The Monster King from the Past
The giant lion monster stood arrogantly amid the destruction, its eyes glowing red like nearly extinguished embers. Its voice echoed deeply, full of hatred accumulated over thousands of years.
"You are merely short-lived creatures..." the monster growled, its breath creating a hot mist in the cold air. "I have lived for thousands of years, witnessing history that you cannot even imagine. Sooner or later, you will all perish like dust."
A roar of rage thundered from its mouth filled with sharp fangs. Blue flames began enveloping its massive body, while those red eyes glowed ever brighter.
Instantly, thick black fog spread from its body, covering the entire battlefield and obscuring the heroes' vision.
Parli closed his eyes, his body relaxed despite being in the midst of deadly danger. He felt every vibration of the ground around him—footsteps, movements, even heartbeats.
"Stay alert," he said calmly, his voice not trembling in the slightest. "It's moving around us."
Suddenly Parli's eyes opened sharply. "Ranga, from behind!"
"Hmph, just as I expected," Ranga answered coldly while dodging as fast as a sliding shadow.
But when he successfully evaded the first attack, another claw attacked from a different side—as if the monster could be in two places at once.
SLASH!
"Ugh!" Ranga staggered, blood flowing from his left arm. "It... it became two?!"
Zenya clenched her fist, small lightning crackling around her. "Damn, shadow manipulation like yours too, Ranga."
"Stay focused!" Parli exclaimed while stamping the ground hard. "Its attacks can come from all directions. Zenya, do as planned."
Zenya nodded, eyes flashing bright blue.
Parli moved both hands, summoning giant stone pillars from within the earth. Dozens of pillars emerged in a circular formation, not only limiting the monster's movement space but also functioning as sensors to track its movements.
"You cannot resist the death that awaits!" the monster shouted with a voice that shook the earth.
It destroyed the stone pillars with its giant claws, then spewed blue fire that burned everything within a radius of dozens of meters.
Parli immediately raised layered stone walls, blocking the deadly fire attack. The stones began to melt from the extreme heat.
Meanwhile, Ranga summoned shadow eagles to see from the air, while releasing shadow wolves that attacked the monster from various blind spots.
But the monster was too strong and experienced. The shadow wolves were torn apart within seconds, disappearing like black smoke.
"None of my wolves lasted more than five seconds," Ranga muttered, sweat pouring. "This monster is on another level."
The sky suddenly rumbled frighteningly.
Zenya, who had fully activated her Divine Mark, raised both hands to the sky. Giant-sized lightning struck down with destructive force, dispelling the fog and illuminating the entire battlefield.
"Heh, now you can't hide anymore, ugly monster," Zenya grinned, eyes sparkling like lightning.
The monster was fully exposed—massive body with wounds all over, but still far from defeat.
With blazing rage, the monster charged straight toward Parli with astonishing speed for its body size.
STAB!
Its claws, sharp as swords, pierced right into Parli's chest, penetrating the ribs and reaching the heart.
Parli coughed fresh blood, but his face still displayed a mysterious thin smile.
"You're indeed fast for an old monster..." he muttered with gasping breath.
But with both hands still strong, Parli gripped the monster's arm that was stabbing him and channeled all his earth power.
The monster's body began to turn to stone slowly from the point of contact—starting from the arm, then spreading throughout its body. It was trapped in a hardening stone shell.
"You! You'll die with me too!" the monster roared in panic.
Parli only grinned wider, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. "Really? We'll see."
From the sky, Zenya had prepared her ultimate attack. "LIGHTNING DRAGON!"
A dragon-shaped lightning plummeted at the speed of light, striking the stone-imprisoned monster's body with an explosion that shook the entire village.
BOOOOOOMMMM!
An extraordinary boom shook the ground for kilometers around. The monster finally fell, its body beginning to crumble.
However, before its last breath, it managed to speak with a voice barely audible:
"In the deepest forest... a place untouched by this world... **The Time Ruler**... This world... is merely a lie..."
Then silence.
Zenya fell quiet, lowering her hand slowly. "Ruler... of time? What did that monster mean?"
Ranga shook his head slightly, wiping blood from the wound on his arm. "Forget the dying monster's nonsense. Focus on what's in front of us."
He walked toward Parli, who lay with a large hole in his chest and blood flowing heavily.
But suddenly, Parli's eyes opened as if nothing had happened.
"YOU'RE ALIVE AGAIN?!" Zenya exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief.
Parli rose slowly like a zombie, the hole in his chest beginning to close by itself. His breath was still heavy, but there were no signs of severe pain.
Ranga grinned, but there was admiration in his eyes. "Haha... You're indeed a strange human, Parli the Immortal. Your regeneration ability can no longer be explained by any knowledge."
Parli brushed dust from his clothes. "How are the others?"
Ranga closed his eyes briefly, contacting his shadow eagles. "My shadow eagles see Elina and Saphira still fighting monster hordes in the southern sector... But they'll be fine. Saphira is too strong for low-class monsters like that."
"And Carla?"
"Hmph, that cold woman?" Ranga laughed softly. "She's already finished everything alone. The field there has even turned into an ice plain kilometers wide."
Ranga paused, then smiled thinly. "But on another side quite far away... it's not ice covering the ground, but pools of water mixed with blood."
Parli nodded satisfactorily. "Then we can rest a bit."
Ranga walked closer to the remains of the lion monster's already destroyed body. Carefully, he took a bottle of blood and a piece of meat that was still intact.
"What's that for?" Zenya asked curiously.
"This isn't your business," Ranga answered briefly. "A monster this old must have interesting secrets."
---
Elsewhere, in a small house on the village outskirts...
The sounds of thunder and explosions from the heroes' battle could be heard shaking the sky. Kimberley—a small brown-haired girl—gripped her sister's hand tightly.
"Don't be afraid, Kim. We'll find a safer place," her sister whispered, hugging her little sister's trembling body.
Their father and mother's corpses still lay cold on the floor, but they no longer had time to grieve.
Her sister stood, reaching for the door handle carefully. "We have to get out of here before—"
CRASH!
A wolf-headed monster broke through the already cracked wall, its eyes glowing hungry red. Its fangs gleamed wet, its claws ready to tear.
"SISTERRR!!" Kim screamed in terror.
The monster leaped with lightning speed, its claws targeting her sister's body.
That attack should have hit her sister...
But Kimberley, with an extraordinary protective instinct, pushed her sister's body and blocked that attack with her own tiny body.
SLASH!
The monster's sharp claws pierced through little Kimberley's body. Blood spurted, wetting the wooden floor.
"KIM!! NO!!" her sister screamed, her voice breaking from horror and rage.
Kim fell into her sister's embrace, her body trembling and blood flowing from her mouth. The brown eyes that had been cheerful began to fade.
"Sister..." her voice was weak like a whisper. "I... I'm scared... So... cold..."
"Kim! Don't! Don't close your eyes! Please, stay with me..." Tears flowed heavily from her sister's eyes.
Kim smiled faintly with her remaining strength. "Sister... later... let's... catch rabbits... together again... like... this morning..."
Her breath grew weaker.
"I... love… you… sister..."
Then, her chest stopped rising and falling. Those brown eyes closed forever.
"KIMBERLEEEEY!!" her sister screamed, her voice echoing and breaking the night's silence.
Tears flooded her face. Anger, sadness, and loss mixed into one devastating emotion.
Her eyes began to shine bright white—a sign of power awakening due to extreme trauma. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from boiling rage.
"DAMNED MONSTER!! YOU'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM MY LIFE!!" she screamed with a voice that no longer sounded like a little child.
She grabbed a broken piece of wood and struck it toward the wolf monster with great force for her body size.
But before the monster could counterattack—
Green plants suddenly appeared from the wooden floor, creeping with incredible speed and coiling around the monster's entire body. Thick roots gripped tighter and tighter until the monster's bones broke and shattered.
A woman with long green hair entered the partially destroyed house. Her aura was warm and calming, contrasting with the deadly power she had just displayed.
"Are you okay?" the woman asked with a voice as gentle as a mother.
She saw the girl hugging her deceased sister, the small cold body in a tear-filled embrace.
"I'm sorry..." The woman's voice trembled. "I was late. I should have gotten here faster."
The woman approached and hugged the still-grieving girl with a mother's warmth.
"We'll go to a safe place. I'm Elina. What's your name, little sister?"
The girl looked with empty eyes, tears still flowing. "...Alice."
"Alice," Elina wiped the tears on the girl's cheek. "You have very beautiful eyes. Let's leave this place. Your sister wouldn't want to see you continue grieving like this. We'll give them a proper farewell."
Alice nodded weakly, releasing the final embrace for her beloved sister.
---
**Several Months Later - The Orphanage**
At a small, neat grave with three simple headstones, Alice sat cross-legged on the grass. The small flowers she had planted were beginning to bloom.
"Kimberley..." Alice spoke to the middle headstone with a voice now stronger. "Miss Elina is very kind to me. Her orphanage is comfortable, and I have new friends."
She smiled slightly, though her eyes still glistened.
"One of them is named Ensei. He's funny, always trying to make me laugh with his stupid jokes. You would definitely like him."
Alice gazed at the orange-colored evening sky.
"Yesterday I saw a white rabbit... its color was exactly like the one we saw that morning. So beautiful. I remember how you hugged it and said its hug was warm."
Tears began to flow again, but this time not only from sadness.
Alice turned to look at the two other graves beside Kimberley.
"Mama... Papa... I will keep trying to move forward and become strong. Like you taught me. I won't waste the life you gave me."
She stood, wiping tears with the back of her hand.
"May you all be happy there... Mama, Papa... and beloved Kimberley."
The evening wind blew gently, moving the small flowers at the grave. As if those who had passed were waving a final goodbye.
Alice walked away from the grave with firmer steps, carrying beautiful memories and determination to live strongly.
In the distance, Elina watched her with a proud and sad smile. That little girl had grown into someone strong, despite having to go through such heavy loss.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...