Anomaly Who Broke The Game Prologue

[TenaciousJay002]

In a far-flung realm, shrouded in the mists of a world not our own, a creature staggered in a tangled forest, his breath ragged, his heart pounding like a war drum.

This was no ordinary man—his skull had just been cracked open by the crude, splintered club of a snarling goblin. Blood trickled down his temple, matting his unkempt hair, and yet, there was something peculiar about him.

Something that made the very air around him hum with an heaviness.

Who was this being, stumbling through the underbrush, his tattered cloak snagging on thorns? He was no hero, no warrior clad in gleaming armor. He was no human either, He was a homunculus—a wretched, artificial creation born from the twisted ambitions of alchemists in a clandestine laboratory.

Crafted to be a vessel for a *****, a ***** spark meant to ignite within his frail form. But he was deemed a failure.

His makers sneered at his imperfections: his uneven gait, his too-human eyes that flickered with something dangerously close to a soul. They called him a mistake, a taboo, a mockery of life itself.

Why did they call him a mockery when they were the ones to create it to begin with?

Yet, despite their scorn, one truth burned brighter than their cruel words: he had escaped. And that, by all the stars in this alien sky, was fucking glorious.

The facility he fled was a nightmare of cold stone and flickering alchemical flames, hidden deep within a mountain's belly. Its walls echoed with the screams of other failed experiments, others like him their voices taunting and haunting his dreams as he plotted his escape.

He was tired, so one moonless night, he slipped through the shadows, past guards drunk on mead and arrogance, and out into the wild unknown.

The forest greeted him with a chorus of nocturnal whispers—crickets, owls, and the rustle of leaves like secrets being shared. Freedom tasted sharp, like iron and pine, but it was his.

He hadn't been free for long when the goblin ambushed him. The creature was a wiry, foul thing, its skin like moldy leather, its eyes glinting with malice under the moonlight. It wasn't alone—two others lurked behind it, their jagged teeth bared in grotesque grins.

The homunculus froze, his breath catching as he met the leader's gaze. In those hideous, green eyes, he saw a hunger that mirrored his own—a raw, gnawing need, not for food, but for something deeper.

Anger. Vengeance. A primal urge to lash out at a world that had starved them in cruelty. The goblin saw a reflection of its own torment in the homunculus, and it drove the creature into a frenzy.

The homunculus, though no warrior, felt a spark of defiance flare within him. He was no vessel for a *****, but he was alive, damn it, and he would not go quietly.

He raised his fists, trembling yet resolute, ready to fight for his fleeting taste of freedom. But the goblins were faster, their movements feral and precise. As he dodged a swipe from the leader's claw, he was too slow to notice the second goblin circling behind.

A sharp, searing pain exploded at the back of his skull. The world tilted, colors bleeding into a dizzying blur. He crumpled to the forest floor, leaves crunching beneath his weight, his vision swimming with stars.

The last thing he saw was the goblin's club raised high, its crude wood stained with his blood, descending like a guillotine. Darkness swallowed him, and he plummeted into oblivion, the echo of his own heartbeat fading into the void.

Yet, even as he fell, a single thought burned in his fading consciousness: he had tasted freedom, if only for a moment, and no goblin, no alchemist, nor god could take that from him.

Just as the goblin, its jagged maw dripping with anticipation, leaned to tear into the lifeless prey it had felled, something stirred in the shadowed air. A ripple, unseen, unnatural, coiled through the forest's heart.

A scream—raw, unearthly—shattered the silence, not from the goblin's throat but from the broken form at its feet.

The homunculus's body twitched, then thrashed, as if seized by some vengeful spirit clawing free. Its limbs jerked in a grotesque dance. As if rearranging themselves.

And by the time the goblin came into its senses, it was already too late.

Then a fire came —wild, searing, alive. It erupted from nowhere, from everywhere, a blue-white inferno that devoured the goblin's snarl and turned its hunger to shrieks.

Fire and fire and fire, relentless, spiraling, consuming everything—flesh, bone, the very darkness of the night itself. The forest groaned, its ancient boughs curling to cinders, the ground scorched to a whispering wasteland.

And when the flames faded, only darkness remained.

…………………………….

Sequence Initiated: Reconstruction Protocol Alpha-7

……………….

This was no ordinary corpse, but a bioengineered shit.

Its heart, torn open, twitched with faint alchemical isotopes.

The brain, revealed by the cracked skull, pulsed with fading activity.

Bite marks—serrated, inhuman—oozed bioluminescent ichor on his limbs.

Syringe punctures glittered like stardust, remnants of experimental serums. This homunculus….

………

A being watching the data scroll with curiosity. "This body's perfect." And decided to take over. WHY? YOU ASK? Because he was driven more by boredom than by desire.

 

[TenaciousJay002]

It was a weird world, and in this world two moons hung in the sky.

One glowed a ghostly white, casting an eerie shimmer over the twisted landscape below, while the other burned a venomous green, pulsating faintly as if alive. Have you ever witnessed anything so hauntingly bizarre, so beautifully wrong? I doubt it—your world probably doesn't have skies that scream, Splendor.

Also Orbiting the green moon, is an asteroid, lazily looping around, a jagged chunk of rock that laughed in the face of gravity.

How the hell did that stone evade the pull of this planet's gravity? Bahh whatever.

But let's not get lost in that weird thought. Let's now talk about—a homunculus, which was still alive, still breathing, still existing.

This grotesque little man scuttled through the world like he owned it, his beady green eyes glinting with a lifeful spark, as if he'd just caught his reflection mid-sneeze and couldn't unsee it.

His silky brown hair fell in unnaturally perfect waves, like he'd spent hours coaxing it with a comb forged in some fire.

His outfit? Absurdly pristine. Baggy blue pants swayed like they were mocking the wind, paired with a loose red T-shirt that looked like it had never met dirt or sweat. His skin, a sickly brownish-white, was marred by jagged stitches around his eyes, each one a testament to some holy craftsmanship.

He strolled through a forest of gnarled, whispering trees, their branches swaying.

His casual swagger suggested this was just another Tuesday, as if this woodland was some trendy hiking trail. "Hmm," he muttered, his voice a low rasp. "Was it a mistake to let them live?"

His thoughts drifted to a shadowy figure who'd been trailing him—a man who called himself a saint, cloaked in tattered robes, muttering prophecies under his breath. The homunculus smirked, his stitched face twisting. "Eh, who gives a damn if he lives or dies?" After all, he had given that man a beating he would remember for a lifetime.

He paused, realizing he'd wandered to the edge of a strange road. It wasn't your average dirt path—this was a highway of massive, weathered stone slabs, Concrete? Stone? Something older, maybe.

The homunculus tilted his head, scratching at a stitch near his eye. "Now, where the hell am I going?" he mused. The road stretched in two directions: one toward a horizon where the white moon loomed larger, bathing the path in a cold, sterile light; the other toward the green moon's domain, where the air seemed to shimmer with a sickly, emerald haze. A choice, and no damn clue which way to go.

He chuckled, a dry, unsettling sound, and clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's settle this the old-fashioned way."

His beady eyes gleamed with a childish mischief as he began to chant. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" ………………..

……..

….

His finger landed on the path towards the green moon's sickly glow.

That's the one, he thought with a smirk. The green moon's light seemed to pulse, almost like it was calling him. Something about it felt… alive. So, with a shrug, he set off in that direction, his boots crunching against the strange, glittery dirt of this alien world.

As he walked, a weird sensation tingled around him, like static electricity but softer, almost cozy. What's this? he wondered.

It felt like an energy buzzing in the air, wrapping around him like an invisible cloak. Hmm, I've felt something like this before… in that other world.

There, they called it mana—a magical energy that powered spells. But here? It was different.

The mana wasn't soaking into his body like it did back then. Instead, it just floated around him, thick in the atmosphere. Maybe it's this body I'm in, he mused. It's not built to absorb it. Or maybe… I need to figure out how this world works. He made a mental note: Gotta run some tests later. Maybe poke the other person with a stick or something.

He was in his thought but suddenly, a women's scream shattered the quiet night. "AAAAAA!"

He froze, then chuckled. Oh, a scream in the middle of nowhere? That's so cliché! His mind immediately jumped to every fantasy story he'd ever read.

Bet it's a princess in distress. Classic. I'll swoop in, save her, and—ka-ching!—she'll shower me with gold. Who doesn't love a fat stack of coins? His grin widened. Time to make some princesssaving money!

With a playful leap, he launched into the air. Why jump? Because he could fly, of course! Well, sort of. It was more like a super-powered leap that let him glide through the air like a superhero in a comic book. Pretty cool, right? Just kidding, I can actually fly, soaring over the treetops with the wind whipping through his hair.

The dense forest below gave way to an open clearing, and he landed lightly on the ground. His eyes widened at the scene before him.

A fancy carriage, all polished wood and gold trim, sat in the middle of the clearing. Next to it, a small child huddled, looking terrified. Standing in front of the kid was a woman in light armor, her sword gleaming under the green moonlight as she fended off a group of shadowy figures in cloaks.

And these weren't just any cloaks—they were magic cloaks, because the figures were hurling magics around.

Fireballs? Seriously? He couldn't help but laugh. It reminded him of that hilarious YouTube video he'd seen ages ago, where some wizard dramatically shouted "FIREBALL!"

Okay, focus, he told himself. Time to jump in, save the day, and maybe earn some of that sweet, sweet reward money. With a confident grin, he stepped forward, ready to join the fight and see what this strange, magical world had in store.

 

[TenaciousJay002]

This wasn't your typical fairy-tale story where a princess travels from one town to another in a fancy carriage. Oh no, this was way more intense—and way more complicated.

The little princess, with her bright red hair that glowed like a sunset under the green moonlight, wasn't just out for a stroll. She was running for her life.

She'd escaped from her home in the Kingdom of Lawerence. Why? Because her world had turned upside down in the last month. Her older brother, had just been crowned king, but the way he got that crown was twisted and dark.

For two long years, the Kingdom of Lawerence had been caught in a brutal game of succession—a deadly contest to decide who would rule. It wasn't just a polite debate or a vote.

No, this was a ruthless power struggle, with scheming nobles, secret alliances, and a lot of bloodshed. The Third Prince, the third sibling in line for the throne, had a powerful ally: Duke Sebastian, a cunning and wealthy noble with an army of loyal followers.

With the duke's backing, The Third Prince played the game like a master chess player, eliminating everyone who stood in his way. One by one, every other contender for the crown was killed—ambushed in dark alleys, poisoned at feasts, or betrayed by those they trusted. All except one: the red-haired Princess.

-----------

"Princess, duck!" the swordswoman shouted, her voice sharp with urgency. The Princess dropped to the ground just as the knight's gleaming sword sliced through the air, striking all the cloaked assassins with a clean, deadly blow.

All the enemy crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Princess heart raced, hoping for a moment that the fight was over.

But that hope vanished in an instant.

A dark, swirling mist of black mana—a creepy, unnatural energy—poured from the fallen assassin's body. The air grew heavy, and with a sickening lurch, the dead enemy twitched and stood back up, as if nothing had happened. In the blink of an eye, every assassin they'd just defeated was on their feet again, their eyes glowing with an eerie, empty light, ready to fight once more.

"Black magic freaks!" the black-haired swordswoman, spat out a curse. She was exhausted, her armor scratched and dented from two days of relentless fighting.

These weren't ordinary enemies—they were abominations, brought back to life by dark magic. She had been battling them non-stop, only stealing brief moments to catch her breath or sip water when the attacks slowed.

But those tiny breaks weren't enough. Her arms ached, her eyelids felt like lead, and her strength was fading fast. Still, giving up wasn't in her nature. But will she give up, NO SHE WILL NOT!

She tightened her grip on her sword, its blade catching the green moonlight, and took a steady stance. Her sharp eyes darted to Princess first, she saw her legs behind the carriage thinking that the princess was still safe behind the half-split carriage.

Stay strong, Your Highness, she thought. Then, she turned her gaze to the enemies, ready to face them again, no matter how many times they'd rise.

But just as she braced for another attack, something caught her eye—a figure descending from the sky. A man, gliding down like a hawk, his silhouette framed against the glowing green moon.

His eyes gleamed with a strange, intense light, and for a split second, her heart skipped. Is he a devil sent from the heavens? she wondered, her grip on her sword tightening. His presence felt otherworldly, like he didn't belong in this chaotic scene.

And then, before she could process what was happening, something unbelievable unfolded right in front of her eyes—something that would change the course of this desperate fight.

…………..

Seems like things were getting rough for the black-haired swordswoman with the big boobs— and it showed.

Her armor was scratched, her breaths came in heavy huffs, and her arms trembled from fighting off those relentless, cloaked assassins.

Man, she's tough. Watching her stand protectively in front of the overturned carriage, heaving so loudly—it was clear that is tired, very tired.

Also, her figure was striking... Wait, this isn't the time to be staring at someone's boobs. You bitch.

Before the five cloaked figures could make their next move, The swordswoman sprang into action. "Princess, duck!" she bellowed, her voice cutting through the tense air.

In a flash, she was in the center of the group, her sword a silver blur as she unsheathed it. With one clean, lightning-fast swing, she sliced through all five enemies, splitting them in half like they were made of paper. Their bodies hit the ground with dull thuds. Wow, she's incredible, I thought, impressed by her speed and skill.

But —a thin, glowing cord of dark mana snaking through the air, connecting to the fallen bodies. That's why she's so exhausted, I realized.

The cord was pumping black mana into the corpses, fueling their unnatural regeneration. Sure enough, the sliced bodies twitched, their wounds knitting back together as they began to rise again. This is bad. The mana wasn't just dark—it felt wrong, like it was whispering secrets in a language you will not be able to understand.

Swordswoman, panting heavily, didn't seem to notice the mana cords. She was too busy fighting, her face set in a determined scowl. "Black Magic Fuckers."

She's not giving up, even now. She's tough alright.

But my attention shifted to the carriage, where the Princess—my ticket to a fat stack of reward money—lay slumped against the broken wood. Wait, why isn't she moving? My heart sank. My piggy bank's out cold! This was a problem.

If there was No princess, there will be no payout. NOOOO I can't allow that.

The situation was getting worse. The regenerated assassins were glowing now, their bodies pulsing with energy as if they were about to explode. The big boob swordswoman charged toward them again, sword raised, ready to take them on. She's got guts, but this is about to go south, It was time to step in.

I leaped into the air, gliding down with a grin. I was gleaming with anticipation. After all, I was practically buzzing with excitement to test this new body of mine.

I landed right in front of the cloaked figures, cutting off their path to the Sowrdswoman. She froze, her sharp eyes locking onto mine, trying to figure me out. Enemy or ally? her gaze seemed to ask. I could tell she didn't trust me, especially with the wild, probably terrifying grin plastered on my face.

"Who are you?" The Sowdswoman demanded, her voice hoarse but firm. She wasn't expecting an answer, not with that crazy smile on my face.

I didn't answer right away. I'm neither enemy nor ally, I'm just here for the money. But as I faced the glowing, regenerating assassins,….

 

[TenaciousJay002]

The Red Haired Princess has ruled over Laboon for 2 years, a bustling port city she'd been given when the brutal game of succession for the Kingdom of Lawerence began.

Laboon wasn't just any city—it was a fortress, a vital shield against naval threats like ferocious mermen, ruthless pirates, and even colossal titans that rose from the sea.

For two years, She and her loyal knight, had defended the city against all kinds of monsters. Some were simple to defeat, like swarms of sharp-toothed mermen. Others, like the towering sea beasts, seemed impossible, but somehow, they always pulled through. Laboon stood strong, its people safe under the Princess care.

But when news arrived that her father, the king, had been murdered, everything changed. Assassins, sent by her scheming brother, flooded into Laboon, targeting The Princess before she could even grieve. She was the last threat to her brother stolen crown, and he wasn't taking any chances.

Before the assassins reached her castle, a letter arrived, sealed with the royal insignia. But When she opened it, her heart sank, she realized too late it wasn't from him at all.

It was a trap, crafted by her brother, now King. The letter wasn't just paper—it was a cursed summoning scroll. The moment she broke the seal, a monstrous beast materialized, its jagged teeth and glowing eyes fixed on her. It lunged, ready to devour her whole.

"Mana!" cried The Princes, calling her Knight, who was always by her side. In a flash, her sword sliced through the scroll, and the beast vanished in a puff of dark smoke. And that dark smoke got into her body.

Red haired Princess gasped, thinking they'd escaped disaster. But The third princes plan was far crueler. The beast hadn't truly disappeared—it had burrowed into her mind, a presence waiting for its chance to take over.

She could feel it sometimes, clawing at her thoughts, whispering in the dark corners of her soul. She fought to keep it at bay, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

As if that wasn't enough, the castle began to shake violently. The walls rattled, the ground quaked, and a searing, mind-bending pain shot through her head. Her vision blurred, and before she could call out again, she blacked out, collapsing to the cold stone floor.

When she came to, flickering in and out of consciousness, she caught glimpses of something horrifying.

A monster towered over Laboon, so massive it blocked out the Sun.

It was Tarturas, a titan-class beast from ancient legends, said to slumber at the Earth's core, waiting for the mythical world serpent to rise.

Its body was like a living mountain, Her heart sank upon seeing. This is the end, she thought, her hope for Laboon crumbling as the titan rampaged through her city, flattening homes and docks with ease.

She didn't know how it had spared the rest of the kingdom, focusing its wrath only on Laboon. All she saw, in those fleeting moments when she couldn't even move was the glimpses of this beast.

And after she lost conscientiousness, was the summoned monster that would haunt her nightmares forever.

When the Princess woke up, she wasn't in her grand castle in Laboon. Instead, she found herself lying on a bed of soft moss in a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees with leaves that shimmered under the eerie green moonlight.

The air smelled of pine and earth, a far cry from the salty breeze of her port city.

She blinked, trying to piece together what had happened, but her mind was a foggy blank. Where am I? her heart racing. She was still in her torn royal gown, her red hair sprawled on the ground.

A sudden sound snapped her out of her daze. She shot to her feet, her head spinning, and saw her knight—Mana, standing at the edge of a clearing, with ocean on the view.

Her Knight's dark hair was messy, her armor scuffed, but her eyes were sharp and steady. The princess had thought she was deep in the forest, but it seemed they were just on the outskirts of Laboon's territory.

"Mana…" Red princess voice came out hoarse, her throat dry as sand. "What happened? I can't remember anything."

Mana didn't flinch. She'd clearly been already knew that she had awoke. So She got down on her one knew, her sword resting at her side, and spoke softly but firmly. "After you passed out, Tarturas attacked," Mana said.

The Princess eyes widened. So it wasn't a dream. The memory of the colossal titan, a monster straight out of ancient myths, flickered in her mind—its massive form crushing Laboon like a child's toy.

"Casualties?" she whispered, dreading the answer.

Mana face darkened. "Everyone. Everything."

"Everyone?" The Princess Voice echoed, her voice breaking. She was only eighteen, yet she'd been tasked with protecting an entire city. The weight of it all—her people, her home, her responsibility—felt like a boulder crushing her chest. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back. lost so much in such a short time.

She stumbled forward, pushing through the trees until she reached a hill overlooking what was left of Laboon.

Her breath caught. Where her bustling port city once stood, there was nothing but ruins— crumbled stone, charred wood, and the faint smell of smoke lingering in the air. Her home, her people, gone.

"There's more," Mana continued, her voice heavy. "You've been branded a traitor and a heretic. They're saying you destroyed Laboon."

"What?" Princess head snapped toward her Mana. "That's… that's impossible!"

"It's signed by your brother," Mana said grimly. "King Teodor Valeria. After Tarturas attacked, royal enforcers came. I thought they were here to help, but no—they were looking for you. They handed me this."

She pulled out a crumpled wanted poster with Red's face on it, accusing her of treason and destruction. "They didn't even listen when I told them it was Tarturas. They demanded to know where you were, said you fled after destroying your own city. I was I was able hid you before they could find you, but they ordered me to hunt you down and… kill you."

Mana eyes flashed with a fierce, protective anger, her hand tightening on her sword as if daring anyone to try.

The Princess legs gave out, and she crumpled to the ground, her mind reeling. My own brother… he's framed me for this. The cursed scroll, the beast in her mind, the destruction of Laboon—it was all Teodor doing, his plan to erase her from the picture.

"Then why haven't you?" Red whispered, her voice hollow. "Why not just kill me?"

Mana face twisted with frustration. She marched over and, with a swift motion, smacked Red on the back of her head. "Don't you dare say that!" she snapped. "When I was alone, you told me never to give up. You gave me a reason to keep fighting. So why the hell should I let you give up now?"

Red winced, rubbing her head. "Ouch…"

"We can't stay here," The Mana said, pulling The Princess to her feet. "We need to move." They hurried to a hidden boat docked at a nearby river, big enough to carry a month's worth of supplies and a small carriage.

It wasn't much, but it was their ticket out of Laboon's ruins. As they pushed off, the boat rocking gently on the water, Red glanced back at the destroyed city one last time. I'll come back, she vowed silently. And I'll make Teodor pay.

That's how they ended up fleeing, with nothing but a boat, a carriage, and Anger and little bit of hope to guide them.

 

[TenaciousJay002]

The strange man landed in front of her with a thud.

His clothes were odd—and his eyes were much odder. With patches under it.

Mana gripped her sword tighter, her heart pounding. Friend or foe? she wondered, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read him. She hoped he was an ally—gods knew she and the princess needed one right now.

And he is "I'll help you out," he said casually, "but it'll cost you. Pay me, and I'm all yours." A mercenary. Of course.

Mana's shoulders relaxed slightly, but she stayed on guard. He's in it for the money, she thought. But if he can fight, I don't care why he's here.

Mana looked at this with a flicker of hope. Maybe the gods have provided this opportunity. And I'm not about to waste this chance.

"Fine," Mana called out, her voice steady despite her exhaustion. "One gold coin for your help."

She knew a single gold coin wasn't much in the grand scheme of things—barely enough to buy a S-Class mercenary. If the boy could hear it, he will have said "Bitch, You Broke."

But right now, with assassins closing in and the princess's life on the line, she'd grab any straws, no matter how shaky the straws were.

"Great!" The man's grin widened, almost too cheerful for the grim scene. Without another word, he leaped into the fray, moving so fast he was practically a blur.

The five cloaked assassins, their bodies pulsing with dark mana, didn't even have time to react. He raised both hands, slashing them through the air like he was cutting invisible strings.

A sudden gust of wind roared through the clearing, sharp as a blade. The cloaked figures froze, then slumped to the ground, lifeless, as if the magic holding them together had been snuffed out.

Mana's jaw dropped. "Wha…" she whispered, speechless. What kind of power was that? Mana thought, her mind racing. What have we gotten ourselves into? she wondered, unease bubbling in her chest. -------------

I jingled the single gold coin in my hand, feeling pretty good about my quick payday.

But something was off, and it wasn't just the green moonlight or the pile of defeated assassins lying in the clearing.

The red-haired princess, still slumped against the broken carriage, wasn't waking up. Her chest rose and fell with slow, steady breaths, so I knew she was alive, but her eyes stayed shut.

The swordswoman, knelt beside her, her voice cracking with desperation. "Princess, please wake up!"

Tears streaked down her face. She could fight for two days or however much longer to protect her, but seeing her princess like this was breaking her.

"Hey," I called out, trying to get her attention. No response. She was too focused on the princess, her hands gently shaking the girl's shoulders.

"Oi!" I tried again, louder this time.

"You bitch," Mana snapped, her head whipping toward me, eyes blazing with anger. Okay, now she notices me.

I raised an eyebrow, pointing at the princess. "So… what's wrong with her?"

"None of your business!" Mana growled, her voice sharp enough to cut. "You got your stupid coin, so why don't you just leave?"

Whoa, rude much? I hadn't done anything to deserve that.

I stared right into her eyes, not saying a word, just letting her feel the weight of my gaze. I'm not the bad guy here, lady.

She stared back, her face a mix of fury and exhaustion, but after a few seconds, she broke.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you stupid or something?"

I ignored her jab. "Let me take a look at her," I said calmly.

Truth is, I've got a soft spot for kids, and this Princess was just a kid.

Mana's eyes narrowed, her expression screaming, What are you even talking about? She clutched her katana tighter, ready to defend her princess from me, a stranger with weird patches around his eyes. Okay, that must be pretty weird to see.

To show I meant no harm, I grabbed her katana—gently, but fast enough that she flinched. Before she could yank it back, I held the blade to my own neck. "If I do anything weird, cut my head off," I said, flashing the most reassuring smile I could muster. It was a risky move, but I needed her to trust me, even just a little.

Mana froze, her mouth slightly open.

Something about his smile—crazy yet reassuring—seemed to calm her. She didn't know why, but she felt she could give me a chance. Albeit, it was the only chance she had.

With a grunt, she relented, carefully laying the princess down on the soft grass and gripping her katana, she was ready to kill if I did something wrong here.

I knelt beside the princess in a seiza position, my knees tucked under me, and placed a hand on her forehead. Closing my eyes, I focused, letting my senses reach beyond the physical world. Let's see what's going on here.

The moment my eyes shut, I was somewhere else—a vast, shimmering world of water, rippling and endless. This was her mind palace, a place where her thoughts and soul resided.

And there, in the center, I saw her: the red-haired princess, her figure faint and trembling, trapped in the jaws of a monstrous beast. Its shadowy form loomed over her, its eyes glowing with malice.

Well, that's interesting…..