The True King of Wrath

The High Executive Officer's mansion and administrative hall in Mooneclipse City now served a new leader. The new High Executive Officer of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents announced his inauguration before the public.

Rumors began to spread that the Dark Moon General was gravely ill and had departed for Fort Pence to recover.

It was said he no longer possessed the strength required to fulfill his role as High Executive Officer.

Although various suspicions and conspiracy theories emerged, the transfer of power proceeded very smoothly because the new High Executive Officer had been second in command and commanded great respect.

Times change and eras shift.

No one is irreplaceable.

Contrary to the rumors of illness, Dark Moon had reached the base of the Mountain of Life's Origin.

The Dark Moon General had an unremarkable appearance.

He bore no resemblance to a renowned general or to someone who had once governed the entire Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents as High Executive Officer.

He drove a cart pulled by a sail beast into the city, looking just like an ordinary merchant.

As he passed through the city gates, the Dark Moon General surveyed this former capital.

Though it had declined from its past prosperity, it still maintained the appearance of a great capital.

As long as the Mountain of Life's Origin existed, this place would remain the holy site of the snake people's faith, regardless of how many years passed.

The dawn of the era marked the beginning of everything. It was here, at the base of the Mountain of Life's Origin, that the Ruler of Life created the snake people race.

Looking up at the majestic mountain, Dark Moon said, "God created the world."

"God created mankind."

This was the myth all snake people firmly believed. He then added one final sentence.

"God has also long since departed."

Dark Moon wandered around the city before finally arriving at the western district of Fort Pence.

This area had suffered devastating damage several years ago but now showed signs of recovery.

However, traces of that disaster could still be seen everywhere.

The impact crater from that time remained the most prominent feature. Its immense size made it nearly impossible to fill, so the city's residents had redirected water channels to transform it into an artificial lake, or more accurately, a large reservoir. Nearby residents now relied on it as their source of water.

Homes, all newly built in recent years, lined the edges of the water.

Dark Moon approached the water's edge and began unloading his cargo. The most significant item among his belongings was a Bronze Oil Lamp.

With a determined motion, he hurled the bronze lamp into the water with all his strength.

Over the next two days, he carefully arranged a ritual array around the reservoir.

One evening, Dark Moon stood by the water, gazing at the sky. He watched as a stream of fire appeared on the horizon and steadily approached Fort Pence.

The other had finally found him.

At last, everything was drawing to its final conclusion.

The stream of fire reached the skies above Fort Pence and then abruptly descended.

It resembled a meteor crashing from the heavens, repeating the scene that had once unfolded here.

Boom boom boom boom!

People in the city noticed the strange meteor the moment it appeared.

This time, the people of Fort Pence responded with remarkable speed.

The bell tower immediately rang out with crisp warning bells, catching the attention of the entire city.

People in the streets shouted and screamed as they organized evacuations, guiding others toward safer areas. They sought shelter in sturdier buildings or hurried into basements and cellars to escape the impending danger.

"Hide, quickly hide!"

"Get to the prayer hall! Hide in the cellars!"

"Hurry! Don't worry about your belongings, just run!"

When it became clear that the meteor was heading toward the western district's crater, nearby residents abandoned their homes and fled together toward safer areas outside the city.

The streets filled with surging crowds, all shouting and fleeing in panic. When the meteor fell, they immediately dropped flat on the ground, awaiting the decision of fate.

But strangely, when the terrifying meteor landed, there was not much of a commotion.

Fearsome firelight surged in the distance, accompanied by ominous shadows.

The sight made people afraid to approach, and they fled even further away.

Byron emerged above the water's surface. His fiery humanoid form glowed with two points of light that fixed intently on the Dark Moon General.

"Dark Moon!"

He spat out the name, his voice crackling like flames. From his form and shadow, fire puppets emerged, roaring as they surged toward Dark Moon.

Byron, now devoid of his snake person form and physical body, had fully transformed into a monstrous being.

He let out a distorted and twisted laugh. The fire puppets joined in with their overlapping voices, creating an eerie chorus.

"Why aren't you running anymore?"

"What?" Byron's voice was calm, yet it seethed with suppressed rage. "Did you think hiding here and using these people would stop me?"

The humanoid fire monster advanced steadily across the water's surface. Beneath his feet was the place he once called home, now reduced to nothing but ruins.

Once, he had been just a child on these streets, chasing excitement, confused, impulsive, and ignorant. When he returned, he had become a monster with blood-soaked hands.

"Do you think it will work?"

"Do you think a madman who has lost everything, a monster who has been repeatedly deceived and toyed with, would still care about these things?"

Dark Moon looked at Byron, the Son of Wrath. The creation of this monster had been partly his doing. If he had not stood by and pushed things along, the disaster of years ago would never have happened.

He was also the one who had repeatedly deceived and manipulated Byron, using him to resolve the two most challenging issues of the Thunderlake Kingdom and the Southern City-State Alliance.

From every perspective, Byron had ample reason to seek revenge against him.

The words of Senge, the Abyss Acting High Priest, were indeed partly deceptive, but most of what he had said was true.

"Let's talk," Dark Moon said.

"Byron, there must be many things you want to know."

"What is there to talk about?" Byron replied. "At this point, is there any need for us to talk?"

"This place will be the end for both of us."

Dark Moon faced Byron without fear, looking at the monster he had shaped with his own hands.

"In this world, there are always some things that need to be clarified."

"There are many things more important than life, death, or even hatred."

Dark Moon asked Byron, "Have you ever wondered why you were chosen by the Evil God of Original Sin?"

"Have you ever thought about what caused all of this?"

"What pushed an ordinary person like you to this point? What selected you to become the Son of Wrath?"

The humanoid fire monster waved his hand, evaporating a large area of water that surged toward the streets on both sides.

Byron shouted, "I already know! And I will kill the culprit behind all of this, whoever it is!"

"I will kill you, and I will kill everyone else who deserves to die. Then I will fall into the Abyss."

"I will find Him, just as I found you."

Although Byron said this, he did not move right away. It seemed he also wanted to hear the truth of the past directly from Dark Moon. He wanted to hear Dark Moon personally admit his role in the events of that year.

Dark Moon looked at the pitiful person before him, at his angry yet despairing eyes.

His anger arose from the loss of his parents and siblings, from the countless victims who perished, and from the pain of being deceived and manipulated.

It also stemmed from shattered dreams and his disappointment in this world.

At the same time, Dark Moon thought of the ceramic doll and the final choice he had to make, a choice that was never truly his to begin with.

He had been confused before, never understanding why Byron had been chosen.

From every perspective, Byron was too ordinary. His entire life had been pushed and manipulated by others.

His anger, from the very beginning, was manufactured.

He also did not understand why the Bronze Oil Lamp had appeared before him so coincidentally. If it wanted to choose him, why not choose him from the very beginning?

At that moment, everything became clear to him.

"Is it because... it is interesting?"

"Because He can?"

"Because He wants to?"

Dark Moon lifted his gaze to the sky. The clouds were painted red, and the sun hovered at the horizon, moments away from vanishing.

Yet Dark Moon felt as if pairs of eyes were watching from the sky above.

The earth was a stage where everyone played their roles as characters and pawns, performing acts meant to entertain others.

"So, this is divinity."

The confusion in Dark Moon's heart was finally resolved. He had destroyed a corrupt kingdom and established a new order.

But he could not destroy this world. The rules he created existed under the world's true operating laws.

That is the will of the divine beings.

It felt as though he had altered something, yet at the same time, nothing had changed.

In response to Byron, Dark Moon said, "Perhaps this is exactly what He wants to see."

"The angrier you become, the more insane and desperate your struggle."

"And the more amusing He finds it."

Dark Moon finally lowered his gaze, his expression hardening abruptly.

His heart was in turmoil, yet he tried to mask it with a composed expression.

"Actually, I had hoped He would choose me. I desperately needed that power to accomplish what I set out to do."

"But you, who did not need it, were chosen."

"And I, who needed this power, could only obtain it through this method."

"Neither you nor I had a choice. We could only perform this ugly show according to His script."

"Your ending and my ending were arranged from the beginning."

A deep flush spread across Dark Moon's face, traveling down to his neck.

"This truly is a... damned world."

Byron did not understand what Dark Moon was saying. He only knew that Dark Moon had admitted that everything was his doing.

Byron's agitation grew stronger, his emotions rising uncontrollably and pouring out through his voice.

"So, you admit it?"

"That disaster years ago was all related to you."

"For power, you sacrificed the people of Fort Pence."

"For victory, you made us survivors march to our deaths one after another."

"For your ideals, you used everyone."

Byron laughed bitterly. In his heart, Dark Moon had changed from a general filled with ideals and justice, a savior, into a figure shrouded in complete darkness.

Even the words "ideals" and "justice" now seemed filled with mockery.

Hahahahaha!

Then, he turned his questions on Dark Moon.

"Dark Moon, why?" he shouted, his voice filled with anguish and rage.

"Why does your beautiful world, your new order, have to be built on our sacrifice?"

"How many people perished in that disaster, dying in pain and despair? How many lost their loved ones and everything they held dear?"

"So many brothers in the Solar Flame Legion trusted you so much. They trusted you would avenge us... hahahahaha! And in the end, it was you who killed our families."

"Dark Moon, you are truly impressive. Absolutely remarkable."

"You should never have been a general. You belong in the Abyss Cult, because you are the most wicked cultist of them all!"

This phrase was first said about the previous generation's Abyss Cult High Priest, then about Senge, and now Byron said the same.

Dark Moon's eyes sharpened as he interrupted Byron.

His final confusion had been resolved, but he still needed to maintain the new order he had created and keep this new country going.

And to do all this, Byron, consumed by wrath, had to disappear.

Even he himself would have to disappear with him.

"That's right!"

"I am that kind of person. I used you, and I deceived you."

"So..."

Dark Moon stared at Byron, his voice hardening as he made his final request.

"For my ideals, for the new order, I need you to die!"

"Byron!" Dark Moon's voice echoed with finality. "Please, just die!"

"End here with me!"

"Only if you die, only if we both disappear, will all this end!"

"You and I must both vanish from this world for everything we have done to hold meaning, and for those who died to not have died in vain."

Byron's emotions exploded completely. His fiery mental domain spread out, covering a vast area.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Let everything die!"

Terrible flames covered the earth, threatening to devour all of Fort Pence.

"This damned world!"

"Die, Dark Moon!" Byron roared with fury. "And this damned country you built! This man-eating world!"

At that moment, a black spot formed beneath Dark Moon's feet. It spread rapidly, outpacing Byron's flames as the markings of a vast ritual extended across the ground and reached toward the sky in intricate patterns.

A Bronze Oil Lamp rose slowly from the water, its surface glistening under the faint light.

This was the result of the ritual Dark Moon had carefully prepared, and now it was coming to life.

A dark door opened in the ground, swallowing both him and Byron.

This was the dark domain once used by Xin Jisi, the Grand Elder of the Land of Sunrise, appearing once again in the mortal world.

At the same time, two gazes from the Abyss pierced through the veil of reality, observing the unfolding events with otherworldly intensity.

Dark Moon believed everything was orchestrated by the Evil God of Original Sin. He did not realize that Byron had been chosen by the ceramic doll, nor was he aware that the King of Pride, Yafuan, had been subtly influencing events.

In this chess game, Dark Moon, Byron, and Senge were all just pieces.

The true power behind the scenes was the King of Pride, Yafuan, who had orchestrated an attack against the God of Original Sin.

The world plunged into darkness, and Byron's world-consuming flames followed.

The flames spread across the sky, merging with a darkness that seemed boundless and capable of absorbing all the fire.

Dark Moon now stood above a sea of fire, holding a Bronze Oil Lamp in his hand.

Byron charged recklessly toward Dark Moon like a savage beast, his fierce flames engulfing the entire world.

"Dark Moon!"

"I know you are scheming against me, and I know you have a backup plan."

"I know you are clever. You can manipulate me effortlessly, holding me in the palm of your hand. I am no match for you in any way."

"But it does not matter. I said it before."

"Today is the end for you and me."

"I do not seek victory. I do not seek release. I do not want anything."

Byron roared, "I only want one thing."

"For you and your detestable ideals to perish together!"

Byron cared about nothing as long as he could kill Dark Moon.

The humanoid fire monster stared at the bronze lamp in Dark Moon's hand, fully aware that everything stemmed from its power.

As he lunged at Dark Moon, his attention was fixed solely on the lamp, determined to destroy it first.

Dense clusters of puppets emerged from the flames. Now as ferocious as Byron, they surged toward Dark Moon.

"Go!"

"Devour him!"

"Devour the one who sacrificed us like garbage!"

Dark Moon's power had fully fused with the bronze lamp. Black oil continuously seeped from it, spreading outward in an ominous flow.

The filthy darkness extended along his tail, climbing up his chest and covering his arms and neck.

Dark Moon now looked like a monster, just like Byron.

"Abyss Gate, open!"

With a raise of his hand, a direct connection to the true Abyss opened beneath him.

Countless Abyss monsters crawled out, attacking Byron under Dark Moon's control.

"Follow the contract."

"Kill my enemy."

Swarms of skeletal monsters, snake demons, eagle demons, and swamp demons surged like a flood, clashing with Byron's fierce flames.

Although they were unable to stop Byron, they managed to hold back many of the fire puppets under his control.

Flames surged into the sky, and a towering figure rose from the blaze.

Byron lunged toward Dark Moon with unrelenting fury.

The terrifying fire giant spread his arms wide as he charged.

If he caught Dark Moon, he would reduce him to ashes with the sheer power of flame, unleashed in its most direct and violent form.

At the same time, Dark Moon's body was heavily consumed by the spreading darkness. The Bronze Oil Lamp fused directly with his form, slowly consuming his flesh as it became one with him.

In the darkness, Dark Moon drew his sword. His skilled swordsmanship was a sight to behold, the blade cutting through the shadows and leaving trails of flowing light that illuminated the void.

"Moon Eclipse's Remnant Light."

Dark Moon's sword turned, drawing an arc of light that shimmered faintly, resembling the silver edge left behind after a lunar eclipse.

A dark barrier materialized and collided with the humanoid fire monster, holding it back with unwavering force.

Within the dark domain, Dark Moon was able to face Byron head-on, demonstrating that the lamp's power had truly reached the level of an apostle.

【Divine Artifact: Bronze Lamp of Greed】

【Sequence Number 28】

【After Xin Jisi, the Grand Elder of the Land of Sunrise, failed to merge with the Greed Seed, he was transformed into this bronze lamp. It contains his power, the power of the many Ability Users he devoured, and the numerous Abyss monsters he consumed. Greed can devour others, but it also devours itself. The greed of original sin is endless.】

【Ability 1 Dark Domain: Opens the Original Sin Gate to form a special dark field connected to the Abyss. The bearer of the Bronze Lamp of Greed will gain the partial authority of an Abyss King, temporarily enhancing their abilities to the level of a Fourth-Rank apostle. Activation condition: Dark Domain Ritual. Usage cost: Depending on the circumstances, loss of part or all of the body.】

【Ability 2 Greedy Stomach: In the dark domain, you can steal and digest the power of others, limited to apostles and below. Activation condition: Deep fusion with the Bronze Lamp of Greed. Usage cost: Suffer impact from others' consciousness and memories, receive irreversible pollution, and have a high probability of falling into madness.】

The battle between Dark Moon and Byron raged with intensity, a clash of fire against darkness.

Above, two beings wielding apostle power engaged in a great battle. Below, monsters and fire puppets slaughtered one another.

It was evident that Dark Moon, relying on borrowed power, struggled to contend with Byron. His barriers were repeatedly shattered as Byron closed the distance with relentless force.

The flames surged forward, forming terrifying faces that advanced toward Dark Moon.

"Die!"

"Die, Dark Moon!"

Dark Moon's sword technique appeared both impressive and elegant.

However, at this level of apostle power, technique no longer held much significance.

Flames surged from every direction, overwhelming Dark Moon before he could respond and engulfing him completely.

However, his form quickly reassembled from the darkness, appearing once again before Byron.

Dark Moon controlled the darkness as his sword light cut through the flames and thrust toward Byron's heart, driving him back.

"This is an extension of the Abyss."

"Here," Dark Moon said firmly, "you cannot kill me."

"And I cannot kill you."

Byron directed several streams of fire to collide, creating a violent explosion that sent Dark Moon flying backward. The fire monster pursued him relentlessly, as if playing a game of batting a ball.

The sword light repeatedly sliced through the fire monster, and barriers sealed it again and again. Yet, in an instant, Byron would reform and shatter the seal once more.

"That is even better."

"I have nothing left. Your crimes cannot be forgiven."

"Then let us, two undying monsters, fight in this endless purgatory, this blood-soaked war, until the end of time."

Darkness consumed Dark Moon's body, transforming him into a charred, corpse-like figure. His tail disintegrated steadily into glowing sparks, resembling a wick that burned endlessly.

Surprisingly, each time Dark Moon was killed by Byron, he underwent peculiar changes. With every death, he became stronger.

From his body, a power of wrath like Byron's began to emanate.

He slowly overcame his fear of Byron's flames and began to absorb the power of wrath, taking control of the flames themselves.

He was in the process of stealing Byron's power.

Byron noticed what was happening and stood frozen in place, completely taken aback.

It was a sight unlike anything he had ever witnessed.

He had become an apostle solely due to the arrangement of the King of Pride, Yafuan. How could he possibly understand the nuances of other apostle powers or grasp the nature of the King of Greed's abilities?

He had only been an Ability User for a few years, without the decades or centuries of experience that other users had accumulated. He was simply a "lucky one" who had stumbled upon power by chance.

"What is this?"

"What exactly is this?"

Byron could not comprehend how someone could be both unkillable and capable of growing stronger with each defeat. In his fury, he killed Dark Moon repeatedly, only to witness him rise again from the bronze lamp.

He tried to destroy the lamp, but it was remarkably resilient. Before he could succeed, Dark Moon had already risen again.

The more Byron fought, the more his anxiety grew. His anger intensified, causing him to lose more of his rationality.

"Die!"

"Why can I not kill you?"

"What have you done?"

Dark Moon looked at Byron, at the monster consumed by fury who had now lost all reason.

"All original sin can be attributed to the desires of wisdom species."

"And desire can be attributed to greed."

"This is the power of greed."

"The power of greed can strip away your wrath and seize your fully cultivated Seed of Wrath before you can ascend as a true king."

Dark Moon understood that Byron had not simply been defeated by him. From the very beginning, everything had been orchestrated for Byron to lose.

However, Dark Moon remained relentless, using the power of greed to steadily strip away the power of wrath.

No matter how unwilling Byron was, no matter how loudly he roared or how fiercely he fought, he was being defeated piece by piece.

The flames he could control diminished, and the fire puppets that followed him collapsed one after another, succumbing to complete death.

At last, Dark Moon faced Byron, who had been drained of most of his power, and drove his sword straight through his chest.

From the chest engulfed in fierce flames, he extracted Byron's heart, which had been transformed from the Seed of Wrath.

Ah!

Byron cried out in agony, yet he still charged at Dark Moon, determined to bring about their mutual destruction.

The blackened, flame-emitting corpse lifted his hand, angling his sword to create a protective barrier.

The wrath monster, shrinking and on the verge of dispersing, recklessly collided with the sword.

The charred corpse locked eyes with the fiery monster, their gazes clashing with intensity.

One gaze was filled with hatred.

The other was firm and merciless.

Byron's voice grew faint and unsteady.

"Die!"

"Die!"

"Die... die..."

But Byron knew he had been defeated.

"Why? Why is it always this ending?"

"Why is it always us who lose everything?"

"Why?"

At this moment, even the flames emanating from Byron's body could no longer harm Dark Moon.

Dark Moon looked into Byron's eyes, watching him gradually dissipate.

His own eyes remained devoid of emotion as he declared, "It is over, Byron."

"All hatred, grudges, and anger end here. The Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents will enter a new chapter."

Dark Moon then told Byron what would happen next.

"If you want to punish me, do not rush."

"My ending has also been written."

"I will fall into the Abyss in your place, forever burned in the flames of your resentment."

Dark Moon looked at Byron's heart and said to the mad monster, "If you truly hate me... then let it burn me forever."

Hearing Dark Moon's words, a final surge of power erupted from Byron's weakening body. His voice grew hoarse as he shouted, "I don't want any release!"

"I do not accept your apology!"

"I do not accept this ending!"

"You think hatred just vanishes after death? How could that be?"

"My family, my brothers, so many of us died! How can it just end like this?"

"My hatred will never fade!"

"Dark Moon!" Byron's voice trembled with fury.

"You heartless being! You are nothing but a monster without humanity!"

"What I want is to kill you myself! I want to end your life with my own hands!"

"I want to kill you!" he shouted, his voice filled with madness.

"I want to shatter your ideals and tear down the country you built on the graves of our families and loved ones!"

BOOM!

The final sound was a massive explosion that echoed through the dark domain, shaking everything to its core.

Byron chose to self-destruct, determined to show Dark Moon that even in death, his hatred would remain unyielding.

He had lost simply because of his ordinariness and his powerlessness.

However, that did not mean Dark Moon was right.

A ring of fire spread through the sky, reaching every corner of the dark domain.

The sky of the dark domain was even blown open in one corner.

Light shone in from outside, the last sight Byron would ever see.

No matter how deep his resentment or how strong his unwillingness, he could no longer utter a single sound.

As Byron's final curse echoed and his life faded away, Dark Moon's stoic expression finally showed a flicker of emotion.

Dark Moon felt no joy of victory, nor any sadness.

All he felt was the hollow emptiness of having defeated his enemy and claimed victory, yet gaining nothing in return.

Dark Moon's voice was hoarse. "This... corrupt world."

He held the heart burning with fierce flames, having obtained Byron's power of wrath.

He could feel himself being completely devoured by the power of greed.

His lower body was already gone, leaving only his upper half. His form resembled the upper body of a charred corpse, with dense flames pouring out from within.

The power of wrath coursed through him, straining his shattered body to its limits.

This was the cost of wielding the Bronze Lamp of Greed.

He now had a choice, a choice to live.

All he needed was to embrace the role of the true King of Wrath in this moment and allow himself to descend into the Abyss.

Before this moment, Dark Moon had not intended to make such a choice. He had believed everything could conclude here.

His sole focus had been to eliminate Byron, the unstable element, and bring everything to a complete end, allowing the country to embrace a new beginning.

But after understanding the confusion in his heart and witnessing Byron's end, he realized he had neither destroyed the old world nor established any genuinely new order.

He realized the emptiness in his heart had not been filled. Instead, it felt as though an even larger void had been carved out.

Dark Moon gazed at the fractured darkness above, watching as moonlight poured in from the world beyond.

He suddenly raised his sword and pointed it toward the sky.

"Are you watching me?"

"Is this what you wanted?"

He knew then that everything could not end like this.

He still wanted to confront it.

He still wanted to confront the order ruled by the divine beings.

Dream Realm

A colorful bubble floated through space and suddenly appeared in a distant corner.

Byron's unwilling face appeared on the bubble's wall as scenes within it changed one after another.

"Die!"

"Die for me!"

"Why? Why?"

Byron sank into endless darkness. Even in the depths of silence, his heart remained consumed by hatred. His unwillingness and anger continued to burn, refusing to fade away.

Suddenly, a light emerged in the darkness.

It was pure and golden, illuminating everything around it.

He saw a golden ship, the source of the light.

"A ship?"

"Why is there a ship?"

He was unaware that he had already passed away and transformed into a life dream. The Divine Boat had arrived to guide him.

The golden light engulfed him, and all darkness and terror vanished.

No matter how unwilling or how many grudges remained unresolved, in the end, one could only accept the conclusion of the story.

Hatred and curses that transcended space and time were beyond the reach of an ordinary person.

Within the life dream, everything reverted to that day.

The city gates of Fort Pence has opened.

Woo woo!

Soldiers sounded their horns as knights on land dragons marched through the city gates, with the Dark Moon General leading the way.

Everything returned to that morning. Byron once again stood in the crowd, his appearance that of a rash young man.

He had always believed that standing up that day was the reason he was chosen, and perhaps that moment had been the turning point of his fate.

If I had not stood up that day...

Would I not have been chosen?

If I had not been chosen, would that disaster have been avoided?

Could I have simply remained an ordinary person instead?

Life is filled with countless regrets and endless what-ifs, but they cannot be undone. What is lost is gone forever.

Now, at last, he had the chance to choose once more.

Byron stood bewildered in the crowd, watching the cheering people and the lined-up soldiers.

"Why am I here?"

"What did I come here to do?"

Byron suddenly remembered. "Oh, I came to watch the excitement."

In the scene, Byron chose not to stand up this time.

He just quietly watched the procession leave, one ordinary spectator among the crowd.

No ideals, no justice, and no desire to change the era.

No power struggles and no divine conspiracies.

This time, none of it had anything to do with him.

On that day, he came home earlier than usual.

His father waited for him at home. His older brother and mother busied themselves with tidying up, while his sister played a stone-catching game near the wooden ladder. She smiled warmly at him as he returned.

"Second brother is back."

Seeing these ordinary days and this familiar life, Byron felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. He did not know why, but tears welled up in his eyes.

"Father! Mother!"

"Big brother... and Sarin."

"You are all here?"

"What do you mean, 'all here'?" his father asked, slapping the back of his head. "Where else would we be?"

"Did watching the excitement on the street muddle your head?"

Byron stood there in a daze, as if he had not yet fully processed what was happening.

His big brother said to him, "What are you standing there for?"

"We have a big job today. It pays well too."

"Father said you are coming with us today."

Byron's expression lit up with joy. "I can go too?"

His father nodded. "It is about time. You are a qualified young carpenter now."

Byron grabbed his toolbox from upstairs and rushed down quickly.

He slung the box over his shoulder, his excitement evident as he puffed out his chest, looking as though he were preparing to lead an army.

This time, he was no longer the Son of Wrath or the famous commander of the Solar Flame Legion. He was no longer a vengeful butcher with blood-soaked hands.

He walked the ordinary path of a humble carpenter.

He did not become the Son of Wrath, because this time he had lost nothing.

He never had grand ideals, and he never had hatred for this world.

He was young, naive, impulsive, and very ordinary.

Just an ordinary person, as ordinary as anyone else, one among the countless masses.

His father's large hand pushed open the door.

Light from outside shone in, blinding but full of hope.

He happily carried his toolbox, following his father and older brother onto the street.

"What kind of big job is it? How much money can we earn? Will we have a better dinner tonight? Can we finally eat until we are full?"

His father and brother could not be bothered to answer him.

He could only turn back, just in time to see his mother holding his sister's hand at the door, seeing them off.

Byron grinned, laughing loudly.