After I became the guardian of this world—my world—I fought not for glory, nor for the promise of a throne, but for the sanctity of life itself.

I bled. I killed. I sacrificed.

All for the people who would one day betray me.

Even when the divine throne was offered to me—its authority vast, its dominion infinite—I refused. For I would not see those I called comrades bound beneath my will.

And yet… here I stand, betrayed by the very ones I sought to protect.

---

“Ngwan Le! Today is the day you die!”

The voice thundered from above, splitting the sky.

A figure hovered there, gazing down upon me—not as one regards a rival, nor even prey, but as something far lesser. Disposable.

An extraterrestrial mercenary.

A blade-for-hire summoned by my own people, now come to end my life.

I did not flinch. Instead, I raised a hand and pointed at him, a grin stretching across my face.

“Hahahahaha! With your meager skill, you aren’t even worthy to make me kneel—let alone kill me.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The mercenary’s face darkened.

“Make you kneel?” he spat. “I have no need of that. But kill you? No matter the cost, I—Mei Li—will see it done.”

He was resolute—too resolute for a mere hired killer.

“Ah… fame,” I said coldly. “That’s your aim, isn’t it? You think my death will make your name echo among the stars?”

He threw back his head and laughed, the sound grating like rusted metal.

“Hahahaha! Exactly!”

Pathetic. Even ten of him would not suffice to touch me.

And yet… he stood before me, somehow knowing the path to this sealed world. That knowledge alone betrayed treachery. Someone—someone close—had shown him the way.

Something was at play here. And soon enough, it would be revealed.

I sighed, my gaze languid. “Oh, then it’s settled… what a twisted fool.”

“Me? Twisted?! What are you even saying? Ngwan Leee! I’ll not suffer such insult!”

How easily provoked he was. A few careless words, and he lost his composure. A dangerous weakness for one who claims to be a slayer.

“I’m implying,” I said with quiet mockery, “that you lack courage. How can you seek my life while keeping such a distance—and not even releasing your killing intent?”

Indeed, there was no malice emanating from him. But the pressure of the crowd—over a billion souls—was overwhelming. Still, I kept my composure.

Then a flicker of memory stirred.

Mei Li… yes, I remembered.

A subordinate of Behl, the Throne God.

For one of his rank to find this world’s coordinates was impossible. Not without divine aid.

Was he sent by—?

My eyes narrowed as an idea struck me.

“Mei Li!” I roared, my voice echoing through the heavens. “Descend, coward! Or do you think I am blind to what is happening?”

Of course, I knew nothing.

But my words struck home. His confidence wavered, his eyes darting.

Could Ngwan Le have seen through our plan? he thought. Then why does he still stand there? Does he possess a hidden card capable of undoing all?

He steadied himself, forcing a grin.

“I’ve prepared a gift,” he said.

“A gift?” I laughed softly. “From you? Don’t make me laugh. You’ll need the strength to force me to accept it.”

Arrogant fool. To give me a “gift” worthy of acknowledgment would mean defeating me—and no one, not even gods, had ever achieved that.

Then the heavens darkened.

A storm unlike any before tore through the sky.

Thunder, heavy with divine wrath, split the air as winds screamed into existence. The ground convulsed, and a sphere of energy—small at first—materialized in the storm’s heart.

I yawned, unmoved.

The phenomenon was familiar: one of the Seven Catastrophes, the divine-grade chaos.

The orb swelled, feeding on the elements, and Mei Li’s smirk widened.

“What do you think, Ngwan Le? The gift is about to bloom.”

I tilted my head, resting my hand upon my brow.

“Even if you had a millennium,” I said, “it would still shatter in my grasp.”

He hesitated. “You… you know what this is?”

“This,” I said, “is the Will of End—the essence of destruction. Power enough to erase all that exists and all that might ever exist.”

He blinked, uncertain. Did he truly not understand? Perhaps he believed his countermeasures could contain me. Fools always think schemes can triumph over power absolute.

Thunder roared again. Flames coiled around the orb—white, red, blue, yellow, violet, black—binding it in chains of burning light. The ground trembled beneath the weight of its awakening.

“This, Ngwan Le,” Mei Li declared, “is the birth of a Life Expectancy Orb!”

I chuckled darkly. “You fool. That is no life-giving relic—it feeds on destruction. It will devour the life force of everything around it: yours, this planet’s, all of it.

Only I shall remain untouched.”

He faltered. “It… it won’t affect you?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” I smiled thinly. “Your ‘gift’ is far too fragile to withstand my grasp.”

The orb swelled again, flames maturing into spiritual fire. I found myself almost admiring its beauty, clapping my hands as laughter escaped me.

His face twisted with fury.

“Even if this world burns—even if half my life force is drained—today your reign ends! Time will heal what is lost!”

“With time, you say…” I murmured, scratching my head. “We’ll see.”

He shouted in rage, his voice cracking. “We shall see who laughs last! Prepare to die!”

Then the ground ignited.

A massive formation unfurled across the land, its sigils burning bright as they spread for thousands of kilometers. Over a billion souls were caught within its pattern—their bodies trembling, their spirits chained to the sacrifice.

I laughed, voice echoing through the storm.

“So this is your plan. A mass sacrifice. You think the lives of a billion will empower that orb enough to stop me?”

He sneered. “You talk too much. Tell me, Ngwan Le—are your hands truly large enough to hold this power?”

“Misconception is a grave affliction,” I said, smiling faintly. “And those who are twisted often think others are mad. Perhaps you simply wished to see what I carry—my hidden blade.”

“A secret weapon?” his thoughts quivered. Is that why he still stands there? What could Ngwan Le possibly wield…?

The orb completed its transformation.

Thunder, wind, and flame collapsed into a perfect sphere—one-twelfth the size of the legendary sphere said to encompass the Twelve Realms. Even so, its presence was suffocating. Were Mei Li and his allies not shielded by divine wards, they would already be ash.

Mei Li’s grin widened to madness. He lifted his arms to the heavens and bellowed,

“Ngwan Le—behold! Let us see your so-called grip! Life Expectancy Orb—Darkness Swallowing Life!”

The orb responded, roaring with hunger as it descended like a blackened sun.

The world shuddered.

And I—

—I clenched my fist, and smiled.