Chapter 2 — The Power Called Sovereign

The monster charged.

Its claws tore through the earth as it sprinted toward me.

I didn't move.

Not because I was brave.

Because my body hadn't figured out what the hell was happening.

"Move!"

My brain screamed at me.

My legs refused to listen.

The wolf opened its jaws.

Flames erupted from its throat.

I threw myself sideways.

BOOM!

The fireball struck the ground where I'd been standing.

Dirt and burning leaves exploded into the air.

I rolled across the ground and crashed into a tree.

"That..."

I coughed.

"...was fire."

The wolf turned toward me.

Its golden eyes locked onto mine.

I suddenly understood something.

This wasn't a game.

There was no reset button.

If that thing killed me, I was probably dead.

Again.

"Great."

I pushed myself up.

"I just got reincarnated and I'm already about to die."

The monster growled.

A red window appeared.

[F-RANK MONSTER: INFERNAL WOLF]

[LEVEL: 7]

[THREAT LEVEL: LOW]

I stared at the last line.

"Low?"

I pointed at the enormous wolf.

"That's your definition of low?"

The wolf disappeared.

My eyes widened.

"Where—"

Pain exploded across my chest.

I was thrown backward.

My back smashed against a tree.

I couldn't breathe.

The wolf stood over me.

Its claws rose.

I closed my eyes.

Not again.

I didn't want to die again.

Something inside me snapped.

The black mark on my palm burned.

The world became silent.

[SOVEREIGN ACTIVATED]

The wolf stopped.

Its claws hovered inches from my face.

I opened my eyes.

The creature was trembling.

Not me.

It was afraid.

"What...?"

I slowly raised my hand.

The black mark spread across my palm like ink flowing through water.

A pressure filled the forest.

The wolf lowered its head.

Its legs began shaking.

I could feel something.

A connection.

Not words.

Not thoughts.

An instinct.

The monster understood something that I didn't.

It had encountered something above itself.

Something it could not fight.

I whispered one word.

"Kneel."

The wolf's body slammed into the ground.

BOOM!

Its legs buckled.

Its head pressed against the dirt.

I stared.

"No way."

I hadn't commanded it with magic.

I hadn't touched it.

I had simply...

ordered it.

The system appeared.

[SOVEREIGN]

[Target: Infernal Wolf]

[Authority difference detected.]

[Target has submitted.]

[Dominance established.]

I looked at the monster.

"Can you understand me?"

The wolf slowly lifted its head.

It nodded.

My mouth fell open.

"You're kidding."

I crouched.

"What's your name?"

The wolf tilted its head.

A new window appeared.

[Target possesses no assigned name.]

"Then..."

I thought for a moment.

"How about Nero?"

The wolf stared at me.

Then it lowered its head.

[Name accepted.]

[Infernal Wolf has become: Nero.]

I blinked.

"Wait."

The system changed again.

[Sovereign has gained experience.]

[Authority Level: 1]

[New function unlocked.]

[COMMAND]

I smiled.

"So that's how it works."

I looked at Nero.

"Stand."

The wolf stood.

"Sit."

It sat.

"Turn around."

It turned.

I couldn't help laughing.

"Okay, this is awesome."

Then—

A voice came from behind me.

"That's enough."

I froze.

Someone was standing in the forest.

A girl.

She looked around my age.

Silver hair.

Dark cloak.

A sword hanging from her waist.

And pointed ears.

I stared at her.

She stared at me.

Then she looked at Nero.

Her expression changed completely.

"How..."

She slowly drew her sword.

"How is a human controlling an Infernal Wolf?"

I raised my hands.

"Honestly? I have absolutely no idea."

She didn't lower her sword.

"You're lying."

"I'm really not."

She stepped closer.

A blue window appeared in front of me.

[TARGET IDENTIFIED]

[NAME: UNKNOWN]

[RACE: HIGH ELF]

[LEVEL: 31]

[CLASS: MAGIC SWORDSMAN]

[THREAT LEVEL: A-RANK]

My stomach dropped.

Level 31.

A-rank.

I looked at Nero.

Then at the girl.

Then back at Nero.

"...Maybe we can all just calm down?"

The elf's eyes narrowed.

"You don't understand."

She pointed her sword toward me.

"If the kingdom discovers that a human possesses an Authority..."

She paused.

Her expression became fearful.

"...they will kill you."

I stopped smiling.

"Why?"

She looked at the black mark on my palm.

"Because that mark belonged to the last person who almost destroyed this world."

The forest went silent.

I stared at my hand.

The mark pulsed.

Once.

Twice.

Then a message appeared.

[RESTRICTED MEMORY FRAGMENT DETECTED.]

[THE PREVIOUS SOVEREIGN HAS BEEN LOCATED.]

I looked at the elf.

"Who was the previous Sovereign?"

She lowered her sword.

For the first time, she looked genuinely terrified.

"The Demon King."

My blood ran cold.

The system appeared one final time.

[MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED]

Find out why you were reincarnated.

Reward: Unknown

Failure: World Collapse

I stared at the message.

Then I laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because somehow...

I'd only been in this world for less than an hour.

And I was already being told that the fate of the entire world depended on me.

I looked toward the distant mountains.

"Fine."

I clenched my fist.

"If this world wants me dead..."

I smiled.

"...it's going to have to try harder."

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