Chapter 1

In the Far West exist objects desired by many, for they contain limitless power.

Soul Shards, as the westerners like to say, can grant mere villagers the strength to raise boulders and hurl them at their enemies.

But that was the level of strength that even an untrained beggar can gain by merging with the lowest-quality soul shard.

As for higher-quality soul shards, they granted humans the physical and magical power to content against beasts, monsters, and horrifying creatures, which have haunted them since the beginning of time.

With human greed in play, soul shards have been the main cause of many wars.

Every kingdom with one or two higher-quality soul shards appearing in its lands but not possessing enough strength to safeguard it or not having a citizen worthy enough to hold it has faced the same fate as its predecessors. They were targeted and annihilated by those eyeing the shards and eventually became a dim part of ancient history.

On the other hand, the kingdoms that survived the turbulent times that the appearance of a high-level soul shard brought to their land raised to become a major power in the world. Or even an Empire!

Such was the story of the Great Sun Empire.

A divine shard made its sudden appearance in its land.

The day it appeared, the sky turned red as if mirroring the river of blood, and the blue river passing through the Sun Kingdom and connecting to its four neighbors took the vibrant color of grainfield.

It brought along significant changes in the world to tell the five kings of the Far West where it was and what it was, all so that it could fan the fire of greed in their hearts and make them start the so-called cold war.

Bloodshed, that was what it wanted to cause.

Innocent or not, Knight or not, it wanted to see humans killing each other with cold steel and vibrant magic spells.

It wanted to dance to the cries of despair coming out of the tender mouths of young orphans and desperate mongrels, for they were like melodies to its soul.

It hoped to drown its soul in the intoxicating smell of blood and rust that would fill the air as the result of the bloody war.

It was a divine shard for sure, but one containing evil consciousness.

Three of the four kings overlooked not only the peace treaty they had with the Sun King but also the horror and damage of the past wars from which they were yet to recover and attacked the Sun kingdom with the hopes of stealing its land and the soul shard and enslaving its people to gain a large number of laborers.

Three birds with one stone.

What more could they possibly ask for?

Such a golden opportunity was not going to knock on their doorsteps twice. Thus, they attacked the Sun Kingdom after joining hands for the first time.

However, even with the combined forces of the three kingdoms, they failed to topple the Sun Kingdom.

On top of that, they had to become a part of the Sun Kingdom to appease the Sun King, who had merged with the divine shard for which they were fighting and gained unimaginable power.

Fearing utter destruction, they submitted to him reluctantly.

The only kingdom that didn’t attack when three others were invading it also willingly became a part of the Sun Kingdom under the enticement of the Sun king.

The day the five kingdoms became one, the Far West gained an Empire and an Emperor!