Three years had passed since Kaien entered the portal.
Three long, agonizing years—and he had yet to return.
To the world outside, Kaien was presumed dead.
His family lived each day with quiet dread, their worry slowly turning into sickness and sleepless nights. His absence weighed heavily on their hearts, especially on Jay, his older brother. Jay had refused to accept the conclusion everyone else had already reached.
Kaien was alive.
He had to be.
Jay had gone from guild to guild, swallowing his pride and breaking protocol, asking about Kaien's last raid mission. He searched through mission logs, portal registries, and confidential archives—only to discover something deeply unsettling.
The portal Kaien had entered… no longer existed.
It was as if it had been erased.
This revelation shook Jay to his core.
Even knowing that interfering with a raid mission was forbidden, Jay continued his search relentlessly. Every night, the same thought echoed in his mind as he clenched his fists in silent prayer.
I hope you stay safe till I find you, brother.
Somewhere Inside the Portal
Kaien stood alone in the vast, silent domain beyond the portal.
Three years had passed for him as well—but unlike the outside world, time here had been filled with relentless battles, growth, and survival.
Chronos hovered beside him, his newly acquired spirit sword resonating with restrained divinity.
Kaien had been training nonstop.
Chronos' power was overwhelming—far beyond what his current level could safely handle. Through countless trials and near-fatal mistakes, Kaien finally learned how to stabilize the sword's output.
Nine percent.
That was the limit he could endure without his body collapsing.
Even so, it was terrifyingly powerful.
Kaien moved through the ruins with ease now, slaying any monster foolish enough to stand in his path. Corpses littered the ground behind him, dissolving into energy as his experience steadily climbed.
Then—
He stopped.
A familiar presence crept into his senses.
Ahead, standing amidst the drifting mist, was a dark figure.
The same one he had encountered before… in the Misty Forest.
"…That thing again," Kaien muttered.
This time, he didn't hesitate.
"Nyxara. Appraise it."
Her response was instant.
[Appraisal confirmed.]
Name: Gryme Reaper
Rank: S+
Level: 500
Speed: 8,000
Spirit: 10,000
Intelligence: 2,000
Skills: Illusions, Soul Snatch, Dark Magic
Kaien exhaled slowly.
"Thankfully… I have a reliable weapon now."
He raised his hand.
"Come out, Chronos."
"Yes, Master," Chronos replied calmly.
In an instant, the sword transformed into a humanoid figure of divine presence.
The moment Chronos manifested, the Gryme Reaper froze.
Fear—pure, instinctive fear—overwhelmed the demonic being.
It tried to flee.
It never got the chance.
The reaper was erased.
Not cut.
Not struck.
Disintegrated into ash.
Kaien blinked in disbelief.
"…What just happened?"
Chronos hadn't moved. Or at least—Kaien hadn't seen him move.
"Nyxara," Kaien asked, stunned, "what did Chronos just do?"
[Chronos activated skill: God's Speed Strike.]
Kaien's eyes widened.
"So… this is how terrifying God's Speed Strike is?"
He shook his head slowly.
"Seems I still have a long way to go."
As he collected the loot scattered across the ground, another notification appeared.
[New Skill Acquired: Spatial Storage (Advanced)]
[Advanced Perception — Enhanced]
His stats surged.
Rank: E+ → B+
Level: 14 → 17
Speed: 600 → 999
Mana: 400 → 650
Experience: 815 XP → 1200 XP
Kaien stared at the numbers in shock.
"Wait—what? How did I jump to B+ rank?! I was E+!"
[It is only natural, Master. You possess an adaptive growth trait.]
Kaien frowned thoughtfully.
"So Chronos' kills count as mine too?"
[Correct.]
A wide grin spread across his face.
"Then I could just let Chronos kill high-tier beings and farm insane stats, right?"
[Denied. You must secure future kills yourself to grow properly.]
Kaien snorted.
"…She's bossy."
Quite the tsundere, he thought.
Ahead of him, the path opened into a massive corridor leading toward the main hall.
Chronos walked at his right side.
"Return to sword form," Kaien ordered.
"Yes, Master."
Chronos dissolved back into his blade.
Kaien strapped the sword behind his back and adjusted his deep blue cloak around his neck.
Then he stepped forward.
The Grand Hall
The moment Kaien entered the Grand Hall—
The world recoiled.
It wasn't killing intent.
It wasn't hostility.
It was something far worse.
Authority.
The vast hall stretched endlessly before him, pillars of black stone rising like the ribs of a long-dead god. Crimson patterns pulsed along the floor, beating slowly—like the heart of a living organism.
At the far end…
Upon the high throne…
The Demon King sat exactly where Kaien had last seen him.
"…You survived," the Demon King said calmly. Flat. Almost bored.
Kaien drew Chronos and pointed the blade forward.
"Yeah," he scoffed. "I did."
A sharp grin crossed his face.
"How about a rematch?"
The Demon King stood.
The sound was faint—
But the hall cracked.
Stone groaned under unbearable pressure. Crimson veins flared violently as the Demon King's aura poured into the hall like a storm. Kaien's knees bent, boots grinding into the stone—
But he did not fall.
"So," the Demon King said, stepping forward, shadows trailing behind his red cloak, "what miracle dragged you back from death?"
Kaien didn't answer.
"Nyxara."
[Appraising target…]
[Notice! Appraisal confirmed.]
Title: Demon King (Sovereign)
Rank: Planetary
Level: 2500
Strength: 35,000
Speed: 71,000
Defense: 40,000
Spirit: 51,000
Intelligence: 12,000
Experience: 60,000 XP
Skills: Parallel Domain, Shadow Movement, Lord's Ambition, Advanced Sword Techniques, Ruler's Hand
Special Power: Dark Magic
Kaien's heart pounded.
The stats were overwhelming.
But—
Chronos could still match him in defenses and resistances.
"Chronos," Kaien said inwardly, "reduce output. Now."
[Warning. Synchronization insufficient for full manifestation.]
[Recommended output: 9%.]
"Do it."
The golden patterns on Chronos dimmed, compressing inward as divine power folded into a form Kaien could barely endure.
The Demon King tilted his head.
"Oh?"
Then—
He vanished.
Not teleportation.
Speed.
A shockwave erupted as he moved.
Kaien barely reacted in time, his perception enhanced through Chronos' consciousness link. He twisted to block—
Too slow.
The blow smashed into his ribs like a meteor, hurling him across the hall. Stone exploded as his body carved a trench through the floor.
Blood spilled from his lips.
"Too slow," the Demon King said calmly, standing behind him.
Kaien coughed once.
Then laughed.
"…Yeah. Thought so."
Lightning cracked.
Kaien vanished.
This time—on purpose.
"Lightning Dance — Heavenly Strike!"
Golden lightning detonated upward, tearing through the ceiling and ripping a gash into the dark sky above. Pillars disintegrated. The Demon King was forced back for the first time.
"Tch."
Kaien straightened, blade humming.
"C'mon, Demon King," he said, grinning.
"The party's just getting started.