Time flies like an arrow. It had already been a month since Zane forged the Eclipse Wolf Sword. During this month, he accomplished many things.
He trained, helped his uncle with work, and drafted a plan for his journey to the Ice Mountains in the west of the continent. He calculated the duration of the journey, estimating it would take around three to four years.
The reason for such a long journey was that he needed to take many paths and visit various places where numerous dangerous events or great opportunities awaited. He also planned to gather men under his command and build a reputation. Zane intended to cleanse the chaos caused by madmen such as the Vampire Clan, demons, and terrorist attacks.
His goal in collecting all these opportunities was to strengthen himself even more and surpass the limits of his current life—just as he had done before, when he was the "Heavenly Demon Asura" who ruled over the Murim world. Zane had always aimed to break the limits of every life he had lived.
Even though he possessed knowledge greater than any living being, that didn't mean he could stop striving. If he didn't take advantage of the knowledge from his first life, it would all be meaningless.
As for why he didn't talk about the wars between the human kingdoms, the reason was simple: on the continent, there was one empire that reigned supreme—the Phoenix Empire. There were ten kingdoms involved in various alliances and wars, but none dared to raise their swords against the Phoenix Empire. The reasons were straightforward:
1. The combined power of the kingdoms was still weaker than the empire.
2. The Phoenix Empire controlled the continent's economy and weapon distribution.
3. Seven out of the sixteen magic towers on the continent belonged to the Phoenix Empire.
4. A quarter of its soldiers were elite warriors.
5. Two-thirds of the continent's ranked knights—those at 8 or 9 stars—belonged to the empire.
6. All the heroes were trained within the Phoenix Empire, receiving education and resources beyond anything the kingdoms could offer in preparation for facing the Demon King.
Naturally, the kingdoms were powerless to resist. Showing hostility toward the Phoenix Empire would result in their complete annihilation and assimilation into the empire.
Of course, the Phoenix Empire wasn't the only force to be reckoned with. There were other powers that could stand against it: the Land of Elves, the Dwarves, the Dragons, and the Temple of the Sovereign. But do you think the Phoenix Empire would stop at this point, without trying to dominate the entire continent?
The truth is, those four powers once halted the Phoenix Empire's ambitions five hundred years ago—during the fall of the 71st Demon King—when the continent was left exhausted by a long war. The Phoenix Empire had reached its peak thanks to its heroes and, most importantly, the "Sacred Phoenix Spirit," which had formed a contract with the emperor, who was himself a hero with a dream to unify the continent.
He launched a surprise invasion in a war known as the "War of the Phoenix's Rise." The empire expanded greatly, and was on the verge of complete domination. But no one expected that the four powers would unite to stop him. The Phoenix Empire was forced to retreat.
Since then, a pact was made, forbidding the five powers from engaging in wars unless under special circumstances and with mutual approval.
You might wonder why the Phoenix Empire, which was so close to ruling the continent, didn't press on. The answer: half of its heroes perished fighting those four powers, and the greatest loss was the death of the "Sacred Phoenix Spirit"—the foundation of the empire. It had been contracted for generations and was the Queen of the Spirit World.
But Zane knew the truth: after five hundred years, the "Phoenix Spirit" had been reborn and contracted once more—this time by a successor and hero. The Phoenix Empire had been preparing for this day for centuries, ready to wage a new war of unification. But unfortunately, the "Abyss" emerged, and the world fell into it and perished.
If anyone saw or even heard of these powers, they wouldn't dare lift their heads.
But Zane… was not like anyone else. He didn't see these powers as threats… but as temporary obstacles. How could he fear them when he was certain of one thing: nothing stands before absolute power.
He had once dominated entire eras, toppled kingdoms, and reshaped the laws of the world with his strength and intellect. The past bore witness to his might, the present had forgotten him… but the future? It would be forged by his own hands.
And in a world descending into the abyss, there would be no place for the weak—only for those who could ignite a new rise from the ashes.
Zane… was not born to follow. He was born to rule.
---
On an evening when the entire house was lit, Zain's uncle and aunt were hosting a farewell party for him, for tomorrow he would embark on his journey. Everyone was gathered for dinner.
"Zain, why don't you wait until your brother or sister is born? There's not much time left," his aunt's voice held a trace of sorrow. She didn't want him to leave, fearing something might happen to him. She had tried everything during the past month to convince him to stay.
"Aunty, I've prepared everything. I don't want to delay the journey any longer," Zain replied, feeling helpless. His aunt had been begging him for weeks to postpone his departure. In truth, he had been ready since the first week after forging the Eclipse Wolf sword, but her constant pleading made him postpone it.
"Aziza, that's enough. Zain can't stay here. Or do you want him to bury his talent in this small village?" his uncle's voice was heavy as he tried to comfort his wife. Though she didn't want Zain to leave, she knew a man must move forward.
She wanted to argue again but chose silence instead. Her gaze at Zain was full of sorrow, but also maternal warmth and support, mirrored in his uncle's eyes too.
Zain smiled slightly and pulled out a box.
"Uncle, Aunt, this is a gift for you—and for my little brother and sister," he said, opening the box to reveal four necklaces adorned with stones.
His uncle and aunt were delighted, admiring the beauty of the necklaces.
"Zain, these look expensive. You should sell them and use the money for your journey," his aunt tried to decline, though her eyes lingered longingly on the jewelry. She did have a soft spot for precious things.
"Zain, wait a minute, why did you say brother and sister?" his uncle asked.
"That's easy. I can feel the life force inside my aunt. She's carrying twins—a boy and a girl." Everyone was stunned, then overjoyed. Twins! But how did Zain know that? Everyone knew he was only a one-star knight, and they were truly shocked.
"As for these necklaces, they're not that precious in my eyes. I believe it's better if you have them. They each contain enchantments that activate in times of danger." Once again, the family was struck with astonishment.
"Wouldn't it be better if you took them instead?" his uncle asked, trying to push the box back, but Zain gently refused.
"I'd feel better if you were the ones wearing them. I have one as well," he said, pulling out his own necklace from beneath his shirt to prove it.
His uncle and aunt finally stopped insisting.
As for where he got the necklaces—they were handmade. Zain was a master alchemist. He had inscribed several rune enchantments onto them. The necklaces contained four spells: one to absorb magical energy from the world, one to repel attacks, another to transfer energy to the wearer to heal hidden wounds and enhance longevity and strength, and one for location tracking. Their durability was tailored for an eight-star knight or eight-ring mage. This gave Zain peace of mind as he prepared to leave.
After dinner, everyone went to rest. Once he was sure they were asleep, Zain changed into his special outfit: a long black shirt inscribed with countless rune letters—light and tough, made of steel—matching black trousers, boots engraved with runes that granted swiftness and lightness, and a simple armor consisting of chest and knee guards, also rune-inscribed. He donned a red cloak adorned with black monster fur, and strapped his sword to his belt.
He glanced at his tidy room, took out a golden box—transmuted from a piece of iron using alchemy—and placed beside it a book and a letter, leaving them on the table. Then, he leapt from the window and sped away, carrying Fenrir.
As he ran, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to say goodbye... but it would have been too hard."
Back at the house, after Zain's departure, the door to his room opened. His uncle and aunt stepped in. She was crying, and he tried to comfort her, though he too couldn't hold back his tears.
"He left without saying goodbye," she wept.
"A bird must eventually fly from the nest," his uncle said, his voice heavy with sadness.
That night, a beast stepped into the world. A dragon spread its wings to engulf the continent. Is this world ready to accept a being that threatens its balance? Will they be able to stop him? Or more precisely... can they even stand in his path?
O world, you now bear witness to the dawn of a new era. Is your land strong enough to carry this being? Is your sky high enough to contain his rise?
Only time will tell.
Thus began the true story, titled: Journey to the West.