Chapter 1 The Shadow Ruler

"My Lord!" "My Lord!" "My Lord!" The wind howled, clouds scattered—the conqueror had come home! At the top of Wolfspire Peak, the first rays of dawn broke through, casting a purple glow from the east. Three thousand battle-hardened soldiers knelt on one knee, gazing up at the summit, their shouts echoing to the heavens! At the top of the mountain, Eric stood in his battle armor, facing east with his hands behind his back, like a king who owned the world. "The five years are up! "I've been on edge every day, never forgetting your last wish. I wiped out the barbarians, crushed the Gorvans' massive cavalry, and brought peace to the northwest. "Now, it's time for me to go home." Then, Eric pulled the jade pendant from around his neck, clutching the Azuron amulet tightly in his hand. He bowed deeply, hitting his head three times against his mentor's tombstone. It was the tomb of Eric's mentor, the Senan Sage. Five years ago, Eric fell victim to a vicious betrayal. It all went down the night before Goodwell Corporation was about to go public. Eric was blackout drunk, and someone had thrown him off a cliff. He thought he'd die a clueless ghost, but fate wasn't done with him yet. Eric didn't die. Instead, he landed right on top of the Senan Sage's remains, and his blood triggered the Gilded Tome, healing him completely. When he opened the scroll, the first line said: "Follow my path. Eradicate the foreign invaders, and establish an everlasting legacy for Skaonia, with the sun and moon as witnesses, and heaven and earth as proof! "The Nine Dragon amulet is split into nine pieces. "My successor must find the eight remaining pieces. Each piece you recover will unlock one shackle. "When all eight shackles are broken, the great calamity can be overcome!" For the past five years, Eric had fought across countless miles on the most chaotic battlefields in the Northern Realm. He defended the country, earning the unmatched title of Six-Star Grand General—something no one before him had ever achieved. The whole country wanted to make him king, but when the Monarch came to see him, Eric was nowhere to be found. Eric! The Shadow Ruler! The only living legend of our time! ... Ciderbrook Train Station. As Eric stepped off the train and looked at the city in front of him—looking familiar yet unfamiliar—he couldn't help but feel a bit homesick. Even though he'd been away for five years, he took comfort in knowing he had a great wife, Monica Duncan, who had been taking care of his parents while he was gone. Just thinking about her made him smile with happiness. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. The call went through, but no one answered. Eric figured his wife was probably busy, so he sent her a text to share the news of his return. Then he headed to his parents' place, using the address he had found earlier. When he arrived at the rundown house, his brow furrowed in confusion. He couldn't understand why, with his wife and the company doing well, his parents were still living in such a shabby neighborhood. Just as Eric was trying to make sense of the situation, he suddenly heard a voice shouting angrily nearby. "Old beggar, coming to our store to beg again? "What bad luck! "You're ruining our store's fortune! "Get lost! "Don't think just because you're a fool, we won't smack you for taking the candy! "Let go, I told you to let go! "D*mn it! I swear I'll beat you to death today!" At the convenience store entrance, a woman kicked the elderly beggar hard. Blood streamed down her severely burned face, soaking the candies on the ground. Yet the old woman, as if numb to the pain, carefully picked up the bloodied candies and placed them into her cloth bag, murmuring, "These are for my son. He loves these ... " The scene was just gut-wrenchingly sad. "Son, my son!" "All you do is go on about your son! "Don't you get it? Your son's dead!" The woman stomped hard on the candies, smashing them. The old lady quickly dropped to the ground, trying to shield the remaining sweets. This made the woman even more annoyed. She pulled out a feather duster, looking fed up. "Still trying to protect them, huh?" "I'm gonna make sure you don't leave here in one piece today!" The woman swung the feather duster with all her might, aiming for the old lady's head. If it hit, it would probably give her a serious concussion. "Whack!" The duster dropped to the ground as Eric rushed in and grabbed the woman's wrist, stopping her from striking the elderly beggar. "What's your problem? "How can you be so cruel to an old lady? "How can you even do this?" Eric was fuming with anger. This woman was so heartless! The woman huffed and said, "So what? "This old lady keeps coming here to steal stuff. It's only fair I teach her a lesson. "If you're so righteous, why don't you pay back the money she stole? "You don't have money, but still acting all high and mighty!" Eric was furious, but when he reached into his pocket, he froze. After years of battle, he'd lost the habit of carrying cash. Even if he needed money, he had an unlimited black card on him that could handle any situation. But in this small convenience store, his black card was obviously no use. There was no other choice. Eric pulled out the Azuron amulet. "Here, take this amulet for now. I'll be back to get it later!" The old woman was ready to throw some snarky remarks at him, but when she saw the Azuron amulet in Eric's hand—its smooth, jade-like shine and amazing craftsmanship—her eyes went wide. She snatched it up and rushed back into the store, like she was scared he'd change his mind. Eric wasn't worried about her keeping it. The Azuron amulet was a powerful artifact, crafted from the essence of the world. After Eric had infused it with his vitality energy for five years, it had developed a kind of spirit. Wherever it was, he could always summon it back to him with just a thought. He helped the old woman to her feet, took her to a clinic for first aid and cleaning, and then asked, "Grandma, where do you live?" The old woman smiled vaguely and pointed to the rundown house nearby. "There! That's where I live! Boom! Eric felt like he'd been hit by a lightning bolt. His mind went completely blank. That's her home? But isn't that my house? "Grandma, are you sure you're not mistaken?" "Think about it again. If you want, I can take you to the police station to check." "I'm not mistaken." "My name is Evelyn Goodwell. I'm sixty-two years old. My husband is David Goodwell, and my son is Eric Goodwell. I live in Brookhaven ... " Eric's hand trembled as he held hers. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he choked out, "Mom!" Eric couldn't understand! Before his accident, his mother was perfectly fine. How had she changed so much in just five years? He tried to calm himself and helped his mother back home, planning to ask his father what had happened. Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and an old man with a cane stepped out. It was April, so it was pretty hot, but the old man was wearing thick winter clothes. His face looked haggard, his yellowed eyes were cloudy, and his cheeks were so thin you could see his cheekbones clearly. Bang! "Dad!" Eric dropped to his knees. "I've been an unfilial son, not coming home for five years and causing you both so much suffering!" He didn't go into any more details. Or maybe, there was just no way to explain it. Five years ago, he was thrown off a cliff and didn't die, then ended up finding the Senan Sage's Gilded Tome, setting him on a path to defy fate and change his destiny. David was stunned. He could hardly believe his eyes, just patting Eric's shoulders over and over, tears streaming down his face. "It's great you're back. It's great to have you back ... " Eric helped his father into the house and seated him. He then turned to see his mother, who was diligently rubbing the bloodstained candies on her clothes before carefully unwrapping them and placing them in front of a childhood doll. With a warm, loving smile, she said, "Eric, look at what I've brought you this time. Something good to eat! "These are all your favorites ... " Seeing this scene, Eric felt as if his heart was being twisted by a sharp blade, and he couldn't stop trembling. He wiped his eyes with a heavy hand and looked at his father, who looked completely puzzled. "Dad, where's Monica? "Hasn't she been taking care of you these past five years?"