There is no throne more volatile than the one in the slums.
In a place where murder happened in broad daylight, a "king" is just a word — one uttered with fear, not respect. There are no ceremonies, no crowns. Only violence. Authority here isn't earned through noble birth or law... but through the strength of one's pack.
Two years ago, the The Royal Guard suffers the worst shame.
A royal expedition was sent to the Forest of Death — a cursed zone crawling with monsters. Rayleigh, the famed Knight Captain, led twenty elite Royal Guards.Armed with renowned swords the expedition was expected to return with glory but to no avail,it caused shame.
The rumors spread like wildfire in the palace.Followed by panic.
Investigation was ordered and after days of it,The Royal Guard commander declared that The knight was killed by a monsters.But it was all a lie.The Empire couldn't bear the disgrace,so they forged multiple reports trying to silence the tragedy.
The truth, buried beneath all the forged reports, was that Rayleigh had slaughtered his own men. Every single one of them.The cause was unknown.While waiting for judgement to be held,Rayleight managed to escape the prison and went missing.
Soon after,he was declared dead and his name was erased from history.
In the slums, power doesn't come from names or nobility — it comes from fear. And fear is split three ways. The Cerberus Mercenaries run their corner with blades and brutality, known across the alleys for handling problems the loudest way possible. Then there's the nameless gang led by a man the streets only whisper about — the Blind Paladin. No one knows his real name, only that he sees more without eyes than most do with them.
And lastly, there's the group no one dares speak against — the Slum King's crew. It's been less than two years since Rayleigh, the former Royal Knight, disappeared from the history books and surfaced here, buried deep in filth and sin. But power doesn't stay buried for long. With strength that crushes and a mind sharpened by war, he rose through the muck fast — not with words or banners, but with blood.
Now, each gang holds its slice of territory, an uneasy balance built on violence and mutual destruction. None of them trust the others, but none dare move first. The slums might seem lawless, but there's order in chaos — and right now, that order wears Rayleigh's shadow like a crown.
Night falls. That's when the slums awaken.
The stench thickens. Somewhere, a woman cries for help — her voice raw, begging.
A group of men are dragging her into an alley. Her scream sharpens, then fades… then dies altogether. She's given up.
From inside a run-down inn, Prince Lucas and Alaric watch.
"Are we not going to help her?" Alaric's voice is low.
Lucas doesn't answer.
His silence says more than words ever could. His fists are clenched. His heart is heavy.
He watches.
He watches everything.
"Sometimes, you must let small evils happen to destroy the greater ones," he finally says. "Call it hypocrisy. I call it wisdom."
He bears it all — the guilt, the weight of doing nothing. But inside, something burns.
"This slum… will pay."
Suddenly, footsteps echo.
A man steps into the alley. Alone. Calm.
He doesn't speak. Doesn't yell.
He simply moves.
His hand, wrapped in glowing aura, flashes through the air.
Heads fall.
Every attacker is dead before their next breath.
He's dressed too well for this place. Robes clean. A bottle of wine swinging in one hand. Tipsy, maybe. Or just that confident.
The woman is saved.
No words. No thanks. He simply walks away, swallowed by the darkness once more.
Lucas watches, stunned.
"Even in hell… there are still demons who kill for good?"
He didn't know it yet…
But the man he just saw was no savior.
He was a storm—and he was about to unravel everything.
The prince,quiet take his robe and follow the guy.His watch his step as he walk on top of the roof ,not wanting to drive unnecessary attention.The guy,partly drunk walk without a care.The road become narrower,soon he faced a dead end.The prince slowly walk down from rooftop to confront the guy.As he walk carefully,a bottle was toss to him.
"This dirty place doesn't suit you,my disciple."said the guy.