The Monarch

"Then you killed this entire city with a few million mortals just to….""Test my strength." In front of Kayden stood a young mage of only eighteen years, an incredibly low age for such power, but in this world there were dozens of ways to achieve it.Kayden had been floating aimlessly when he felt a terrible disturbance in the laws of life and death. He didn't need to search long to find a completely destroyed city with an insane number of dead. In this world, such a scene wasn't exactly common—most times, these cities belonged to some organization—but the region Kayden was traveling through was desolate, lacking much civilization.

A young eighteen-year-old mage, with hybrid features between human and dragon, exuded an imposing presence. His skin bore marks and tones resembling scales, with a dark and threatening sheen. His eyes, sharp and beastlike, carried the fury of an asura locked in constant battle. His straight posture and the aura surrounding him revealed raw strength and sovereignty over any presence.

"And what is your verdict?" Kayden asked with curiosity."I am the strongest mortal I have ever known." His tone, his aura, his achievements—everything about him showed he was being honest. His age only made it more believable.

The peak of the ninth realm. Not only that, but a strength incompatible with any mage of his age. From every angle Kayden observed, only one possibility presented itself: he was a reincarnation. But… his soul was far too new. Kayden could see that completely.

In that case, there was only one hypothesis: he was a genius, one of the greatest Kayden had ever seen in his long life. He had practically advanced a realm every two years since birth. Not only that, but he had ascended successfully. His laws were perfect. Kayden could feel the presence of three minor laws and one fundamental law within that boy.

His minor laws were fire, wind, and strength—common, generic laws, nothing particularly remarkable. But his fundamental law was peculiar, unlike almost anything Kayden had ever seen in his life: the fundamental law of war. Unique, strange, and powerful.

"A very strong claim for such a young mage." Kayden raised an eyebrow and released his mortal aura—but he hid his titles deliberately.

The mage's reaction was exactly as Kayden had expected. He launched straight into an attack, his body igniting with flames. The space around him healed as he advanced. A war horn could be heard faintly behind him, its sound gradually growing louder as his aura expanded. But the problem was…

BOOOOOOOM!

The boy's body smashed into the ground, opening an immense crater. Kayden's foot pressed down on his head as if he were nothing more than garbage. The mage hadn't even been able to react to the monstrous force Kayden wielded.

BOOOOOM!

Again, Kayden kicked him, shattering dozens of bones in a single motion. A mere casual strike from Kayden was capable of distorting the very laws of reality. Still, he restrained himself. Killing the boy would bring him nothing, only interfering pointlessly with the lines of destiny.

Kayden sat down and began drinking tea while waiting for the mage to recover from his brief beating. It took a few minutes, during which the mage stood up, glaring at Kayden with hatred. He had never been beaten like this in his entire life, and the man responsible sat calmly before him, sipping tea as if nothing had happened.

"As I was saying," Kayden pulled the boy over and sat him down across from him. He even served him a cup of tea. "You have lived far too little to declare yourself the strongest mortal."

"Who are you?" the mage refused the tea, staring at Kayden with a burning gaze. That earned him…

BOOOOM!

A slap that sent him flying for kilometers. The impact was so strong that many of his teeth were hurled from his mouth. This time, the boy took far longer to rise. For the first time in his life, he felt fear—fear of being killed without even the chance to react.

This time he stood, then calmly sat in front of Kayden. He was arrogant, but not a fool. He understood his situation perfectly now. Even if it went against everything he believed, he would not attack Kayden again.

"My name is Kayden Heart," Kayden introduced himself. And then—

"Kayden Heart?!" The boy swallowed hard, stammering in surprise. He had never imagined he would stand before a legend. There was no longer any uncertainty once Kayden revealed his titles openly to the world.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Kayden asked calmly, still drinking tea.

"My name is Jordan Draconis," the young man finally blurted out, not quite sure how to react. He had thought Kayden was just a myth told to make mages strive harder in the mortal world.

"Your strength and your talent are flawless," Kayden began the conversation directly. "I can help you on your path." Jordan had grown up alone in the court of this city, and he knew well there was no such thing as a free meal in this world.

"What do you want in return?"

"When you surpass me, I want you to kill me," Kayden said. A simple phrase, but one that struck Jordan like lightning. He had not expected such a request. It was strange, senseless.

"Why? What's the meaning of that?" Kayden, in that moment, felt like Thoth.

"I need opponents in the future. I need mages capable of keeping up with me when I become a god." Jordan couldn't even imagine Kayden's capacity. He couldn't even measure it with words.

"I would be like a disciple?" Kayden smiled at the boy.

"No. I will only help you a little, and afterward each of us will walk our own path." It was almost amusing how Kayden now refused to accept any mage as his disciple, when in the past he had taken thousands without distinction.

"Where are we going?" Jordan would seize this opportunity with all his might