Raym stared at the terrifying knight in confusion, just before he found the chance to escape.
The pressure radiating from the knight's presence was overwhelming.The air itself felt heavier… as if the ground had sunk under his existence.
No one could maintain their full strength.Their power was slowly being drained.
It was strange… and terrifying.
To have your strength betray you… at the very moment you need it most.
"Fall back!!!" Round shouted..
Raym and the others retreated, while the knight began cutting down SI soldiers one by one…They fell like insects.
Even after they were far away, the sound of the blade dragging across the ground echoed in their ears.
Once at a safe distance, their strength gradually returned.
Round exhaled."That knight… he did all that with one arm and a sword. This world is far darker than I imagined..."
He paused."If I'm not mistaken… that was the emblem of the Kingdom of Arkin, right???"
"Yes," Lorian replied calmly."I always wanted to see one of them… but not like this."
Raym seemed to be the only one unaware.
Lorian noticed."Ah… sorry, kid. Let me explain."
He sighed.
"When SI began their tyranny, many villages, cities, and kingdoms resisted. All of them fell within hours…But Arkin lasted the longest."
"They were said to have knights and soldiers unmatched in strength…But even they were no match for SI's upper leadership."
His voice lowered.
"They are monsters… beyond measurement."
Raym narrowed his eyes."Do you know someone called Number 4?"
Lorian looked surprised."I've heard of him."
Raym interrupted confidently:
"A friend of mine, Vail, humiliated him. He could have killed him if not for sudden interference.He's ranked fourth in their entire army.Whoever stands above him… can be defeated.You haven't seen Master Leo and Master Seroh."
Lorian's expression darkened.
"You know nothing!"
"That so-called Number 4 is just a foolish rookie.No matter how strong you think you are… there is always someone stronger."
He stepped closer.
"Why do you think your leader moves in the shadows?"
Raym fell silent.
Lorian continued:
"SI's power isn't just numbers or influence…It's something else."
He spoke the name.
"Magnum."
Everyone froze.
"Magnum…???" Raym whispered. "Who is he?"
"The first lord of SI. The strongest among them.You could call him the true ruler of this world."
For the first time—
Absolute fear appeared on Raym's face...
Lorian gestured toward the bloodstained walls and carved symbols.
"As you can see… the torture marks, the smell of blood… the strange inscriptions… they all tell one story."
He paused.
"The forbidden ritual."
Faces froze.
"It is a secret rite capable of summoning a specific dragon into this world."
A suffocating silence followed.The words were too heavy to grasp.For a moment, even the air seemed to vanish.
Lorian continued, hesitation and sorrow in his voice.
"It is a terrifying ritual… because it requires a human body known among them as the Offering."
Tension thickened.
"The Offering must meet certain conditions… depending on the dragon they wish to summon."
Raym interrupted, his voice shaking...
"A dragon?? Summoning??You mean there are more of those creatures??More people to use???"
Lorian looked at him steadily...
"You could say that...Each dragon represents a certain symbolism… and each lies behind a specific condition."
His expression darkened...
"Let me give you an example… and forgive me for this."
He hesitated.
"Your friend who was killed…Did you see what his body looked like??And what that summoned dragon looked like??"
Raym stiffened.
"It is known as the Distorted Dragon."
"One of its conditions… is that the host's body must be deformed."
Raym felt the ground shift beneath him...
"The second condition… is that the victim must still be alive during the ritual."
A quiet gasp filled the room...
"And the final condition…The person must share at least one element with the dragon."
Raym clutched his head.
"Do dragons… possess elements like we do?"
Lorian answered calmly.
"They are the origin of them."
Silence fell again.
"These creatures are not something whose power can be easily measured.In fact… I'd wager you've already faced one."
Raym lifted his head...
"Yes. In a hidden city.It had a large scar across its chest..."
Lorian nodded slowly...
"That dragon you fought… was nothing more than an ordinary dragon..."
Raym's eyes widened...
"Ordinary??!It destroyed us as if we were nothing!!!"
Lorian replied evenly...
"Dragons are divided into three main categories..."
He raised three fingers...
"First: Ordinary Dragons...Powerful creatures… but the lowest tier."
"Second: Distinguished Dragons...Older, superior, far more powerful beings...Most have lived for centuries to reach that state...Ordinary dragons are insects compared to them."
He hesitated...
"And finally… the highest tier..."
The room felt colder...
"Beings superior to anything else in this world…Entities that once ruled existence itself..."
He spoke the final words slowly...
"Legendary Dragons."
Silence fell like a verdict...