Untitled Draft

"Is this the right place?"

While chaos reigned outside, in the very heart of the Wandenreich, a colossal castle rose atop the sky.

A burly man lurked nearby, observing intently with a serious look in his eyes.

Marine Admiral, Kong.

After everyone is forcibly pulled into the Wandenreich, their assigned positions are all randomized.

He was lucky; he was close to the core area.

The closer you get to the inner sphere of the Wandenreich, the fewer people there are. By the time you reach the castle, there's almost no one left.

What should we do? Should we go in now? Or...?

Without much hesitation, Kong made his decision immediately.

There must be danger inside, but it will take some time for the main force to arrive, so let him go in and investigate first.

Kong bounced back and forth, leaping into the castle.

He sensed something was wrong as soon as he came in.

Heavy! Too heavy!

It felt like walking on mud; every step required effort. The air was humid and sticky, almost liquefied, soaking my clothes.

He vigorously ruffled his mohawk and quickened his pace as he rushed up the steps.

The castle was very quiet; the stone floors were spotless, smooth and bright, as if someone was cleaning them.

The surroundings were shrouded in an oppressive gloom, with only the translucent glass high in the dome allowing a glimpse of the dark sky above, through which a few rays of filtered, bluish night light could be seen.

The pillars, clinging to the wall, were outlined in the background; they were so thick that several adults could be hidden inside.

The stone pillar has no carvings or patterns; it is smooth and rounded all over, as if it were formed from a single piece.

A row of windows is evenly spaced out, and a cool breeze blows in with a soft rustling sound, making the back of my neck feel chilly, like a ghost whispering in my ear.

Kong even slowed his breathing to a very slow pace, his palm sliding against the cold stone wall.

The corridor stretched on and on, its only feeling to him being one of tranquility and emptiness; there were no decorations and nothing worth glancing at.

Reaching the fork in the road, he paused, listened intently, and heard the sound of dripping water at the end of the left-hand passageway.

Tap, tap...

The water echoed three or four times as it struck the empty castle, while to the right, there was only deathly silence, so quiet that you could hear the beating of your own heart.

He tilted his head and chose the left side.

Just as I rounded the corner, the floor, barely illuminated by the moonlight, was completely swallowed up by the shadows once more.

It seemed to foreshadow the outcome of his choice.

As you walk further in, the air gradually fills with a mixture of rusty and fungal smells, and suddenly the space opens up before you, like a banquet hall with a ceiling nearly twenty meters high.

There were no tables, chairs, or benches, and no other items on display.

Kong's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes, and a solitary figure stood in the center of the hall.

The person had their back to him, a white cloak hanging down, long golden hair draped over their shoulders, and white boots on the floor.

Tick-tock~

He heard the sound of dripping water again, and beside the man's feet lay a pool of blood.

Where there is water, what is flowing down is clearly blood.

The air in the room suddenly tightened, and the curtains on both sides of the wall hummed and were blown up by the wind, revealing the colorful glass below.

In the vast hall, besides his breathing, there was also that extremely faint gasping sound, like that of a drowning person.

The other person turned around, their long, deep eyes staring at Kong with neither joy nor sorrow.

Kong heart stopped beating abruptly, its face showing shock and anger.

"Is it empty...?"

"Fleet Admiral Maxson?!"

It was a dying man, his head bleeding profusely, barely clinging to life, yet he could still manage to open his eyes.

Fleet Admiral, Maxson!

Maxson was already seriously injured, being held up in mid-air by the neck. His half-open eyes caught sight of Kong, and his voice swelled with even more strength.

"Kong... run fast!"

The Kong stood motionless, clenching its fists.

He didn't act rashly, but simply stared intently at the other man, the one who had beaten Maxson up like that.

Fleet Admiral Maxson had apparently entered the castle earlier than him, but something had happened that left him severely wounded and dying.

"Admiral Kong Steelbone, I've long admired you," the other party said.

"Who are you...? Perhaps I don't need to ask such a question." Kong's expression was solemn.

"Haschwalth, Sternritter."

"The commander?"

Kong took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to hold the air in his mouth.

The next moment! The ground exploded!

Kong vanished from his spot, his entire body enveloped in an extremely powerful aura, and he charged forward like an overwhelming tidal wave.

BOOM!!

The violent impact unleashed a powerful storm, shattering all the glass embedded in the surrounding walls, the scattered fragments making a clattering sound.

Haschwalth stood still, simply extending one hand to receive Kong's attack.

The Kong broke apart upon contact, and Maxson was snatched away.

Haschwalth let go, sending Maxson away. Kong held Maxson tightly, then turned his back to Haschwalth.

A flash of sword light struck the Kong back, shattering the Marine Admiral's cloak.

Haschwalth stroked his sword, the tip dangling a drop of blood.

"Null..."

"It's alright, Fleet Admiral Maxson."

Kong returned to the doorway, squatted down, and placed Maxson on the ground.

Suddenly, Maxson reached out and grabbed Kong's collar tightly, gasping, "Kong! You have to be careful... the other guy, that man! That guy's strength is..."

Maxson's hand fell heavily to the ground, and the last breath he had been holding on was released.

He looked down, his expression obscured by the shadows.

"Sneaking in directly would break the rules of the game. You should take one of the routes outside and defeat all the guards."

Haschwalth said calmly, "I've come this far step by step."

The Kong covered Maxson's eyes, then stood up, its eyes fixed on Haschwalth.

"A game? All I know is that countless people have been harmed by you! Trusted subordinates, and the most respected superiors, have all died because of you!"

"Only through destruction can new life be born."

"Fart!!"

Kong was instantly enraged and charged forward, engaging Haschwalth in battle.

The more he fought, the more terrified Kong became.

Whether it's swordsmanship or close combat skills, there's not a single flaw to be found; they're simply impeccable, and their combat abilities are flawless!

Even so, Kong was not at a disadvantage, which puzzled him greatly.

Although Maxson was older than him and his strength was not what it used to be, he shouldn't have been able to be defeated by this man without getting hurt.

Click click click click!

Suddenly, Kong seemed to be hallucinating; the sound of mechanical metal echoed in his ears.

He looked up and was immediately stunned.

Behind Haschwalth, a silver-white scale floated in the air. Suddenly, one end sank while the other end rose, causing the whole scale to tilt.

"Can you hear me?" Haschwalth asked calmly.

"The balance of this war has been broken, and you unfortunate people will ultimately face only one fate."

"Witness the birth of New World!"