Kai Lane: Beginning

Atlantia was fully prepared for war. Time ran out; it was time to go. Everyone shared the same goal: to return home.

Many had recovered from their wounds, and the rest had recovered enough to continue. Those who were badly wounded were led by those who were strong enough. Anyone who could block them would want to block Kai and the others. If they didn't, they would be attacked anyway.

Kai's recovery had been slowed by the breaking of his horns, his use of his Master's horn, and a few other reasons. Still, three months was enough time for many things. All his physical wounds had healed except for his arm. But he was still worried inside. He just wanted to return home and sleep in that beautiful bed he had slept in five years ago for a long time. The journey he had embarked on for a childish reason was now just a regret.

Unfortunately, there were things that could not be undone: There were things he could not fix. He couldn't change the past, but he could do his best for the future.

Standing next to him was someone else who was just as worried as he was. This person had brown hair. His clothes were loose enough to allow him to move freely among the trees. A sword hung from his waist. His hands were clasped together as he thought. They were nervous because they were supposed to protect everyone. This was especially true when facing a strategist. Someone who could change everything at any moment.

Their tendency to resort to brute force only made the problem worse.

"Hey! Don't worry so much, brothers! Our plan is good enough, and we are stronger than them. We have the upper hand. We'll be on the offensive before they know it."

Kai and Jack looked up when they heard a calm, relaxed voice nearby. They saw a blond-haired youth coming toward them. No one else in all of Atlantia could have had the smile on his face. He exuded absolute confidence, carrying only an ordinary katana. He was more determined than anyone else. Frankly, he was hard to understand.

"But they know we're coming."

Kevin's face twitched, though Kai didn't mean to snarl. How sullen were the two in front of him, seriously?

"Huh? What does it matter?! Forget it. We'll just pierce right through. They won't even put up a fight! Jack, why is your right eye green now? Is your jade eye changing?"

His ability to jump from topic to topic was at its peak. He was clearly saying, "Let's talk about something new. The previous topic is redundant."

Jack involuntarily moved his hand to his right eye. After some thought, he shook his head from side to side.

"I don't know. I haven't tried it yet. I'm not sure if it makes any difference."

Within three months, Jack's eye changed on its own, and his pupil became green. Having one green eye and one brown eye was a striking feature in itself. So it wasn't strange for Kevin to ask about it.

Kai picked up Sirius and started sharpening him. Kevin sat between Jack and Kai, looking back and forth between them. Finally, unable to tolerate their depressed state, he opened his arms and pulled them toward him. While they tried to figure out what had happened, Kevin laughed.

"Don't be so depressed. You're scaring me. Remember what's going to happen soon, and cheer up!"

"We're going home! We're going home!"

HUUFFF...

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Kai and Jack took a deep breath. It was true. They were all moving with a purpose. They were all going home. There was no reason to linger any longer.

They had to get home as quickly as possible.

This was the end!

We'll be back!

Kai stood up, looked around, and shouted,

"We're dispersing in ten minutes!"

Kevin, Jack, and Kai disappeared into the forest without waiting for anyone.

***

The developers' plan was to split up. Leader 1 could trap them all together. Many groups were formed. Each group had to take the best route to the areas where the planes were located. Therefore, everyone had a different route. Kevin, Jack, and Kai decided to go first. That was not part of the plan. It was their own decision.

The three old friends went ahead to fight together.

Ten minutes passed too quickly for anyone to notice as they disappeared into the jungle. Countless stressed warriors rushed into the forest to return home.

Among those groups were Kronos, Fury, and a few others, moving as fast as they could. Fury constantly observed his surroundings. He was focused entirely on the potential dangers. Kronos only carried the badly wounded and followed Fury with his head down. Despite his strange behavior, Fury didn't pay attention to him. Kronos had more serious problems than his strange behavior.

However, one of the people moving with them was looking intently at Kronos.

"Interesting..."

Fury focused on his surroundings, the youth behind Kronos, and Kronos on the ground as they leaped through the trees. The other Developmentalists were aware of the tension, but they couldn't understand what was happening.

"Fury... Stop."

When Kronos stopped, Fury did too. He didn't turn around. He just stared forward. The others stood behind him. Sweat poured down their backs. The tension in the room was incredible. The person paying attention to Kronos was especially sticky with sweat. He strained his brain with all his might. He was there to kill Fury, who was dangerous, but he couldn't imagine his friend giving off such a feeling.

'Fuck!!! I'm not prepared for this!'

'What's he going to do?! Why did he stop? His breathing was erratic, but now it's calm again. Is that good? Did he notice me? If he did, I have no hope of escaping.'

POOOFFFF....!!!

Suddenly, an incredible urge to kill rose around Kronos's body. Even though he still kept his head bowed, the killing desire emanating from him had reached unbelievable proportions. It wasn't just his body; it was his entire being. The aura surrounding him contained monstrous power. Even if Kronos was standing in front of them, they could tell it wasn't him. They were even more frightened.

Unlike them, Fury was still looking straight ahead. They couldn't see his face, so they didn't know whether to be frightened or calmed by his demeanor.

Meanwhile, the disguised Hunter following him trembled in fear. He was actually one of the two remaining Hunter Leaders. Afro had sent him to distract Fury. He trembled when he realized how powerful Kronos was and how calm Fury was. He immediately began to speak.

"H-hey, Kronos. Y-you're okay, right? What's the matter? Huh? Huh? Let's go now, shall we? I—

TOOKKK!

At that moment, a tail came out of nowhere and hit him on the head, exploding on impact. He couldn't even react. As his headless body slowly fell to the ground, the people standing behind him forgot to breathe. They stared at Kronos's tail in amazement.

"You talk too much."

They trembled with fear. The Monsters King's aura swept around them. They were thrown back several meters, leaving only Fury and Kronos. At that moment, Fury slowly turned around and looked at Kronos with a confused and terrified expression.

"Why, Kronos?"

"AAAHHH!"

A girl screamed from the group, moving away from Kronos. Now, they could see what they couldn't before because of Kronos. There was a long, sharp finger on Fury's chest, too sharp to belong to a human. Blood poured from Fury's chest, showing no sign of slowing down. It was like a fountain. The faucet must have been broken.

Kronos had already attacked Fury. His attack accelerated Kronos' possession by the Curse of Fenrir.

His body was turning into that of a wolf. A beast. A beast created by the Curse of Fenrir.

"To kill!"

At that moment, Kronos's aura reached perfection. His level had surpassed the ordinary second step. There were fewer than a handful of people on the island who could fight him now.

And now, one of them was in front of him!

A heavenly aura rose and completely enveloped Fury. This aura carried only Fury's desires and purpose. The Legion armor was now on a completely different level. So was Fury. As he stared at Kronos, Fury could see, even if it hurt for a moment. This man was not his friend. He was a monster who had grown up in carnage.

"I will save you, Kronos!"

A pair of eyes emerged from his aura. He knew a monster had appeared before him, cloaked in a jet-black aura. This was the work of a curse. As he stared at Kronos, he had only one goal.

He was going to stop Kronos!