Emperor of Steel

A dark space that didn’t allow one to distinguish right, left, top, and bottom.

Luke was floating in a space that was very similar to purgatory. The space he had fallen to after he died in the hands of Rakan.

‘But this feels a lot warmer than that purgatory which I was in.’

It wasn’t just that; the pain and fear which was plaguing him for a while disappeared like a lie.

Luke looked at the darkness, which was everywhere, and became uneasy.

‘How long will this landscape last? It isn’t like 500 years had passed…’

Maybe he died again and went back to purgatory.

When the fear began to rise in him, a small light glowed around Luke.

Soon, it looked like a constellation of stars were occupying the dark night’s sky.

A man was standing at the center of the constellation.

The moment Luke’s eyes met with his, Luke’s body got pulled in.

As he got closer, he could make out the details of the man.

The man had a gold-embroidered robe and a pure gold staff. He seemed young, but the mysterious air around him said otherwise.

The man, who saw Luke, smiled.

“It has been a very long time since I got a visitor. How long has it been?”

“Who are you?”

The man replied to the question of Luke who was nervous, “Well, I guess you can call me the Watcher.”

“Watcher?”

“Yes, it is my job to always watch everything that is happening in the world.”

Luke was curious about his name—Watcher—but he couldn’t ask anything more.

It was because he felt like he couldn’t put himself at risk by acting cocky.

And with the mysterious air around the man, he was able to identify a lot about it.

Thinking carefully, Luke asked another question, “Do you know anything about the ruins that I touched?”

“Of course, I do. It was created long before you were born… to steal the power of Time that can’t be caught.”

‘The Power of Time?’

While Luke was startled, the Watcher continued to speak in a nostalgic mood,

“Humans and those who were similar to humans have always wanted to steal something like that. They stole fire from the sun’s chariot, the wisdom from good and evil, and the mystery of life from the giant’s spine. They’ve tried for tens and thousands of years and many more times, over and over.”

“…”

“And finally, they came to the dimension and tried to steal time.”

“What led them here?”

“Their pride. The mistakes and faults they did.”

At those words, Luke was able to guess.

The ruins of the dungeon of the Imperial Palace were created by the fairy wizards of the mighty Abaron Empire.

Obviously, they all tried to gain the power of time and the power of the spirits to restore their fallen world.

If they could turn back time, they could reverse what they did wrong.

“Huhuhu, would it be nice if I could think as innocent as you? I might have let them steal it a little.”

Luke was shocked with the Watcher’s words.

“You can read my thoughts?”

“Yes, I can see it. Didn’t I say that it was my job to see everything that is happening in the world? You are no exception.”

‘Surely, this one… Now, this being is…’

Luke, who was sure about the identity of the one in front of him, spoke in a polite tone, “Then, what made… Well, why did the Abaron Fairies try to turn back time?”

“To exterminate the humans.”

‘T-that!’

It was the humans who were constantly exploited as slaves by the fairies at the time of the Abaron Empire.

The humans, who gradually educated themselves and learned magic, revolted after the collapse of the Abaron Empire when it was hit by a catastrophic plague.

The fairy wizards thought that if they could turn back time, they could destroy all the humans and continue their lives.

Luke wasn’t aware, but the terrifying disease, Vers, was a disease created by the fairies for that purpose.

“Yes, what about you?”

“What about me? I just stumbled across this place while looking a way out of a dungeon in the Imperial Palace.”

“Yeah, sure you did. But, now that you heard my explanation, you must expect something in that mind of yours?”

“That… I do.”

When the Watcher asked, Luke nodded.

‘If I could turn back time, maybe I can go back 500 years ago and save Katarina…’

The past was something he couldn’t forget, and his desire to change it couldn’t be stopped.

However, such desires and regrets disappeared after seeing the gold ring on his hand.

If he went back to the past, his relationship with Reina would come to an end. Unlike the past, which he could remember, the present would disappear like it never happened.

“Everything has its cause and effect. And now, if there is something I want, I will have to pay a price for it.”

“Hm…”

“The price of returning to the past means erasing everything that is connected to the present, and those who are precious to me in the present, my regrets in my past life… I will give it up.”

Katarina’s thoughts hurt Luke.

However, it wasn’t just him who had experienced something sad or had suffered.

Millions of people that experienced injustice suffered a very similar pain.

Therefore, he didn’t want to reverse the logical world for his selfish desire.

“Will you give up? Won’t you regret it?”

“Of course, I will regret it. But I have decided to move ahead. I can’t go back now.”

Seeing Luke stick to his words, the Watcher smiled.

“Understood, you can do as you please. Since your choice is something different, I am going to help you so that you can move ahead to the future and not the past.”

“Thank you, Mr. Watcher.”

“Then, let’s send you back.”

Tap!

As the Watcher hit the floor with his staff, Luke suddenly disappeared.

Wooong!

At the same time Luke disappeared, another person appeared in the starry place.

She was a woman with an elf-like appearance with a voluptuous body and a warm smile.

She looked at the spot where Luke had disappeared; she spoke as if she knew him.

“It looks like he can’t remember. 500 years ago, he came here searching for it.”

“Not searching for it, it was the light that you give out that attracted him.”

In response to what the Watcher said, the woman looked at him.

It was because he wasn’t supposed to help people.

“What should I do then? Isn’t it pitiful to keep wandering the world of hopelessness and burn without appreciating death?” Said the woman.

“Even then, it isn’t right to break the rules.”

“Well, if you knew so well about the rules, why did you help?”

The Watcher just looked away, not being able to refute the woman’s words.

More than 500 years ago, Luke came to the same place as Saymon.

Under the guidance of the woman, who was regarded as the mother of everything.

That time, Luke spoke to the Watcher.

A chance to survive.

If he was given another chance, he would endure any kind of disgrace and contempt thrown at him.

The Watcher listened to Luke’s request, and he erased all of the memories that Luke had about the dimension.

“Because you are nasty. Out of all the bodies out there, you chose the one that belonged to his enemy’s descendant…”

“He was the one who said that he would face any shame and contempt. Shouldn’t he be able to handle that much?”

After the Watcher said that, someone else stepped into the place, breaking the world of light and dark.

“Oh, another guest.”

Upon turning her head, the wizard in a white robe appeared in the couple’s eyes.

She was in her late 20s and seemed to have a varied complex energy in addition to mana.

As she approached the couple, she bowed to them as if she knew the identity of the two.

“The poor daughter greeting her great parents.”

“Huhu, you seem to have come here with a strong resolve.”

The Watcher clicked his tongue.

If Luke got into the starry place while trying to find a way out, this one came to the place by digging through the records and ruins left by the Abaron wizards.

And she had a reason why she wanted to meet them.

“I believe you know why I came here.”

The Watcher, who knew everything that was happening around the world, knew the wizards’ situation.

“Please give me the power of time. I’ll pay any price.”

At the request of the wizard, the Watcher looked at her seriously.

“In return, you will lose all your power. Does that sound good? Will you be able to forget the existence of the world and wander here in the purgatory in its loneliness and darkness?”

“I came here already prepared for it. The world would be better like that than ruined.”

At the words of the wizard, the Watcher went silent.

He knew how serious the things were and how long it would take to cleanse the world and restore the ruined world.

He finally, decided to help her.

Even if they were going to break the rules, it was best for them to solve their own problems.

“Fine. I will give you the power of time.”

Tap tap!

The Watcher hit the floor twice with his staff.

Suddenly, a three-dimension magic circle began to form over the head of the wizard.

From the magic circle, she was able to sense an enormous power that could pulverize the continent.

As a middle-class wizard, her self confidence got crushed after feeling that power. The wizard grasped the guard around her neck.

‘Mother, father… empower me!’