Kang's jaw dropped in shock.
"I can't level up? What the hell is this?"
Panic surged through him as he heard footsteps approaching—the guards were returning. Without a second thought, he turned and ran, dashing through the sacred halls of the World Tree. He knew there was no turning back now. If he wanted to survive, he had to leave the Elf Continent.
It didn't take long for the guards to discover what had happened. An immediate state of alert was declared across the entire capital. The sacred Essence of the World Tree had been stolen, and all suspicion pointed toward one person—Kang Solomon.
In the Royal Court of the Elves
Kang's father, Commander Norm, fell to his knees before the Elven King.
"My Lord, please… forgive my son. There must be some mistake!" His voice was filled with desperation. "Kang may be reckless and immature, but he would never commit such a crime. Someone must have manipulated him. Please, I beg you—send soldiers, not assassins, to retrieve him!"
The Elven King's expression was cold, unmoved.
"Norm, I respect your loyalty, but your second son has always been unscrupulous and jealous of Dane. Everyone knows this. However, stealing the Essence of the World Tree?"
The king's golden eyes darkened.
"This is not just a crime—it is sacrilege. It is as if he has stolen our very identity as elves. Such betrayal cannot be forgiven."
Commander Norm clenched his fists. He could defy the king if he wished—after all, he possessed the power of an 8th-tier warrior. But long ago, he and his ancestors had sworn an unbreakable oath of loyalty to the Elven King.
Deep inside, even he felt shame that Kang bore the Solomon name. But at the same time, he was still his son. And no matter what, he did not want to see him die this way.
Meanwhile, Kang had already reached the shore, a hidden place where few ever ventured. But luck was not on his side—his elder brother was already waiting for him.
"I knew this was as far as you'd think, Kang," his brother said, his expression a mix of disappointment and concern. "Stealing the essence and running away at the first sign of trouble…."
Annoyed yet worried, Kang tried to gauge the situation.
"What do you want? I—"
Before he could finish, his brother interrupted,
"I'm not here to stop you. If you want to run, then run. No matter what you think of me, you will always be my brother." He sighed. "It's not that Father hates you… You just don't understand how the world works yet. But now that you've done this, running is your only option."
He looked at Kang seriously.
"I will cover for you as much as I can. If you manage to join the Hero Party, I'll personally speak to the king on your behalf."
Kang didn't respond. He simply turned toward the small boat.
"Hey! Take this," his brother called, tossing him a longsword. "And get stronger than me."
Those were the same words he'd always said to Kang. For the first time, Kang hesitated. He felt a pang of guilt and wanted to tell his brother about the curse… but his pride wouldn't let him.
As time passed, his brother did his best to calm both their father and the king. However, he never revealed that he had let Kang escape.
Meanwhile, Kang fought countless battles on his journey and eventually reached the Holy Kingdom. Time moved like sand slipping through his fingers. He fought and fought—his curse limited his level growth, but he could still improve his skills.
In this world, level determined how much energy a body could store and release in a single strike. If two awakeners had the same skill level but different overall levels, the strength of their strikes would be similar, but the number of consecutive attacks would differ.
To survive, Kang kept his curse hidden, used disguises, and relied on mana backup stones. Thanks to his exceptional skill usage, he managed to move alongside other heroes undetected. He fought in many wars, earning fame, and even the Elf King eventually let go of his hatred, acknowledging Kang's contributions to the kingdom's growth.
By the end of the demonic war, Kang had risen to the level of a 7th-tier warrior and was appointed Second-in-Command of the Elf Kingdom.
Despite his rise in power, he kept the truth of his curse hidden. Not even his closest disciple knew that he was the one who had stolen the Essence of the World Tree.
Now, standing before the evil druid, Kang felt an unsettling familiarity. The energy radiating from the druid was eerily similar to what he had felt when he drank the essence himself.
That was why he had stopped his disciple from investigating—he needed to kill the druid immediately.
But upon checking the druid's core, he realized that was not the case.
For now, his only concern was finding his daughter, who was engaged to the king's third son—the young prince of the Elf Kingdom.
"Let's go and see how much the others have gathered so far," Kang said, brushing aside his thoughts.
Unbeknownst to them, they had missed several crucial events—the emergence of the Essence of Life, the brilliant light shining in the valley, and the signal of the Holy Knights. Even when King Caius tried to contact them, he failed.
At the camp, the situation worsened with each passing moment. Hours had already slipped by.
The Red Moon had faded, and now, under the shadow of a lunar eclipse, fate was shifting once more.
As they entered the forest, the sky darkened under the eclipse, casting an eerie shadow over the land. The once-vibrant foliage now seemed lifeless, swallowed by the creeping gloom.
Sensing the shift in his master's aura, Garrick sought to lighten the mood. "My lord, all that remains is to await news of Princess Marcy. We aided the Blackwood Empire in this mission—they wouldn't dare go back on their word now."
A low chuckle escaped Kang's lips as he thought of his daughter. "You're right, Garrick. If not for the Holy Church's restrictions, I would have razed the entire Blackwood capital to the ground."
They pushed forward through the thick undergrowth until Kang suddenly halted, his instincts flaring. Without hesitation, he reached out telepathically.
"Stop, Garrick. There's someone ahead."
A faint glow flickered in the distance—the light of a campfire. A lone figure sat before it, stirring something in a pot. Yet, something about him was deeply unsettling.
Kang's eyes narrowed. "Even with my senses, I can't feel his presence…"