Samuel's POV
The Forsaken Warlord slamd its war axe into the ground, sending a shockwave through the ruins. Cracks spread beneath my feet, and the lesser Forsaken Warriors roared in response.
I grinned. "So, you're the big boss, huh?"
Dark mist coiled around the Warlord's body, and its hollow eyes burned like embers. It pointed its axe at . "You... are unworthy."
I raised an eyebrow. "Unworthy? Buddy, I'm about to beat your bony ass so hard, they'll rewrite history just to make the Forsaken King."
I activated my weapon.
[Skill Activated: Gauntlets of the Abyss]
My hands ignited in black and red energy as the gauntlets materialized—obsidian-black with glowing crimson runes etched into the tal. The air around them warped from sheer energy.
I clenched my fists. "Alright, Warlord. Let's see how 'worthy' I am."
The Warlord moved first, swinging its massive axe horizontally. The speed was shocking—like a blur of black steel cutting through the air.
I barely ducked in ti, the force of the swing shredding the stone pillar behind into dust.
I countered imdiately.
"Eat this!"
I twisted my body and uppercut the Warlord's chest with a gauntlet-clad fist. The mont my punch connected—
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded from the impact, sending the Warlord skidding backward, its feet carving trenches into the ground. The lesser warriors staggered from the force.
The Warlord paused, glancing down at its cracked chest plate. Then it looked back at .
"Strong... but not strong enough."
It vanished.
"Shit—!"
I barely managed to raise my arms in ti as the Warlord reappeared above , bringing its axe down like a guillotine.
CLANG!
I blocked it with my gauntlets, but the sheer impact drove into the ground, cratering the earth beneath . My arms scread in pain.
I grit my teeth. "Tch... that actually hurt."
The Warlord raised its axe again for another strike—
I acted instantly.
[Skill Activated: Abyssal Surge!]
Dark energy exploded from my gauntlets, propelling forward like a missile. I shot out from under the axe and delivered a brutal knee strike to the Warlord's ribs.
CRACK!
The force sent it crashing through a stone wall.
I landed smoothly, rolling my shoulders. "What's wrong, big guy? You were talking all that shit a minute ago."
The dust settled, and the Warlord slowly rose. Cracks ran along its armor, black mist seeping from its wounds. It exhaled heavily.
"Impressive..." it admitted. "But not enough."
Suddenly, its axe morphed, growing jagged and pulsing with dark energy. The air around it beca suffocating.
[DING!]
WARNING: The Forsaken Warlord has activated 'Cursed Requiem'!
The ground trembled. Dark chains erupted from the earth, whipping toward like hungry serpents.
"Oh, hell no."
I dodged the first chain, punched the second one mid-air, then grabbed the third chain with my gauntlet.
"Nice trick, but you're gonna need more than BDSM chains to stop !"
I yanked the chain, dragging the Warlord toward .
As it stumbled forward, I jumped and spun mid-air—
"TAKE THIS!"
I delivered a devastating spinning punch to its skull.
BOOM!
The Warlord's head snapped backward, and its body was sent flying, crashing through multiple ruined pillars before slamming into the farthest wall.
I landed, exhaling. "Damn... even undead guys don't know when to quit."
The Warlord twitched. Its axe fell from its hands. It let out a ragged breath... then collapsed into dust.
[DING!]
QUEST COMPLETED: Survive the Night!
Rewards: 2 Levels, Forsaken Survivor's Buff (10% damage reduction at night).
I smirked, wiping dust from my gauntlets. "Well, that was fun."
I glanced at the remaining Forsaken Warriors. "Alright, who's next?"
Silence.
Then—one by one—they dropped their weapons and kneeled.
I blinked. "Huh?"
A system notification popped up.
[DING!]
The Forsaken recognize your strength! A new path has been unlocked...
I smirked. "Now... this just got interesting."
The Forsaken warriors knelt before , their hollow eyes flickering with sothing I hadn't seen before—recognition. Maybe even... hope.
I cracked my neck, exhaling. "Well, I didn't expect this. I was planning to beat the crap out of you all, but now you're kneeling? That's new."
One of the taller Forsaken warriors, clad in shattered armor and wielding a rusted greatsword, lifted his head. His voice was raspy, ancient.
"You have bested our Warlord. By right, you are now our ruler."
I scoffed. "Ruler? That's rich. I've never been the 'sit on a throne and give orders' kind of guy."
Another Forsaken warrior spoke up. "It is our way. Only the strong may lead the Forsaken. It has always been so."
I folded my arms, looking at the ruins around . The broken pillars, the abandoned castles, the eerie mist that swirled across the battlefield—it was a graveyard of lost warriors, of those who had been bound by a forgotten past.
I sighed. "You guys really believe in all this 'serve the strongest' crap, huh?"
Silence.
I glanced at them—at the warriors, the archers, the spellcasters, the remnants of a kingdom long buried in ti. These guys weren't mindless undead. They were people—cursed, broken, but still holding onto sothing.
I took a deep breath. Then, I spoke.
"Listen up! I've never cared about crowns or kingdoms. I don't sit on thrones. I break them. I destroy the chains that hold people down."
The Forsaken warriors flinched slightly, their fingers tightening around their weapons.
I continued. "And that's exactly what I see here. You guys are bound—chained to a past that doesn't even exist anymore. You kneel because that's all you've ever known."
I pointed at them. "But I'm telling you now—stand up. I don't need subjects. I don't need soldiers. I don't need worshippers."
I took a step forward, my voice sharp. "I believe in freedom. I believe in carving your own damn path. And I believe that each of you should do the sa."
The Forsaken warriors hesitated. So shifted, looking at each other uncertainly.
The tall warrior—the one who first spoke—finally asked, "Then... what would you have us do?"
I smirked. "Simple. Stop being Forsaken."
A murmur spread through the kneeling warriors. I could see the conflict in their expressions—the hesitation, the doubt.
I spread my arms. "You are warriors. You were once people with dreams, ambitions, lives beyond this cursed land. Why let so ancient, forgotten rule dictate your future? Why kneel before anyone?"
The silence stretched.
Then, slowly, the first warrior rose to his feet.
"I... have knelt for too long." His voice was filled with sothing different this ti. Strength.
Another warrior stood, gripping his broken sword. "So have I."
One by one, the Forsaken warriors rose, their eyes no longer flickering with mindless servitude—but with purpose.
I smirked. "Now that's more like it."
The system chid.
[DING!]
A New Path Has Been Forged!
You have freed the Forsaken from their chains. They no longer kneel to the past—they walk toward the future.
I exhaled. "Looks like things just got interesting."
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