15,000 captives have been transported to the mountains. All evidence suggests that the boss is preparing a sacrificial ritual to break into the Ascension-Tier —on the night of the Three Moon, Tomorrow"
The room froze. Then—
Bang!
A noble slammed his fist onto the table, his face drained of colour.
"Impossible!" one of the clan leaders blurted out. "Sky-Tier monster cannot evolve unnoticed! The process of metamorphosis is an earth-shattering phenomenon. It should have been detected long ago!"
The kings remained silent, their expressions grave. The weight of the revelation pressed upon them like an unrelenting tide.
Across the Eastern Continent, there were few Sky-Tier warrior—let alone someone who could stand against a being on the verge of the Ascension. Such an adversary was beyond anything they had prepared for.
Fear and hesitation flickered in the eyes of noble houses and warrior clans. Whispers passed between them—thoughts of withdrawal, of cutting their losses. They could not afford to sacrifice their strongest warriors against an unbeatable foe.
And yet, some gazes drifted toward Kang Solomon, the Elf Hero, and the Holy Knight Order. A different thought took root in their minds. If they played their cards right, if they aligned themselves with these legends, they could reap the rewards without suffering the losses.
Then, a deep sigh echoed through the chamber.
Pope Julius, his eyes filled with sorrow, spoke in a voice that resonated through the hall.
"Had both kingdoms set aside their differences earlier, perhaps this suffering could have been prevented. Countless innocent lives could have been spared. But now, the weight of our arrogance falls upon them."
With a sharp gaze, King Elowen Nightshade taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.
"If someone hadn't barred my soldiers from entering the valley, the situation could have unfolded differently. We would have addressed this far better than we are now."
King Caius Blackwood's expression darkened. His fingers clenched the armrest of his throne-like seat.
"The valley has belonged to my kingdom since the day of its founding!". He pointed sharply at Elowen. "Your ancestors first sent soldiers into the valley under the guise of training. Now, you claim it as your territory?"
Sitting nearby, Martin Copper assessed the situation, calculating the odds of his lord gaining an advantage after the appearance of the Elf Hero.
Tension crackled between them, their words growing more heated—until suddenly—
Boom!
A violent wind erupted from one end of the table, silencing the entire hall.
All eyes turned toward the source.
The Elf Hero, Kang Solomon, remained seated, his expression unreadable. One hand rested on the mithril table, and beneath his fingers—a web of cracks had spread, crawling outward like veins of destruction.
This was no ordinary table. Forged from mithril, one of the strongest materials on the Azure Planet, it had been created by the legendary Dwarf Hero Heimdall and later gifted to the Holy Church after the Great Demonic Wars.
Yet, with nothing but a snap of his fingers against its surface—he had fractured it.
A deep silence filled the room.
Sitting directly across from him, Pope Julius Norm let out a sigh, shaking his head.
"Sir Hero, if Heimdall were to see what you've done to his craftsmanship, I daresay he'd be furious."
Kang Solomon finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.
"I did not come here to watch petty territorial squabbles. Even in the Elf Kingdom, we prioritize the lives of our people over land disputes. I am here on my Lord's command to assist the Blackwood Kingdom, not to engage in power struggles."
His words sent an unmistakable chill through the room. Everyone knew—if the Elf Hero decided to strike, there was no one present who could stop him.
Sensing the growing danger, Pope Julius took control of the conversation, his voice steady.
"Sir Hero, please, let us focus on the matter at hand—the plan for the mission."
The argument dissolved, but the tension remained heavy in the air.
Recognizing the futility of further conflict, the Pope took the opportunity to present a solution neither kingdom could refuse.
"There is no point in fighting over land now. Instead, let us settle this through merit. Both kingdoms shall send their forces into battle. The number of monsters slain and resources gathered, will be counted as points. Once the battle is over, territorial claims and spoils shall be divided based on those points."
The Nightshade nobles and commanders were far from pleased upon learning that the opposing kingdom had the Elf Hero on their side.
"This is completely biased!" one noble spat in frustration. "With a hero fighting for them, their victory is all but assured!"
Pope Julius raised a calming hand.
"I understand your concerns," he said evenly. "However, Sir Hero will not be fighting normal monsters—his role is solely to subjugate the boss monster. To maintain balance, Holy Knight Sir Joseph Iron-heart will join the other side and fight for Nightshade."
Hearing this, King Elowen narrowed his eyes, deep in thought and look at his strategist copper to seek advice.
Copper, far more intelligent than he appeared, analyzed the situation and whispered silently, "My Lord, Elf Hero Kang Solomon is an late Ascension Tier powerhouse, while Sir Joseph is only late Sky-tier. However..." His gaze sharpened as he analyzed the situation.[2]
"If we count the number of Golden-tier warriors on both sides, we hold the advantage. We have 17, while they only have 10. Power appears balanced on the surface, but in reality, they are at a disadvantage. While their hero can't earn points, our forces can—giving us a chance to secure more resources after the battle. The Church is secretly favoring us… My gamble to share resources has paid off."
On the other side of the room, King Caius had come to the same realization.
"So, the Church is quietly tipping the scales in Nightshade's favors because they have the larger army and more powerhouses? Well then… Let's make this more interesting. You won't see it coming."
Priest standing by stand cleared his throat, commanding everyone's attention.
"This mission will be divided into three phases:"
Phase One: All soldiers below Golden-tier will focus on clearing the lesser monster hordes wreaking havoc in border towns and villages while rescuing civilians.
Phase Two: Elite soldiers up to Golden transformation will clear the valley's path leading to the mountain range.
Phase Three: The boss subjugation will be carried out by Sir Hero Kang Solomon and the Holy Knights."
He glanced across the room.
"For the third phase to begin, the first two phases must be completed beforehand." And during the final battle, the rest of the forces must prioritize escorting the captured civilians. We will launch our attack at dawn tomorrow—it must be completed before the The Moon rises."
This meeting was held at the night because the next day when the Three Moon rose.
With this, the meeting reached its conclusion.
Standing without a word, Kang Solomon turned toward the exit. As he stepped forward, a dense fog emerged around him, swallowing his figure whole along with his disciple.
"I will meet you all at dawn."
As the first rays of the crimson sun bathed the Holy Church's mountain range, it cast an ethereal glow over the land, painting the sky in shades of fire and blood.
At a secluded mountain viewpoint, a royal carriage came to a stop.
A lone figure stepped out, with another plain looking man approaching the silent warrior who stood at the cliff's edge.
He smirked. "I knew where to find you, Sir Hero. I've heard the stories this was the place where you and the other heroes first met. You're thinking about them, aren't you?"
Kang Solomon exhaled deeply, his gaze locked on the distant horizon.
"King Caius... You may have expected my support in that meeting, but according to our agreement, my aid extends only to this mission.In return, you must locate the missing person within your capital city."
Caius's smirk widened.
"A stroke of luck," he thought.
"The missing princess of the Elf Empire has vanished within my lands—a golden opportunity. The Holy Kingdom's laws prevent them from deploying their full military strength outside their own borders. They can't send an army our powerful figures to search the capital—only a small team. They need my help."
Feigning confidence, he spoke.
"Sir Hero, you need not worry. Our search team has already found the princess's whereabouts—it is only a matter of time before we retrieve her."
A flicker of something dark and unreadable passed through Kang Solomon's eyes. Anger. Regret. Something more.
Caius immediately understood—this was not a topic to probe further. "I see. Then I will say no more."
A massive army had gathered at the riverbank near the forest, their banners swaying in the morning breeze.
Inside a large command tent, warriors strategized over maps, their expressions tense yet focused.
Standing at the center, clad in silver-white Armor, was the Holy Knight himself.
Despite being only 5'5", his presence was immense—a testament to his strength. The (Lv. 199) Sky-tier warrior, Sir Joseph Iron-heart, was no stranger to battle.
He stood tall, a broad sword strapped to his back, his aura radiating unwavering righteousness.
"Size means nothing," he had once declared. "I have crushed foes stronger and larger than myself. I am no pushover."
Stepping forward, a young strategist addressed the assembled forces.
"Everyone, please pay attention!"
The voices quieted.
"My name is Martin Copper, and I will now explain the point system for this mission. So—let's get started!"
And with that, the war for Death Valley truly began.
Author's Note:[3]
[1] Lv. 200+ : 7th Sky Tier (Lower, Middle, Upper)
[2] Kang Solomon ( Lv. 299 )
Joseph Iron-heart ( Lv. 249 )
[3] Power Level:
Level : TIER
( Lv. 1-20) : Awakening Phase
( Lv. 20 ) : 1st Tier
( Lv. 40 ) : 2nd Tier
( Lv. 60 ) : 3rd Tier
( Lv. 80 ) : 4th Tier
( Lv. 100 ) : 5th Golden Tier (Lower, Middle, Upper)
( Lv. 150 ) : 6th Earth Tier (Lower, Middle, Upper)
( Lv. 200 ) : 7th Sky Tier (Lower, Middle, Upper)
( Lv. 250 ) : 8th Ascension Tier (Lower, Middle, Upper)
then, Heaven, Transcendence, Demi-God, God and so on.