Eli was the cause of this pain.
This tightness crushing his chest.
But why?
Why was a being who had always taken pleasure in killing feeling something like this?
I killed them. I will never regret it. That is my nature.
Yet the strange ache remained.
No matter how many times he repeated those words inside his mind, the discomfort refused to disappear. It crawled through his body like invisible insects, gnawing at his thoughts without pause.
After sitting in silence for what felt like an eternity, the Nameless King finally rose from the bed.
The room suddenly felt suffocating.
I should go outside.
He walked toward the door and slowly turned the handle.
The moment he stepped outside, noise invaded his ears.
People walked through the streets wearing clothes of different shapes and colors. Some wore thick leather coats while others dressed in loose fabrics that danced with the wind. Their faces, voices, and hair varied endlessly.
Children ran between the wooden structures that filled the village.
Some buildings looked vibrant and well cared for, painted in warm colors that almost hurt his eyes. Others were old and worn down by time, their walls cracked and faded.
The Nameless King observed everything silently.
The discomfort and confusion on his face were impossible to hide.
He was not used to crowds.
He was not used to civilization.
For most of his life, the only things surrounding him had been corpses, blood, trees, and silence.
As he walked without direction, he eventually spotted a large wooden gate near the edge of the settlement.
Two guards stood there holding swords.
What caught his attention immediately were the blades.
Gray.
Not white.
The guards wore medium-sized armor without helmets. One of them was a handsome red-haired man with sharp eyes and a calm expression. The other was blond and broad-shouldered, with an ugly scar stretching across his face.
What material are those swords made of?
Without stopping, the Nameless King continued toward the gate.
The blond guard suddenly stepped forward, blocking his path.
"What are you planning to do outside?" the scarred guard asked.
The Nameless King stared at him silently.
"Answer me."
Almost instinctively, the Nameless King lowered his body into a fighting stance.
His hands rose near his head.
One foot moved forward while the other stayed behind.
The red-haired guard quietly observed the situation while lightly placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" the blond guard mocked.
The Nameless King remained silent.
Words.
Finding the correct words was strangely difficult.
The blond guard clicked his tongue impatiently.
After several uncomfortable seconds, the Nameless King finally spoke.
"I... just want to walk through the... the trees."
The two guards raised their eyebrows.
"Walk through the trees?" the red-haired guard asked. "Do you mean the forest?"
His voice was annoyingly pleasant.
Why does this red-haired bastard irritate me so much?
The two guards exchanged glances.
For a moment, neither seemed to know what to do with him.
Finally, the scarred guard sighed.
"And what exactly are you going to do there?"
"Walk."
The answer came immediately.
Simple.
Direct.
The red-haired guard suddenly smiled faintly.
"Then go ahead."
He stepped aside, allowing the Nameless King to pass.
Without another word, the colossus crossed the gate and walked toward the forest.
Toward the place where he had spent most of his life.
No crowds.
No voices constantly calling for him.
No suffocating walls.
Only trees.
Only wind.
Only silence.
As he walked deeper into the forest, the sound of rustling leaves filled the air. Birds sang somewhere above him while the cold breeze brushed against his skin.
And strangely...
It calmed him.
The pressure crushing his chest slowly weakened.
So this is... what I truly wanted.
A small smile escaped his lips.
For the first time since entering the village, his thoughts became quieter.
Not completely silent.
But quieter.
The Nameless King continued walking through the trail while the songs of the birds echoed through the forest like music.
Then—
A voice suddenly spoke.
"Hey! You know I'm angry at you, right?"
The Nameless King instantly stopped moving.
His eyes narrowed.
He looked around carefully.
Nothing.
No one was there.
He turned again.
Still nothing.
"Ah, right," the voice said. "I forgot you can't see me."
The Nameless King frowned deeply.
Am I hearing things?
"How rude! Comparing my magnificent voice to 'things.' Unlike you, I actually know what I am. I even have a name, idiot!"
The Nameless King clenched his teeth and resumed walking.
The voice continued shouting directly into his ears.
He ignored it.
Or at least tried to.
After several minutes, the voice finally became quiet.
The silence returned.
The Nameless King released a long breath.
Finally... peace.
The relief he felt at that moment surpassed even the pleasure of his countless victories. It was a strange warmth that no scream, no bloodshed, and no dying cry had ever managed to give him.
Then—
"Oh? So you start smiling the second I leave to use the bathroom? Kids these days really have no manners."
The Nameless King's eye twitched.
"What do you want?" he roared.
The voice remained silent for several seconds before finally answering.
"I simply want you to apologize to my precious daughter! Then give me grandchildren!"
The Nameless King tilted his head in confusion.
The voice sighed heavily.
"Oh right. I forgot you don't understand those words. Fine, fine, I'll explain."
After a long and painfully detailed explanation, the Nameless King finally understood.
"So... you want me to create grandchildren with your daughter?"
"Exactly!"
The voice sounded strangely proud.
"And since you're going to become my son-in-law, you need to become stronger."
The Nameless King's eyes slowly began to shine.
Without realizing it, his fist tightened.
"Therefore..." the voice continued dramatically, "I shall train you!"
Train me...? Why...?
Suddenly, the words of the King of Death echoed inside his mind.
"A flower must be pruned by a gardener."
The light inside the Nameless King's eyes intensified.
Then—
For the first time in his life...
He felt sadness.
Not rage.
Not bloodlust.
Not excitement.
Sadness.
A heavy feeling spread through his chest as if invisible chains were wrapping themselves around his heart.
"Don't look so depressed," the voice said casually. "Just because you killed me doesn't mean I hate you. Besides, you're becoming my son-in-law, so everything is wonderful!"
The Nameless King's body trembled slightly.
Remorse slowly crawled into his fragile heart.
A feeling he could neither understand nor reject.
Meanwhile, the unseen voice quietly observed him.
This is normal, the voice thought. A creature with the body of an adult... but the mind of a child.
Finally, the voice spoke again.
"Well then, I suppose introductions are necessary."
For the first time since the conversation began, the tone of the voice became calmer.
More serious.
"My name is Cobel... the former King of Giants."
The moment those words entered his ears, the Nameless King's eyes darkened.
Memories surfaced instantly.
Blood.
Battle.
Death.
The enormous body collapsing before him.
The Giant King...
Cobel remained silent for a moment as if observing the figure standing beneath the trees.
The nameless monster.
The child without an identity.
Perhaps I was merely the catalyst, Cobel thought quietly. A gear necessary for the awakening of this... child.
The wind blew through the forest once more.
Leaves danced across the ground.
Far away, birds continued singing peacefully, completely unaware of the existence standing among them.
"Say goodbye to ordinary battles," Cobel suddenly declared.
His tone carried an unusual weight now.
"The path you are about to walk... not even the gods themselves will be able to predict."
The Nameless King stood motionless.
Listening.
For reasons he could not understand, his chest felt strangely warm.
Excited.
Afraid.
Curious.
Emotions he had never truly experienced before swirled violently within him.
Then Cobel laughed loudly.
"So then..." he said.
"When do we start training?"