Chapter 1: The Transmigration

The chamber resembled a grand banquet hall but contained only the essentials for daily living. Swoosh- Inside the room, a figure sat in a weathered armchair crafted from dark, polished wood, leisurely turning the pages of a dusty old book. His eyes followed the characters with unwavering focus as the pages turned. The man was known by various titles:

The Sovereign Sage.

The Ebony Lord.

The Realm's Master.

The Warlord of Light.

The Shadowed Monarch.

The Astral Emperor.

From the mystical forests of the West.

To the boundless oceans of the East.

And up to the formidable tribes of the North.

With his peerless military prowess and a charisma that sent shivers down spines, he united every kingdom on Earth, save for the Forbidden Realm, weaving them together into a grand empire known as 'Solara.'

He was the unchallenged ruler of the world.

All beings revered and feared him.

"This is rather underwhelming," the man remarked, his voice barely audible.

He had just reached the final page of the book he'd been engrossed in.

The Adventures of the Luminary Hero.

That was the book's title.

It was nothing more than an epic tale widely circulated in the land, a book he had stumbled upon in his personal library.

How this book had found its way into his collection remained a mystery.

But this book, set millennia in the future, had piqued his interest because it depicted his empire, Solara, as it was.

Furthermore, its vivid descriptions and intricate narratives made it feel as if they were predicting genuine future events.

In particular, the depictions of various regions, including the imperial palace, were so lifelike, as if they were based on genuine experiences.

However, he was dissatisfied with the ending.

Most stories of a hero's journey concluded with the vanquishing of a prophesied foe, the demon King.

But this book portrayed the hero's defeat, not his victory.

The hero met a tragic end without vanquishing the Demon King, leading to the world's downfall at the hands of the Demon King and his minions.

The chief reason for this calamity was the empire's fall.

Even as the world crumbled, both the empire and humanity remained fractured and weakened.

In the end, the hero embarked on a journey to the Forbidden Demon Realm without any support from the divided and failing empire.

"What a waste of time."

Especially given the empire's collapse, it was a disappointing tale that hardly deserved a read.

His flawless memory, which retained everything after a single reading, seemed almost lamentable.

The emperor promptly closed the book, as if it wasn't worth further consideration, and an intense feeling of boredom and fatigue settled in his eyes.

It was a sensation that clung to him like a shadow, now that he held dominion over everything in the world.

There was nothing left to conquer, no territory left to claim.

"......"

And so, the emperor, his gaze marked by indifference, directed at ‘Adventures of the Luminary Hero' laid before him, gradually closed his eyes.

In the serene palace, only the faint moonlight illuminated the surroundings.

Thud!

A stoic elderly knight with resolute eyes and tightly sealed lips hurried through the palace corridors.

"Huff, huff!"

Labored breaths escaped the knight's lips incessantly, as if he had already reached the limits of his stamina.

Despite his age, he could have run for hours on his own, but on the knight's back lay an unconscious man, utterly motionless.

"Why... why is this happening!"

The elderly knight's eyes trembled, as if he couldn't fathom the situation.

In the palace, cloaked in darkness, all was eerily quiet.

But it should not have been.

Not at this moment.

For the man on his back, gasping for breath, was the master of this palace and the prince of the grand empire, Solara.

"Is there no one to protect His Highness!"

Despite the prince being pursued by assailants within the palace, the royal guards, instead of safeguarding him, were nowhere to be found.

Not just that, the magical wards and traps that normally activated when intruders entered had failed to trigger at all.

"...Sir Aleron? Who is the man on your back..."

Just then, a maid who had been inspecting the extinguished enchanted lamps in the palace ahead noticed the elderly knight rushing towards her. She wore a puzzled expression, her eyes widening upon seeing the prince on his back.

Thud!

The elderly knight, without having time to reply, swiftly passed the maid, who was left with fleeting regret in her eyes.

As the knight's figure grew distant...

Swish!

A silver blur sliced through the air from the shadows, and the maid's head fell to the ground.

'Prince Leander....'

In the elderly knight's exhausted state, a faint vision of a man with a faint smile appeared in his mind.

He was the lord of the knight, one who had been cast aside from the line of succession due to his congenital frailty and delicate nature, practically banished.

Now, those who had marginalized his lord were attempting to end his lord's life.

A life more wretched than that of common people, filled with never-ending suffering.

The elderly knight couldn't bear to see his lord meet such a fate.

He had to protect him, no matter the cost.

'This cannot persist.'

Bam!

With that determination, the elderly knight bit his lip, abruptly halted, and kicked open the door to the adjacent reception room.

He carefully placed the prince on the extended divan inside and sealed the entrance to the room.

He had made up his mind to establish a defensive line and fight, before his strength was completely exhausted.

Without uttering a word, the assailants pursuing the knight charged at him.

Clash!

Blades clashed, emitting sparks of brilliance.

However, despite his unwavering resolve, the elderly knight's blade failed to stop the assailants' advance.

Two of the assailants pinned the elderly knight, pushing him back, while the rest stormed through the open door toward the prince.

"Your Highness!"

The elderly knight, as if willing to sacrifice his own life, turned his back on the assailants he was battling and leaped toward the prince.

Yet the assailants proved swifter than the knight.

Thud!

With footwork as light as a dance, one of the assailants swiftly reached the unconscious prince, raising his blade.

The assailant's eyes appeared devoid of any emotion.

He held no interest in the identity of the man before him or the reason he needed to be eliminated.

He was simply fulfilling a contract.

At last, the assailant's blade descended toward the prince's heart.

"No!"

In that instant, a cry resembling a lament burst from the elderly knight's mouth.

And then...

Everyone in the room witnessed it.

The target of the assailant— the prince's heart.

The tip of the blade came to a halt, unable to advance any further, right in front of that heart.

Screech!

It seemed frozen in space.

Despite the assailant's temples bulging with effort, the tip of the blade remained motionless.

"...!"

At this strange sight, the other assailants' eyes began to waver for the first time. Slowly but surely, the unconscious prince opened his eyes.

His gaze was serene and composed, like a calm lake undisturbed by even the gentlest breeze.

It was a look that had never been seen in him before.

Gradually...

With a gentle movement of his finger, the prince pushed aside the tip of the assassin's sword in front of his heart, rising to his feet and surveying the room with a measured gaze.

As if he aimed to fully comprehend what had just transpired.

"Prince... Leander?"

The old knight's bewildered voice escaped his lips as he beheld the prince's entirely transformed and unfamiliar demeanor.

"Eliminate him!", shouted the leader of the assassins.

Thud!

Only then did the assassins regain their composure and surge toward the prince once more.

The prince, with eyes that remained detached, as if the situation held no significance for him, observed the assassins closing in.

Just as the assassins rapidly closed the gap, poised to strike at his neck...

Swoosh-

Darkness engulfed them.

And then...

Pop!

One by one, the heads of the assassins advancing toward him began to explode.

Shortly after, the lifeless bodies of the assassins fell to the ground, their vibrant red blood staining the floor.

What on Earth was happening?

"...."

The old knight stared at his lord with a dumbfounded expression, struggling to comprehend the situation.

Observing the knight and the room growing increasingly stained with blood...

"This is rather entertaining."

The Astral Emperor residing within Prince Leander smiled faintly.