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Save My Little Brother
The cool afternoon breeze swept through the palace’s private courtyard, scattering several golden maple leaves across the stone tiles. Diyah was focusing the entirety of her concentration, swinging a wooden spear with movements that were fluid yet unequivocally lethal. A thin layer of sweat adorned her temples. She was cultivating so intently that she remained completely oblivious to the presence of Ken, who had been leaning against a stone pillar for quite some time, silently admiring the breathtaking elegance of her martial dance.
”Ahem… May I offer myself as your sparring partner?” Ken spoke up, shattering the tranquility. His voice was tranquil, yet it instantaneously halted the momentum of Diyah’s spear.
Diyah flinched in surprise. The moment she recognized the intruder, a radiant smile immediately blossomed across her beautiful visage. “Hah! Brother Ken? How did you manage to find me here?” she asked, lowering her spear and stepping closer.
”Well… I was merely taking a stroll around the palace, and happened to see you training here,” Ken answered, attempting to formulate an excuse that sounded casual.
Diyah narrowed her eyes, flashing a deeply meaningful smile. “Umm, Brother Ken… this garden is my exclusive, private pavilion. This sector is heavily guarded, and absolutely no male servants or guards are permitted to enter, save for my personal handmaidens,” Diyah exposed him, acutely aware that Ken was lying to conceal his infiltration methods.
Hah! Is that true? Heavens, no wonder the perimeter security was so tight. It turns out this is a forbidden zone for men! Ken’s inner voice groaned, just realizing his blunder. “A-ah… is that so? Then, am I violating the laws and trespassing by being here?” Ken asked, slightly awkwardly.
Diyah let out a soft laugh. “Since Brother Ken is already here… well, I shall consider it a special exception just for you,” she offered with a teasing tone. “Eh, but Brother Ken has yet to answer my actual question. Please be honest, how did you manage to uncover my hiding place?” she pressed, refusing to concede.
Ken let out a resigned sigh, finally surrendering. “Very well, I confess. I possess the ability of Spiritual Perception, which allows me to scan and pinpoint a person’s exact coordinates within a one-kilometer radius from where I stand,” Ken explained, unveiling one of his sensory capabilities.
”Wah! Truly? No wonder,” Diyah murmured in awe. She then spread her arms, showcasing the courtyard. “Aside from cultivating in the main arena, this is my absolute favorite sanctuary to meditate and practice my martial arts. And that building over there is my bedchamber. In the past… this was my private residence with my late Father and Mother. What do you think of it, Brother Ken?” Diyah explained, her voice softening as she recalled the phantoms of her past.
Ken’s piercing eyes swept the meticulously arranged garden, adorned with eternal ice blossoms. “This is an exceptionally breathtaking sanctuary. The spiritual energy here flows tranquilly; the atmosphere feels profoundly pacifying,” Ken commented truthfully.
”Yes, indeed. That is why I love spending my time here. Besides the tranquility, I despise being scrutinized by too many eyes while I am cultivating,” Diyah explained with a light chuckle. “Oh, right! How was the meal I sent over this morning? Did Brother Ken finish it?”
”Absolutely. The plate was wiped spotlessly clean. Thank you immensely, the cuisine was unbelievably delectable,” Ken answered with a genuine smile.
”This morning, I actually waited outside your door for quite some time. However, Brother Ken never emerged. Because I had a scheduled formation practice with the team for the impending tournament, I was forced to leave first,” Diyah explained, slightly pouting her lower lip, projecting an adorably endearing annoyance.
”A-ah, heavens… truly? Forgive me, I was deep in the process of absorbing energy and remained completely oblivious to the outside world,” Ken replied, feeling a twinge of guilt.
”Hmmm, very well. I forgive you,” Diyah responded, her sweet smile blooming once more.
”Oh, right! I have something for you.” Ken rotated the Star Ring upon his finger. A flash of silver luminescence pulsed, and a spear with a shaft as black as obsidian, its bladed tip radiating a glacial aura, materialized in Ken’s grasp. “Princess, please accept this.”
Diyah’s eyes widened to their limits. Her hands slowly reached out, as if terrified the magnificent artifact was merely an illusion. “Hah! I-is this… for me?” she breathed, her voice catching in her throat. The moment her fingers grazed the spear’s hilt, she could palpably feel the current of pure energy. “This… Isn’t this a Level 1 Star Weapon, Brother Ken?” she asked, verifying the invaluable treasure resting in her hands.
”Precisely. That is an Ice-element Level 1 Star Weapon. From my observations, the characteristics of this armament will resonate flawlessly with the spear techniques you cultivate,” Ken explained. “However, before you swing it, you must forge a Soul-Binding Seal so the weapon’s spirit recognizes you as its sole, absolute master.”
Diyah, who had been too mesmerized examining the runic engravings upon the spear’s blade, suddenly snapped back to reality. “Umm… Brother Ken, truthfully… I have never been taught how to forge a Soul-Binding Seal upon a weapon,” she confessed, accompanied by a crisp laugh, cursing her own shortcomings.
Ken smiled understandingly. “Very well, I shall guide you through the process.” He instructed Diyah to sit cross-legged upon the grass and place the heirloom spear directly across her lap. “Close your eyes. Focus your spiritual essence to the tips of your fingers.”
Beneath the guidance of Ken’s energy, Diyah chanted a spiritual incantation and allowed a drop of her blood to fall upon the spear’s blade. Instantaneously, a silver radiance detonated softly, enveloping Diyah’s mortal shell and the spear within a singular, unified bond of souls. The moment the assimilation process concluded, Diyah could feel a torrential surge of pure energy roaring through her meridians.
”Brother Ken… this is incredible. I feel as though my mental energy and physical prowess have spiked drastically!” Diyah exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she stared at her own hands.
”That is an absolutely natural reaction,” Ken elucidated, resembling a grandmaster delivering a lecture. “Star Weapons are unlike inanimate objects; they are alive. Aside from granting auxiliary power to its wielder, the Soul-Binding Seal allows this weapon to adapt to its master’s capacity. In the future, when the Princess’s cultivation breaches higher realms, the absolute limits of this weapon will evolve in tandem to synchronize with you.”
”Hmmm… Then what is the fundamental disparity between Star Weapons and ordinary steel armaments, Brother Ken?” Diyah inquired, her thirst for profound knowledge thoroughly provoked.
”The disparity is akin to the gap between the heavens and the earth,” Ken answered, weaving his exposition. “Ordinary weapons are forged in blacksmiths’ furnaces from mundane worldly materials like iron ore, jade, or crystal. Their absolute zenith of quality is restricted to Level 3. Meanwhile, Star Weapons are forged utilizing high-tier alchemy—their core fuels consist of Star Monster Core Pearls, the bone marrow of ancient Star Monsters, and cosmic minerals. The forging process can consume years just so the armament can birth its own spirit. Much like mortal weapons, Star Weapons are also categorized into three primary tiers. However… what the common populace rarely comprehends is that above Level 3 exists a supreme classification of armaments known as Immortal-Tier Star Weapons.”
Wah! Aside from mastering medical arts and absolute sealing techniques, Brother Ken also possesses an encyclopedic comprehension of Star Weapons. I absolutely must absorb as much knowledge from him as possible, Diyah mused, her reverence for Ken taking even deeper roots.
”Hmmm… very well. Brother Ken, I truly do not know how to express my gratitude for this invaluable heirloom gift, as well as all the profound knowledge you have imparted,” Diyah expressed sincerely, her hands reaching out to grasp Ken’s tightly. “In return, tomorrow morning I swear I will cook an exponentially more luxurious and delectable feast specifically for you. How does that sound?” she offered with a smile capable of melting a glacier.
”Alright, deal accepted,” Ken chuckled. “In that case, stand up. I shall now accompany you in testing that new Star Weapon. Raise your spear, let us witness just how far you can push me.”
Ken then assumed the role of Diyah’s sparring partner. He patiently corrected her stances, fortified her foundational footing, and instructed her on the precise methods to channel Qi to the tip of her spear. Under Ken’s rigorous yet surgically precise tutelage, Diyah’s combat aura underwent a phenomenal metamorphosis.
However, amidst the exhilarating exchange of martial arts, their concentration was shattered by the frantic thud of approaching footsteps. A handmaiden sprinted into the courtyard, her visage deathly pale and her breaths ragged.
”Princess Diyah! A disaster, Princess! The entire royal family and the elders have urgently convened at the Little Prince’s pavilion!” the handmaiden cried out in sheer panic.
Hearing that devastating news, Diyah immediately lowered her spear. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs. “Hah?! What happened to my little brother?!” she demanded, her voice trembling.
”It is absolutely dire, Princess! The Royal Healers have just declared that they can no longer detect any signs of life within the Little Prince’s body!” the handmaiden reported in utter despair.
As if struck by heavenly tribulation lightning, Diyah staggered backward. Her visage was entirely drained of the colors of life. Hah! No… My little brother… Her inner voice screamed soundlessly. Her knees instantaneously gave out; her body swayed, nearly crashing against the freezing earth. Fortunately, with phantom-like speed, Ken was already behind her, catching the maiden’s shoulders firmly.
”Brother Ken… I beg of you… come with me,” she pleaded weakly to Ken, her emotional fortress crumbling as tears began to stain her veil.
”Calm yourself, I will take you there this very second,” Ken answered with absolute firmness. He channeled a sliver of pacifying energy into Diyah’s back to support her frail mortal shell.
During their frantic rush toward the prince’s pavilion, Diyah, still fighting through her sobs, explained the dire situation to Ken. “He is the youngest son of the King, the final heir to the throne… Since the day of his birth, he was condemned to suffer from a mysterious affliction that gnaws at his life force. We never ceased praying for his recovery, yet destiny seemingly continues to toy with him. To me… I have always considered that little prince as my own biological brother.”
Upon arriving at the Little Prince’s bedchambers, the air was heavily saturated with the sounds of weeping and a suffocating aura of despair. The entire core echelon of the royal family had gathered around the silk-draped bed, including the King, who appeared to have aged a decade in mere moments.
As if utterly rejecting reality, the King violently grabbed the collar of the Grand Healer’s robes. “Grand Healer! Examine him one more time! I command you to examine him again!” the King bellowed, his voice hoarse as he fought back the crimson tide of tears pooling in his eyes.
The Grand Healer lowered his head deeply, his visage painted with unsalvageable guilt. “A thousand apologies, Your Majesty. The three of us have channeled diagnostic energy into his meridians repeatedly… His pulse has been severed. The Little Prince’s life can no longer be salvaged,” he answered with a heart-wrenching tone of absolute despair.
From the threshold of the door, Ken activated his Divine Eyes. He scanned the energy fluctuations within the chamber, tracing them straight to the tiny mortal shell lying rigidly upon the bed. His eyes narrowed sharply upon discovering a microscopic anomaly. Ken stepped forward, parting the crowd with unwavering strides.
”Step aside. That child is not dead!” Ken decreed absolutely, his heavy voice slicing through the weeping of the entire chamber.
Instantaneously, every single pair of eyes snapped toward Ken. Profound shock painted the visage of every noble present.
”Brother Ken!” Diyah gasped, staring at Ken with a rekindled sliver of desperate hope. Ken replied with a subtle, reassuring nod.
The Grand Healer, feeling his supreme authority being trampled into the dirt, immediately flared with indignation. “Who are you, Young Man?! How dare you question the medical verdict of three Grand Healers of the Ice Kingdom?!”
”I did not come here to debate medical theories with a frog in a well like you, Old Man,” Ken retorted without an ounce of mercy, his gaze as piercing as a drawn blade. “I speak the absolute truth. The Little Prince is not dead.”
”You—Such insolence!”
”Silence!” the King barked, severing the Grand Healer’s argument. He stared at Ken with a gaze demanding absolute certainty. “Young Man… are you absolutely certain of your words?”
”Naturally, I am certain,” Ken answered flatly. “His heartbeat and the embers of his soul still exist, although their frequencies are so phenomenally weak they are obstructed by his sealed meridians. However… if he does not receive supernatural intervention in less than an hour, the flames of his life will be permanently extinguished for all eternity.”
”If you possess the capability… then I beg of you, please save my son’s life!” the King pleaded with a humbled tone, swallowing the entirety of his imperial pride.
Ken flashed a cynical smirk brimming with abyssal disappointment. “Hahaha… Are you completely oblivious, Your Majesty? How many screaming cries for ‘help’ from your own people have you ignored during your reign? Why must I extend my hand to deliver your flesh and blood now?” Ken hissed, ruthlessly stabbing at the King’s political hypocrisy directly in front of the royal echelon.
The King was paralyzed into silence, brutally slapped by the bitter truth delivered by the mysterious youth. Every general and noble within the chamber froze, never imagining that a mortal being possessed the colossal audacity to reprimand the Ice King within his own palace.
Sensing the situation teetering on a critical precipice, Diyah pushed her way to the front. She tightly grasped both of Ken’s hands with trembling fingers. “Brother Ken… I beg of you. Please, forget the sins of this palace for a moment… I beg you, save our little brother,” she sobbed piteously, gently pulling Ken toward the edge of the Little Prince’s bed.
Feeling the desperate tremors from Diyah’s hands, Ken’s fortress of ice finally melted. “Very well, I shall save him. But in exchange, the Princess must cease her weeping this very second,” Ken spoke softly, wiping away a teardrop from the corner of Diyah’s eye.
Ken then pivoted his body. His piercing gaze swept across the visages of Elisha, the Queen Mother, and Princess Julia sequentially. “You all as well. I demand that you hold back those tears. Your weeping and sobbing will only disrupt the frequency of my energy concentration. I am dead serious about this warning,” he asserted, though a faint, pacifying smile was etched upon his lips.
Hearing the absolute edict, the royal women synchronously scrubbed their tears away roughly, biting their lips fiercely to stifle their sobs for the sake of a flawless healing process.
”Very well, Little Prince. I shall drag you back from the gates of hell. Hold on just a little longer,” Ken murmured. He commenced his arcane healing ritual.
Ken hovered his left hand exactly one span above the prince’s chest. In the void between his palm and the child’s skin, an ancient, golden-hued runic sealing incantation began to manifest and rotate. Simultaneously, his right hand condensed an unimaginably pure spiritual energy.
Before I pump the life essence inside, I must track down the exact parasite that has been siphoning his energy at such a rapid pace… This toddler’s mortal shell is far too fragile; I must channel my Qi as delicately as possible lest I shatter his meridians… Ken sharpened his absolute focus. Beads of sweat began to materialize upon his forehead.
After scanning the body for several excruciating minutes, his Divine Eyes successfully pinpointed a clump of putrid energy lurking at the base of the prince’s heart.
Found it. So, all this time, someone has been deliberately and methodically implanting a cursed poison into this child’s body! Bastards! Very well, I shall extract it first. Ken’s right hand moved with blinding speed, drawing an extraction seal directly above the prince’s chest. Slowly but surely, threads of a dense, putrid-smelling black miasma were supernaturally pulled out, breaching the little prince’s pallid skin. Utilizing a spatial compression technique, Ken instantaneously sealed the toxic miasma, forcibly trapping it within an empty glass vial.
A pure Qi healing technique like this… Even within the kingdom’s ancient scrolls, I have never witnessed such an art. Does this youth truly command god-tier medical techniques?! the King mused inwardly, his eyes unblinking as he monitored Ken’s every surgical movement.
After verifying that not a microscopic speck of poison remained, Ken transitioned to the subsequent phase. Excellent, the poison has been purged. But the entirety of your meridian network and blood cells have been nearly pulverized to dust, Prince. You are truly a resilient warrior to have endured this torture since birth… Now, I shall patch the cellular devastation before flooding you with newfound energy.
Ken’s right hand began weaving another formation atop his initial seal. He withdrew a small crystal vial containing the heavenly essence of life from his Star Ring, then dripped the silver liquid directly onto the rotating seal. Utilizing his Divine Eyes, Ken meticulously guided every single molecule of the healing essence to flow through the prince’s blood vessels, mending every torn cell and reconstructing the shattered meridians.
Your organ foundations have been flawlessly patched. The time has come to reignite the engine of your life, Little Prince. Ken retrieved a second vial—a high-tier Recovery Essence. Will a single drop suffice for a mortal shell this tiny? Ken tilted the vial with astronomical caution. A single golden drop fell, fusing with the seal. He waited. Silence. Not a single response from the prince’s body. Huft, very well. I shall add one more drop. The second drop fell. Still no significant reaction. Ken’s heart hammered faster. Does he require a third drop? But if the dosage of this spiritual energy exceeds his limits, this toddler’s mortal heart could detonate instantaneously! Come on… I beg of you, react…
Just as Ken was on the precipice of risking a third drop, the little prince’s tiny fingers twitched. The small chest slowly rose, drawing its very first stabilized breath. The crimson hue of life began to crawl back into his pallid cheeks.
Thank the heavens… I nearly committed a fatal blunder, Ken exhaled an unimaginably long breath of absolute relief, slowly retracting both of his hands.
Witnessing the prince’s chest rising and falling rhythmically once more, the entire chamber nearly erupted in thunderous cheers.
”Mother! Look! Little Brother is breathing again! Did Brother Ken’s magic work?!” Elisha whispered hysterically, brutally tugging at the Queen Mother’s silk gown.
The Queen immediately pressed her index finger to her lips, flashing a smile flooded with tears of pure joy. “Shh… Calm yourself, darling! Do not make a sound yet, let Brother Ken finalize his concentration,” the Queen Mother whispered with a profoundly grateful, trembling voice. Elisha nodded obediently, her eyes sparkling like stars.
After thirty grueling minutes of heart-stopping tension, Ken finally took a step back, wiping the sweat from his brow.
”It is done. The absolute worst of his critical phase has passed. The Little Prince’s anatomical condition is now phenomenally superior to his original state. I have purged and regenerated the vast majority of his bodily cells that had been systematically devastated from within,” Ken explained, announcing the verdict. He then reached into his robes, presenting eight small vials of liquid essence to the Queen Mother. “Starting today, never feed him any food, water, or medicine aside from what is vetted by my personal healer. For the time being, provide him sustenance solely using the liquid from these vials, Queen Mother.”
The Queen Mother accepted the vials as if she were receiving the very soul of her son. “Thank you, Child… May the heavens bless you,” the Queen sobbed, her tears of gratitude no longer dammed.
”On behalf of all my people, the Ice Kingdom truly owes you an unpayable life debt, Young Man,” the King declared, his voice overflowing with profound reverence.
However, Ken did not reciprocate with a smile of triumph. His expression actually tensed. “Do not celebrate too hastily or extend your gratitude to me just yet, Your Majesty,” Ken cut in flatly, dumping freezing water over their euphoria. “My medical intervention just now has not achieved absolute perfection. Currently, my treatment is only capable of extending the Little Prince’s breaths for exactly fourteen days. That is the absolute zenith of what I can accomplish with the materials I possess at this moment.”
The entire chamber froze over once more upon hearing the decree.
Just as I suspected! I would wager my own head that it is an absolute impossibility for any mortal to instantly cure that lethal affliction. It turns out this brat merely delayed his demise by a fortnight. Hahaha! the Grand Healer mused inwardly, secretly flashing a treacherous, profoundly satisfied smirk.
The King slumped dejectedly, his broad shoulders sagging. “Then… is there truly absolutely no other path to uproot this affliction entirely, Young Man?” he asked in utter despair.
”The probability of absolute, total recovery hovers at a mere ten percent,” Ken answered bluntly. “That process demands mythic-tier alchemical ingredients whose rarity makes them nearly impossible to unearth upon this continent’s soil. And we are racing against an exceedingly narrow window of time,” Ken elaborated. Without wasting another breath, he turned on his heel and strode toward the exit.
The atmosphere, which had briefly basked in the radiant light of hope, was once again eclipsed by storm clouds of despair.
”Big Brother!”
Elisha’s shrill voice shattered the silence. The little girl sprinted forward, tightly grasping the hem of Ken’s robes before he could cross the threshold.
Ken’s footsteps halted. He turned around, gazing down at the little girl staring up at him with desperate hope. “What is it, Little Princess?” Ken asked, his tone softening immensely.
”Big Brother! Is the promise of this magic still valid?!” Elisha opened her tiny palm, displaying the three magical crystals Ken had bestowed upon her in the forest. “Didn’t you swear that you would grant whatever I requested as long as I traded it with these crystals?!” Elisha demanded to confirm.
”Yes… Naturally, my oaths are absolute. Do you intend to invoke them now?” Ken asked, flashing a faint smile.
”Yes! I want to use them this very second!” Elisha answered without a shred of hesitation.
Ken slowly crouched down, matching Elisha’s height. “Very well. Tell me, what miracle do you desire of me?”
”I wish to exchange these three precious crystals to redeem exactly two wishes, Big Brother! Please… please cure my Royal Father and my Little Brother’s illnesses until they are absolutely clean!” Elisha pleaded, her doe-like eyes welling up with tears of pure desperation.
Ken was momentarily stunned. He had absolutely not predicted this outcome. “But… I bestowed these upon you so that in the future, you could utilize them as an absolute aegis to protect your own life, Little Princess,” Ken spoke softly, stroking the crown of Elisha’s head, his emotions swirling in a complex tempest.
”It doesn’t matter, Big Brother! To Elisha, this is the absolute most important thing in the world,” she stated, convincing Ken with a voice that began to crack. “I-I… I just want to be able to play and run around with my little brother one day… I want to take him for walks outside the palace riding on Kirin…” The little girl’s emotional fortress finally collapsed. Elisha burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably as she unleashed the entirety of her sorrow.
Witnessing such pure, unadulterated innocence and love, Ken felt as though thousands of needles had pierced his heart. He pulled Elisha into a tight embrace. “Come here…” Ken whispered, holding the little girl fiercely, rubbing her back to pacify her trembling frame.
The heart-wrenching spectacle of the little princess’s sacrifice compelled everyone in the chamber to shed silent tears of profound emotion.
Once Elisha’s sobbing gradually subsided within his embrace, Ken spoke with a voice that was hoarse yet brimming with absolute resolve. “Very well. As long as you promise to cease your crying this exact second, Big Brother will ensure both of your wishes manifest into absolute reality.”
Elisha hastily pulled away from the embrace, roughly scrubbing away her tears with the back of her hands. “T-truly, Big Brother?!” she asked to confirm.
”Yes, absolutely. But the pact is… you only need to pay with two crystals. Keep the third crystal for your own future,” Ken decreed, his tone leaving no room for argument.
”Very well then! I am so incredibly grateful the universe destined me to meet you, Big Brother. I am certain you are a god who can definitely cure Father and Little Brother. If you require any assistance at all during the healing process, just tell Elisha!” Elisha proclaimed, a radiant smile once again gracing her tear-stained visage.
”Naturally. Now, go to the bed and accompany your little brother while he rests,” Ken instructed as he slowly rose to his feet. He then shifted his intimidating gaze toward the King. “I shall depart to forage the ingredients necessary to cure the Little Prince. However, prior to my departure, there is one crucial procedure I must execute. As the epicenter of gravity and highly likely the ‘host source’ of the mysterious poison infecting the Little Prince… I must conduct a total examination of Your Majesty the King. And this must be conducted behind closed doors, without a single external ear eavesdropping on us.”
”Very well. Please, proceed with whatever is necessary,” the King answered in resignation, surrendering his fate.
Wasting no time, Ken snapped his fingers. An energy dome—a high-tier Isolation Domain—instantaneously manifested, trapping himself and the King in the corner of the chamber. The barrier not only nullified all soundwaves but also refracted all external vision, making it an absolute impossibility for anyone outside to eavesdrop or spy upon their interrogation and examination process.
Time felt as though it were crawling at an agonizing pace. After nearly the duration of one incense stick, the energy dome finally rippled and vanished, revealing Ken and the King exhaling heavily.
”…Remember our pact, Your Majesty. I am willing to bear this profoundly lethal risk purely for the sake of your daughter’s life,” Ken warned with a low baritone, a split second before the barrier faded entirely.
”I comprehend it fully, Young Man. And for that, my Kingdom places its absolute trust upon your shoulders,” the King replied with a dignified nod.
Ken pivoted to face the rest of the chamber. “Very well, the examination has concluded! I have successfully pinpointed the root of the affliction. I am confident I can uproot the diseases plaguing both the King and the Little Prince entirely. However, for the time being, the absolute priority is to sustain the Little Prince’s breaths.”
Thank the heavens… I am endlessly grateful to the cosmos for sending you here, Ken… Princess Julia thought, flashing a small, profoundly relieved smile.
”Everyone, I ask that you step back away from the bed. I shall weave a barrier formation to secure the Prince’s physical vessel,” Ken commanded, outstretching both of his arms.
Once everyone had provided sufficient clearance, Ken chanted a god-tier incantation, manifesting three layers of transparent sealing domes that hermetically encapsulated the Little Prince’s mortal shell.
Ken then approached the Queen Mother. “Queen Mother, please permit me to borrow your palm. I shall implant an Access Seal so that you, and you alone, may enter to accompany the Prince,” Ken spoke with an exceedingly gentle tone.
”Yes… Naturally, Child. Please,” the Queen Mother replied, extending her trembling hand.
After implanting a luminous, lotus-shaped seal onto the Queen Mother’s palm, Ken delivered his final directives. “From this moment onward, only the Queen Mother holds the absolute authority to breach this barrier. As for the vials of essence I provided earlier, administer them to the Little Prince religiously twice a day—one drop at dawn, and one at dusk. Considering I only possess eight vials remaining, that ration will only suffice to secure his life for exactly four days. Tomorrow at dawn, I shall depart for the lethal Western Monster Forest to hunt for the legendary raw ingredients and concoct the absolute antidote.”
”Esteemed Lord, to conserve such crucial time, why do you not simply transcribe the list of herbal ingredients onto a scroll for us? Allow the Kingdom to mobilize thousands of elite vanguards to hunt them down,” the Grand Healer interjected, desperately attempting to reclaim a position of vital importance.
Ken shot the old man a glare as frigid as a drawn blade. “As I stated, the remaining time is astronomically critical. I must personally verify the absolute purity and availability of those ingredients in the wild. Because this involves gambling the life of the Little Prince, I possess absolutely zero room to place my trust in just anyone—especially someone who even failed to diagnose a simple pulse,” Ken checkmated him flawlessly, instantly paralyzing the Grand Healer’s tongue.
This damned brat is far too meticulous! He even erected a triple-layered aegis dome that is impossible for me to penetrate just to isolate the prince… My grand plans could be utterly ruined! the Grand Healer screamed inwardly, grinding his teeth to suppress his boiling wrath.
”Child… may this desperate mother embrace you for a moment?” the Queen Mother requested abruptly, staring at Ken with eyes overflowing with profound emotion.
Hearing that request, Ken’s mortal shell stiffened instantly. He was entirely unaccustomed to affection. Out of pure reflex, his eyes darted toward Diyah, as if seeking authorization from the palace expert. Diyah, recognizing his predicament, merely offered a soft nod accompanied by a sweet smile.
”A-ah… P-please, Queen Mother,” Ken answered, excruciatingly awkwardly, allowing his body to be embraced.
The Queen Mother hugged Ken fiercely, pouring a mountain’s weight of burdens onto the youth’s shoulders. “I beg of you, do not push your limits too far and endanger your own life in that demonic forest, Child… Should destiny dictate otherwise and your endeavors fail… I, the King, and the entirety of the Ice Kingdom swear we shall never place the blame upon you. Thank you… thank you for gambling your own life to save the Little Prince,” the Queen Mother sobbed with the absolute sincerity of a true mother.
Ken remained petrified for several seconds. The pure warmth of a mother’s embrace… it had been over a decade since his battle-numbed body had experienced this sensation. The moment the Queen Mother slowly released her embrace, the corners of Ken’s lips curved into an exceptionally genuine smile. “Rest assured, Queen Mother. I never lose. I will absolutely return bearing a total cure for the Little Prince,” he promised with absolute finality.
”Brother Ken!” Diyah suddenly stepped forward, shattering the emotional moment. “May I, along with my two comrades, join you on your expedition into the forest? Perhaps we might alleviate your burden in foraging for those herbs. Furthermore, it is incredibly fortuitous that my two comrades have also hit the absolute bottleneck of their cultivation and are in desperate need of Star Monster Cores to condense their Sixth Star Seals,” Diyah requested hopefully.
”Well… to me, there is absolutely no detriment in adding traveling companions, provided His Majesty the King grants his official edict,” Ken stated firmly, redirecting the authority back to the father.
”Go forth with this youth, Diyah. Uria has previously briefed me regarding your cultivation bottleneck. Unfortunately, the palace elders have yet to formulate a solution to shatter the stagnation of your Star Seal. But remember, once you have concluded the business of hunting your monster cores, exert every ounce of your energy into assisting Lord Ken in gathering the medicinal herbs,” the King decreed, granting his absolute blessing.
”Thank you for your blessing, Royal Father,” Diyah replied, bowing with vibrant enthusiasm.
Hearing of the expedition, Princess Julia, who had remained silent the entire time, appeared deep in thought, meticulously weighing the risks. She then stepped toward Diyah. “Diyah, if it is not too burdensome… may I also join your team’s expedition into that lethal forest? I, too, feel a profound responsibility and wish to contribute,” Princess Julia interjected abruptly.
Hearing the proposition, Diyah did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned her head to look at Ken. Unexpectedly, both Princess Julia and the King followed suit, staring at the youth as if the absolute destiny of the expedition rested entirely in his palms.
Realizing all eyes were anchored upon him, Ken furrowed his brows in profound confusion. “Hah… why are all of you staring at me as if awaiting my royal edict?!” Ken protested, entirely unaccustomed to being the epicenter of palace decision-making.
”Hahaha… So, does Lord Commander permit Julia to join the vanguard as well, Brother Ken?” Diyah teased with a crisp laugh, thoroughly relishing Ken’s rare expression of utter bewilderment.
Ken sighed heavily. “Of course she may… as long as the King, who is her father, permits her to tag along,” Ken replied in resignation.
”Yes, you may go, Julia. Depart with them. I grant you my permission,” the King finalized.
”Very well, the pact is sealed,” Ken reasserted his absolute authority as the expedition leader. “Listen to me closely. Tomorrow morning, precisely at the crack of dawn at six o’clock, I will await your vanguard at the capital’s main gates. Remember… if a single one of you is late by even a single breath, I will not hesitate to leave you behind!” Ken threatened, his gaze brimming with a lethal seriousness.
”I must replenish my vitality now. Queen Mother, Your Majesty, I beg my leave,” Ken excused himself. He then turned on his heel and strode resolutely out of the mourning chamber, accompanied by the footsteps of Princess Diyah, who faithfully trailed by his side.