A terrifying roar echoing through the temple spread across the entire mountain. The enormous stone throne gleamed with golden light, but the darkness standing behind it grew deeper with every passing moment. Aryan was breathing heavily. Only moments ago, he had faced Cassian, and his body was completely exhausted. Even so, he couldn't take his eyes off that darkness.
Slowly, two red eyes moved forward. Heavy footsteps began to sound alongside them. The entire temple started to tremble. From behind the throne emerged an enormous warrior nearly fifteen feet tall. He wore ancient armor of black and gold. A wolf pelt hung over his shoulders, and he held a greatsword whose edge shimmered with golden letters.
Eldric's expression immediately turned grave. He bowed his head and said in a low voice, "Guardian Luperon."
Ragnar's eyes widened. "What? This is the temple's First Guardian?"
Eldric nodded. "Yes. He has guarded the first sacred relic for a thousand years. He cannot be defeated by strength alone."
Luperon rested his enormous sword against the ground. His voice struck the temple walls and echoed again and again.
"Who is it that disturbed my sleep?"
For several moments, the entire temple remained silent.
Then his red eyes slowly settled on Aryan.
"Fenner's bloodline."
"So the prophecy has come true."
Aryan stepped forward.
"If you're the guardian of this temple, then I want the first relic."
A faint smile appeared in Luperon's eyes.
"A relic isn't obtained by asking for it, heir."
"You must earn it by proving your worth."
With that, he swung his sword through the air.
In the next instant, the entire temple began to change.
The throne vanished.
The walls began to crumble.
The ancient markings carved into the ground glowed red.
Within seconds, the entire temple had transformed into a vast battlefield.
Only stone pillars remained all around them, with a circular arena in the center.
Cassian stepped back and began to smile.
"Now the real game begins."
Eldric immediately grabbed Aryan's hand.
"Listen carefully. Whatever happens from this point on, we won't be able to help you."
Aryan asked, "Why?"
Eldric said gravely, "Because this is the Emperor's Trial. Only the heir can participate in this trial. If anyone else interferes, the temple will destroy them immediately."
As soon as he finished speaking, a massive golden wall of light rose up.
Aryan was inside the wall.
Eldric, Ragnar, and Cassian were left outside.
Ragnar struck the wall with all his strength.
But his sword bounced back.
Eldric said calmly, "Don't try. It's made from Fenner's power."
Meanwhile, Luperon slowly advanced toward Aryan.
Every step he took sent cracks spreading through the ground.
He stopped only a short distance from Aryan.
"The First Trial."
"Not one of strength."
"One of the heart."
Before Aryan could understand what he meant, Luperon pointed his sword at him.
Golden light immediately covered the entire arena.
Everything before Aryan's eyes began to blur.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the temple.
He was standing in front of his old home.
The same street surrounded him.
The same neighbors.
The same atmosphere from his childhood.
The door opened, and his foster grandfather came outside.
Smiling, he said,
"Aryan. Son. You're home?"
This time, everything felt so real that Aryan's eyes filled with tears.
At that moment, a woman's voice came from inside.
"Aryan. Dinner's ready."
Aryan's heart began to pound.
He had never heard his mother's voice in his entire life.
Then whose voice was this?
He moved toward the door on trembling legs.
But just as he raised his foot to cross the threshold, the Emperor Heart Stone around his neck suddenly began to glow bright red.
Fenner's deep voice echoed through his mind.
"Be careful. The First Trial has begun. Don't trust what you see."
"If you're the Wolf Emperor, then who am I?"
The dark figure's voice echoed throughout the arena. Aryan stared at him for several moments. The person standing before him didn't merely look like Aryan—his every movement, every breath, and every expression was exactly the same. The only difference was that his eyes were red as blood, and a cold, merciless smile rested on his face.
Luperon's deep voice sounded again. "This isn't your shadow. It's the darkness hidden within you. Light and darkness are born inside every emperor. Anyone who refuses to accept their darkness can never become a complete emperor."
The dark figure slowly advanced toward Aryan. Ripples rose across the black lake with every step he took. Smiling, he said, "You think you're fighting to save others. But the truth is, there's a hunger for power inside you too. If you didn't want power, you never would've come to this temple."
Aryan answered firmly, "I'm here to protect my people, not for power."
The dark figure burst out laughing.
"Liar. If the entire empire were handed to you today, would you turn it down?"
Aryan fell silent for a few moments. The question truly began to circle through his mind.
Then the lake before him began to glow. Images emerged in its waters.
He saw himself sitting on an enormous throne. Millions of Wolf warriors knelt before him. The entire empire waited for a single command from him. A golden crown rested on his head, and Fenner's enormous spirit stood behind him.
Then the scene changed.
Now it was still Aryan, but his eyes were red. Burning cities stood before him. Innocent people fled from his army. His hands were stained with blood, and a merciless smile stretched across his face.
The dark figure leaned close to his ear and whispered, "See? This is your future. Power turns every emperor into a monster."
Aryan's breathing grew heavy. For the first time, he began to fear his own future.
At that moment, the Emperor Heart Stone at his throat gave off a faint glow. Fenner's calm voice echoed inside him.
"The future is never certain. Decisions change it."
Aryan closed his eyes. A few moments later, he took a deep breath and slowly smiled.
When he opened his eyes, the panic was gone.
Looking at the dark figure, he said, "You're right. There is darkness inside me. I get angry too. I want power too. But the difference is that I won't become a slave to my darkness."
For the first time, the dark figure's smile disappeared.
"Impossible."
Aryan stepped forward. "An emperor isn't someone who runs from the darkness. An emperor is someone who controls it."
With that, he extended his right hand.
Everyone thought he was about to attack.
But Aryan didn't strike the dark figure. He reached his hand toward him and said, "You're not my enemy. You're a part of me."
The entire arena suddenly filled with golden light.
The dark figure staggered back several steps. For the first time, fear appeared on his face.
"No. Don't do this."
But it was already too late.
Golden energy emerged from Aryan's body and slowly began to absorb the dark figure. Within moments, the figure transformed completely into light and merged into Aryan's body.
At that instant, both of Aryan's eyes shone with golden and faint red light at the same time.
The aura radiating from his body had become several times more powerful than before.
Outside, Eldric felt it, and pride filled his eyes.
He said softly, "He didn't defeat his darkness. He accepted it. That's the first step toward becoming a complete emperor."
Ragnar asked in amazement, "Did the first Wolf Emperor face this same trial?"
Eldric smiled. "Yes. And only two people have ever completed it. First, Fenner. And now Aryan."
Meanwhile, Luperon lowered his greatsword. For the first time, he bowed his head.
"Heir. You have passed the Second Trial as well. Now the final trial awaits you."
As soon as he said this, the entire lake began to vanish. The ground turned back into stone. A massive circular gate rose in the center of the arena. Words in an ancient language were written across it. As Aryan approached, the words began to glow on their own.
Luperon's voice echoed again. "Behind this gate lies a truth that will ensure your life is never the same after you learn it."
Suddenly, the gate began to open by itself. Blinding white light poured from within.
But at that very moment, a familiar face appeared amid the light.
The color drained from Eldric's face. In disbelief, he spoke only one name—"Fenner."
Fenner's voice continued to echo in Aryan's mind. "Don't trust what you see."
But this time, everything was different. This wasn't an ordinary illusion. Even the scent in the air felt real. The old neem tree outside the house, the broken stones from his childhood, the clay pot beside the door—everything was exactly as he had seen it years ago.
Aryan slowly moved toward the door.
Then the same woman whose voice he had just heard came outside.
Aryan stopped dead the moment he saw her. Tears filled his eyes. The woman standing before him was exactly like the one he had seen countless times in his childhood dreams.
The woman smiled and stroked his head.
"What took you so long, son? We've both been waiting for you."
Aryan's lips trembled.
"M-Mom."
Tears appeared in the woman's eyes as well.
"Yes, Aryan. I'm your mother."
The moment he heard this, Aryan's heart began to pound wildly. The greatest emptiness in his heart was standing before him. He was about to forget everything and embrace his mother when the Emperor Heart Stone around his neck began to grow hot again.
Fenner's voice came from within it.
"Emotions are the greatest trial of all. If you forget the truth, you'll be trapped in this illusion forever."
Aryan immediately closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, he noticed something strange.
None of the people standing outside the house had shadows on the ground.
His mother. His Grandpa. Even the children playing nearby stood without shadows.
Aryan took a step back.
The smile slowly disappeared from the woman's face.
"What is it, son?"
Pain filled Aryan's eyes.
"If you were really my mother, my locket wouldn't be warning me when I looked at you."
The woman remained silent for several moments.
Then her face suddenly began to twist into something terrifying. Her eyes turned completely black, and the skin on her face split apart. Within seconds, she transformed into a horrifying demonic spirit.
It screamed angrily, "You've recognized the first truth."
At that instant, the entire house began to collapse. The walls turned into smoke. Everyone standing nearby transformed into terrifying spirits and advanced toward Aryan.
Hundreds of voices echoed at once.
"Stay here. You don't need power. This is your family."
Aryan covered both ears, but the voices continued to echo inside his mind. He began to feel that perhaps he really was making the wrong choice. Perhaps he should stay here.
Then he remembered Eldric's words.
"Anyone who strays from their goal loses their identity."
Aryan clenched his fists. With all his strength, he shouted, "My family can't be a lie!"
The next instant, golden energy exploded from his body.
The entire false world began to tremble. Every spirit before him screamed in pain. One by one, their bodies turned into smoke.
Within seconds, the entire illusion shattered.
Aryan was standing once more in the center of the arena.
Luperon watched him with both hands resting on his greatsword. For the first time, respect appeared in his red eyes.
"Very few people can pass the First Trial. You placed your heart above temptation."
Aryan took a deep breath. "Is the trial over?"
Luperon slowly shook his head.
"No. That was only the beginning."
He raised his sword toward the sky.
The entire arena began to tremble again. The stone pillars sank into the ground. In their place, a vast lake of black water appeared. Only a narrow stone path remained visible through the center of the lake.
At the end of the path stood a golden door.
Luperon said gravely, "The Second Trial will test your faith. Anyone who walks this path and doubts himself will be swallowed by the lake forever."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure appeared before the golden door.
When Aryan saw its face, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The face was exactly like his own.
The person standing before him was Aryan's perfect reflection. But his eyes were red, and a dangerous smile curved across his lips.
He spoke slowly—"If you're the Wolf Emperor, then who am I?"
"Fenner."
The moment the name left Eldric's mouth, the entire temple shook once again. The white light spreading from within the gate slowly dimmed. The figure standing inside it now came clearly into view.
The same golden hair, the same divine armor, the same radiant eyes, and the same regal aura that Eldric had described in the stories he told Aryan.
Aryan's breathing quickened. In a low voice, he said, "What? Is that the first Wolf Emperor, Fenner?"
But Eldric immediately shook his head.
"No. This isn't Fenner. It's a divine shadow created from his memory. The temple gives every heir their final trial in this form."
Luperon gripped his greatsword with both hands and bowed his head.
"My lord. Your heir stands before you."
The figure standing in the white light slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell directly on Aryan. He watched Aryan for several moments, then his resonant voice spread throughout the temple.
"You carry my blood. But blood alone does not make an emperor."
Aryan bowed respectfully. "I'm ready to learn."
The figure said calmly, "Every heir says that. But there is a vast difference between being willing to learn and being worthy."
With that, he raised his right hand.
The entire arena vanished in the next instant.
Aryan found himself standing in the middle of a massive battlefield. Flames burned all around him. The sky had turned red. Thousands of Wolf warriors lay dead across the ground. The clash of swords and the screams of people echoed through the air.
Aryan asked in shock, "What place is this?"
Fenner's divine shadow answered, "This is the day the Wolf Empire first fell apart."
At that moment, two enormous armies appeared facing each other on a distant hill. Golden banners flew on one side. Black banners flew on the other.
Two warriors stood between them. One was Fenner. The other was the Dark Alpha. Their powers shook the entire sky.
Aryan watched, spellbound.
Fenner raised his sword and struck at the Dark Alpha. The entire earth shook.
But in the next instant, the Dark Alpha smiled. He didn't attack from the front. Instead, he looked toward a golden warrior standing behind him.
The warrior suddenly rushed toward Fenner's back and drove his sword into Fenner's chest in betrayal.
Aryan's eyes widened.
"Betrayal!"
Fenner fell to his knees. The Dark Alpha's laughter echoed across the battlefield.
"Strength doesn't defeat the strongest warrior. Betrayal does."
The scene suddenly froze.
Aryan clenched his fists. Anger was clear in his eyes.
The divine shadow turned toward him.
"Tell me, heir. If your most beloved companion betrayed you, what would you do?"
Aryan remained silent for several moments. Then he answered, "If he betrayed me out of greed, I would stop him. But if he did it because he was forced to, I would first learn why."
Fenner's shadow asked again, "And what if his actions destroyed the entire empire?"
Aryan's eyes hardened.
"Then I would bring him to justice. Not revenge—justice."
The entire atmosphere remained silent for several moments.
Then, for the first time, Fenner's divine shadow smiled.
"That's the answer I wanted to hear. An emperor whose decisions are ruled by anger will eventually become a tyrant."
At that instant, the entire battlefield began to vanish.
Aryan was standing inside the temple once again. Luperon, Eldric, and Ragnar were looking toward him.
But then cracks began to spread across the temple walls. The entire temple began to shake violently.
Cassian, who had remained outside until now, suddenly began to smile. He opened his fist. A small black crystal gleamed in his palm.
Eldric's expression changed completely.
"No. That's the Shadow Core!"
Cassian laughed. "While all of you were busy with the trials, I embedded this crystal in the temple's protective seal. Now the temple itself will be destroyed."
He threw the black crystal onto the ground.
The next instant, black energy spread throughout the temple. The golden walls slowly began to turn black.
For the first time, Luperon roared in fury.
"You dared defile the sacred temple!"
But it was already too late.
The temple ceiling began to collapse. Massive stones rained down. The divine shadow slowly began to fade.
Fenner looked toward Aryan one last time and said, "Heir. The trial is over now. But the real battle is about to begin."
With that, a golden light emerged from his chest and floated through the air, merging directly into Aryan's body.
A golden wolf mark suddenly appeared on Aryan's forehead.
At that same moment, a roar from some enormous creature sounded from the deepest part of the temple.
Fear appeared in Luperon's eyes for the first time.
In a trembling voice, he said, "Impossible. The Second Guardian wasn't supposed to wake yet!"
"Impossible. The Second Guardian wasn't supposed to wake yet!"
Luperon's trembling voice echoed throughout the temple. The ground began to shake violently in the next instant. The ancient figures carved into the walls broke apart one by one. Massive stones fell from above. Black energy had spread throughout the entire temple.
Cassian stood in the distance, smiling as he watched it all.
"No one can save this temple now," he said coldly. "When the Second Guardian awakens, it won't distinguish between friend and foe. Every creature that stands before it will die."
Eldric immediately raised his staff and formed a golden protective barrier. Falling stones struck the barrier and flew off to the side.
He looked toward Aryan and shouted, "Emperor! Don't leave without obtaining the first sacred relic. If you lose this opportunity today, the temple won't open again for another thousand years."
At that moment, a terrible roar came from the deepest part of the temple.
A massive impact rang out.
A huge stone wall shattered and collapsed.
Two enormous golden eyes began to glow through the thick smoke.
Then, slowly, a twenty-foot-tall creature emerged.
Its body was half wolf and half dragon. Massive wings stretched from its back, and its entire body was covered in armor-like skin that gleamed like golden metal.
Every breath from its mouth turned into flames.
Luperon immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
"Great Guardian. Aurigus."
Aryan saw the creature for the first time.
Its power was so overwhelming that Aryan's body trembled from its presence alone.
Aurigus looked around.
Its gaze fell first on Luperon.
Then on Eldric.
Then on Cassian.
Finally, it stopped on Aryan.
For several moments, the entire temple was silent.
Then it spoke in a deep voice.
"I have sensed the emperor's scent."
Cassian's expression changed the moment he heard this. He immediately drew his black sword.
"We have to finish this now!"
He rushed toward Aryan at lightning speed.
But before he could reach him, Aurigus swung its enormous tail.
The impact sent Cassian flying several hundred feet into the temple wall.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
For the first time, he groaned in pain.
"That much... power."
Meanwhile, Aurigus slowly came before Aryan and sat down. It closed its enormous eyes, then lowered its head toward Aryan.
Amazement filled Eldric's eyes.
"This... this is the posture of submission."
Ragnar asked in disbelief, "Has the Second Guardian accepted the emperor?"
Eldric's voice grew emotional.
"Yes. It was considered impossible for a guardian to bow without a final battle."
But at that moment, Aurigus opened its eyes. Its voice was more solemn than before.
"Emperor. I have very little time. The temple's sacred power is slowly being destroyed."
It extended its enormous claw. A small golden crystal gleamed between its talons.
Inside the crystal, a golden wolf could be seen turning in circles.
Aurigus said, "This is the first sacred relic. The Emperor Soul Crystal. Whoever accepts it will be able to connect with the spirits of their ancestors."
Aryan slowly extended his hand.
As soon as his fingers touched the crystal, the entire temple filled with golden light.
The crystal transformed into light and flowed directly into his chest.
In the next instant, an aura several times more powerful than before radiated from Aryan's body.
The golden light in his eyes deepened.
The wolf mark on his forehead began to shine clearly.
At the same time, countless voices echoed through his mind.
Hundreds of ancient emperors.
Thousands of warriors.
All of them spoke the same word together—
"Welcome, Emperor."
Aryan felt that he was no longer merely a lone human being. Centuries of history stood behind him.
But then the temple walls began to collapse completely.
Aurigus suddenly looked toward the sky in anger.
Above the broken roof of the temple, a massive circular gate had opened among the black clouds.
There was nothing but darkness within it.
Then two blood-red eyes glowed in the middle of that darkness.
The entire atmosphere froze.
The color drained from Eldric's face.
In a trembling voice, he said, "No. He came himself."
The next instant, a heavy, terrifying voice echoed across the entire sky—
"Fenner's heir."
"At last... I've finally met you."
Cassian immediately dropped to his knees.
All the soldiers of the Dark Wolf army bowed their heads.
Aurigus spread its enormous wings.
Luperon drew his sword.
Eldric pulled Aryan behind him.
Because for the first time, the Dark Alpha himself had descended into this world.