The Strongest With Nothing Left

Inside the royal carriage, silence hung like a heavy fog. Li Vrak sat with his arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed outside the window. His expression was as cold and lifeless as ever, but there was something else a faint, menacing aura leaking from him without him even realizing.

The royal soldiers sitting inside the carriage with him could feel it. Cold sweat dripped from their faces as they tried their best to avoid making eye contact with him. One of the knights, a relatively young one, swallowed hard. His grip on his sword tightened as if it would protect him from the terrifying pressure emanating from Li. 

Why does he feel so dangerous…? the knight thought. He's not even doing anything, but my body won't stop trembling…

Another soldier tried to strike up a conversation to ease the tension. "U-Um… Sir Vrak, it's truly an honor to escort someone of your reputation. His Majesty has been eagerly awaiting your—"

"Shut it."

The soldier instantly froze. Li's voice was low, devoid of warmth, and carried the weight of pure authority. It was as if the very air around them dropped a few degrees. None of them dared to speak another word after that.

Minutes felt like hours. The menacing silence dragged on as the carriage moved toward the royal capital.

After days of grueling silence and tense atmosphere, the royal carriage finally crossed the grand gates of the capital city. The towering walls of the kingdom, adorned with gold and royal insignia, cast massive shadows over the bustling city below. Citizens gathered along the streets, murmuring as they noticed the royal carriage escorted by several soldiers.

"Who's inside…?""A noble, perhaps?""No… Look at the soldiers' faces. They're terrified.""Wait… could it be him?"

Li Vrak sat in his seat, his eyes lazily watching the crowd through the window. His presence alone made the soldiers accompanying him visibly uncomfortable. The only thing on his mind was: Let's get this over with.

The carriage came to a halt before the castle gates. Without waiting for the royal soldiers to open the door, Li simply kicked it open and stepped out. The sudden impact made the knights flinch, and as Li's figure emerged from the carriage, a heavy, suffocating aura spread.

The civilians who were once gossiping froze. Silence consumed the air. No one dared to speak.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Li's footsteps echoed against the marble ground as he walked towards the castle entrance. The knights followed behind him, desperately trying to regain composure. But the aura Li naturally emitted made it hard for them to even breathe normally.

Upon reaching the castle entrance, a royal attendant was already waiting. He bowed respectfully, though his body was trembling slightly. "Sir Vrak… His Majesty is waiting in the throne room."

Li didn't respond. He simply walked past the attendant without sparing him a glance. The knights quickly followed behind.

As they entered the grand halls of the castle, guards stationed along the sides whispered among themselves.

"That's him, isn't it…?""Yeah… the rumored strongest adventurer… the Living Nightmare.""He looks so lifeless… like he's already seen hell."

Li heard every word but paid no attention. Nothing mattered to him right now except finishing whatever business the king had with him.

Finally, after minutes of walking through the castle, they arrived at the massive double doors leading to the throne room. The royal guard stationed at the door glanced at Li before slowly pushing the doors open.

"Presenting the esteemed adventurer… Li Vrak."

Li walked in, his heavy footsteps resonating through the marble floor. The throne room was grand, luxurious, and filled with high-ranking nobles. They all turned their heads, their expressions a mix of awe and fear.

And sitting on the throne was the king himself — King Aldric.

The moment Li entered, the king couldn't help but shiver slightly despite being the most powerful man in the kingdom. The oppressive aura Li carried was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

"…Li Vrak," the king finally spoke. "It has been quite some time since we've last met."

Li didn't bow. Didn't kneel. Didn't show any sign of respect. He simply stared at the king with his cold, dead eyes. "What do you want?"

The entire room froze. The nobles gasped at his blatant lack of respect. Some of the guards instinctively reached for their weapons.

The king, however, merely chuckled dryly. "Hah… Still as blunt as ever, I see." He then leaned forward, his tone becoming more serious. "I called you here because we have a… problem. And only someone like you can deal with it."

Li's gaze didn't waver. "Get to the point."

The king's smile faded. His voice dropped. "The kingdom is about to face an unprecedented crisis… and if we don't do something about it—"

"What is it?" Li interrupted, his patience thinning.

The king inhaled deeply before finally speaking the truth.

"A catastrophe-class monster has awakened."

The room fell into dead silence. The weight of the king's words crushed the air, leaving everyone speechless. Even the nobles, who were whispering just moments ago, now looked pale and horrified.

Li Vrak, however, remained unbothered. "Catastrophe-class, huh…" he muttered, his tone still as cold as ever. "Where?"

The king hesitated for a moment, then gestured to one of his advisors. The man nervously stepped forward, holding a detailed map of the kingdom. His hands trembled as he unrolled it on a nearby table. 

"It… It appeared here," the advisor stammered, pointing to a large forest far from the kingdom but still within its territory. "The Black Abyss Forest. Reports indicate that the monster… no, the disaster has already wiped out two small villages nearby. No survivors. The destruction was… horrifying."

The nobles flinched at the advisor's words.

Li stepped closer, his dead eyes fixating on the marked location on the map. "What kind of monster are we dealing with?"

The king swallowed hard. "A… Archdemon."

The air froze. The nobles gasped in terror, some nearly falling out of their chairs. Even the knights, trained and disciplined, couldn't hide the fear on their faces.

An Archdemon a monstrous being of unimaginable power, second only to mythical beings like gods or ancient dragons. The last time an Archdemon appeared, it took an entire kingdom's army and several high-ranking adventurers to merely subdue it. Not kill subdue. And even then, the casualties were catastrophic.

Li, however, simply stared at the map, unfazed. "How long ago did it appear?"

"…A week ago," the advisor answered. "It hasn't moved from its location, but the destruction it caused was enough to make nearby towns evacuate. We can't afford to let it roam."

"What about the kingdom's knights?" Li asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

The king sighed in shame. "We sent a force of two hundred knights along with five A-rank adventurers to deal with it."

"And?"

"…None returned."

Silence.

"Tch… Pathetic," Li muttered coldly. "You're expecting me to clean up your mess again, huh?"

The king didn't deny it. "You are the only one capable of doing it. If we don't act fast, the Archdemon will eventually make its way here. And by then…"

"The kingdom will fall," Li finished, his voice dripping with indifference. "Alright. I'll kill it."

The king's eyes slightly widened. "You will?"

"Hurry up and give me the quest form. I don't like wasting my time."

The king quickly nodded, signaling his royal scribe to prepare the quest document. In mere minutes, a royal decree was handed to Li — a direct request from the king to eliminate the Archdemon.

Li took it, glanced at it, then turned around. "I'll be back when it's dead."

"W-Wait!" the king called out, standing from his throne. "You're going alone?! We can mobilize another force to—"

"Save it," Li interrupted, not even bothering to turn around. "They'll just die and get in my way."

The nobles were left speechless. The king couldn't refute it either. Everyone in the room knew that Li was speaking nothing but the truth. Anyone sent with him would only become a burden.

And so, without another word, Li Vrak left the throne room. His mission was clear:

Eliminate the Archdemon.

The moment the heavy doors of the throne room shut behind Li, the nobles exploded into murmurs, their voices filled with disdain and contempt.

"How utterly disrespectful!" one nobleman scoffed, his face red with fury. "He didn't even show proper courtesy to His Majesty! Not a single bow, not a sign of respect! Who does that man think he is?"

"Hmph. Typical of him," another noblewoman sneered, folding her arms. "A mere adventurer, no matter how strong, should know his place. His Majesty even humbly requested his aid, yet he acted as if he were doing us a favor."

"Exactly!" someone else chimed in. "It's no surprise why he always operates alone. Who would even want to work with someone so cold, so emotionless?"

"Frankly, I don't understand why His Majesty even tolerates him. Let the Archdemon have him, I say!"

The king, however, remained silent, his face stern and unamused. "Enough."

The nobles flinched, the room immediately falling silent as the king's sharp voice cut through their gossip.

"You all have no idea what that man has been through," the king said coldly. "Nor do you understand the weight he carries."

"But, Your Majesty—"

"Silence!" the king roared, his regal authority shaking the room. "You cower in your homes, hide behind these walls, and rely on his strength to protect you yet you dare belittle him the moment he turns his back?"

The nobles shrunk in their seats, their voices dying.

"You call him cold and disrespectful?" the king continued, his voice low but fierce. "Tell me, which one of you would remain 'warm' after watching your entire family get slaughtered? Which one of you would still 'smile' after losing every comrade you cherished?"

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

"Li Vrak did not become this way by choice. He became a weapon — because this kingdom needed one. Because you needed one."

"And now," the king rose from his throne, his piercing gaze sweeping across the nobles, "he marches alone into the Black Abyss to face an Archdemon not for glory, not for wealth, but simply because it is his duty. And still, you mock him?"

The nobles lowered their heads in shame, unable to meet the king's furious gaze.

"Remember this," the king's voice echoed coldly, "if he does not return… we are doomed. Every single one of us. So I suggest you start praying that he comes back alive rather than cursing the very man who stands between you and annihilation."

Silence. Pure, dead silence.

And in the distance, far beyond the kingdom walls Li Vrak was already marching toward the Black Abyss, his expression cold as ever.