Point of View: Tharok
"What exactly would I gain…?"
That was the real question.
From the very beginning.
Because I couldn't understand why someone like him insisted so much on making me his herald.
I looked down at my ruined body.
Dried blood covered parts of my skin. My muscles still burned from the backlash of Overload, and I could barely remain conscious. Raganorth's freezing cold pierced through my open wounds while snow continued to fall slowly into the crater.
I was broken.
Completely broken.
And yet…
He was still interested in me.
That could only mean one thing.
There was something he saw in me.
Something valuable.
Loki watched me silently for a few seconds before answering,
"In simple terms… you would gain power."
The freezing wind gently stirred his white hair.
"Though explaining it isn't easy. You know far too little about this world."
His voice was calm.
As if he were discussing something insignificant.
"But if you accept… you will obtain a power far beyond your imagination."
His black eyes locked onto mine.
"You would become an existence capable of inspiring fear and respect even among the strongest beings."
My breathing stopped for a moment.
Power…
The word echoed inside my head.
I looked at my body once more.
My current state was miserable.
Weak.
Pathetic.
I couldn't understand how something like that would even be possible.
Loki seemed to notice my doubts.
"I already know what you're thinking."
Slowly, he raised one hand.
"You don't need to worry about that body."
The casual tone in which he spoke sent a chill through me.
"You'll obtain a new one. One similar to mine."
Snow slowly drifted between us.
"And most importantly…"
For the first time since meeting him…
He smiled faintly.
"Your talent and potential will become very close to mine."
My heart pounded heavily.
Even without fully understanding what that meant…
I could feel the weight behind those words.
The abominations feared him.
I didn't know how powerful he truly was, but he was far from normal.
And yet…
He spoke of it as though it were ordinary.
A small spark of hope appeared inside me.
With that power… could I finally take my revenge?
I didn't know Loki's limits.
I didn't even understand what he truly was.
But if he possessed enough power to subdue creatures like the abominations through his mere presence…
Then…
Maybe it really would be enough.
I slowly inhaled.
"If I accept your offer… will I be able to obtain my revenge?"
Silence lingered for several seconds.
Loki tilted his head slightly.
"Your question is ambiguous, Tharok."
His voice remained calm.
"But I'll try to answer it."
I nodded slowly.
"As my herald, your priorities will no longer belong solely to you."
An uncomfortable feeling spread through my chest.
"Your duty will be to fulfill my will. My objectives will take precedence over your own."
I frowned.
"Then… what's the problem?"
I didn't understand.
If I gained the power to destroy my father…
Wasn't that enough?
Loki slowly raised a hand and pointed toward the floating images surrounding the crater.
My father.
Sara.
Marek.
"The problem… is that they are not important to me."
Snow continued falling silently.
"I have matters far more significant than three beings from the Main Plane."
I didn't know how to respond.
There was something strange in the way he said it.
As if he genuinely considered them insignificant.
As if lives held absolutely no value to him.
"And besides…"
His voice became colder.
"There is another problem."
I felt a strange pressure spread through the atmosphere.
"What problem?"
His black eyes glimmered faintly.
"If you accept becoming my herald… you will no longer fully belong to this place."
My breathing tightened.
"You will become a corrupted creature."
That word made my body tremble.
"An existence tied to the Nightmare Realm."
The wind blew harder.
I could hear snow sliding down the edges of the crater.
"Your current desires belong to the Main Plane, Tharok."
His gaze remained fixed on me.
"But that will no longer be the place where you belong."
I swallowed hard.
That…
I didn't like that.
Not at all.
But there was something I didn't understand.
"Then… how are you here right now?"
If he could exist in this world…
If the abominations could as well…
Then why couldn't I?
Loki remained silent for several seconds.
Then he slowly spoke.
"If I answer that… you will have to swear that you will never reveal this information without my explicit permission."
His tone had changed.
He no longer sounded relaxed.
He sounded serious.
Absolutely serious.
I hesitated briefly.
But eventually nodded.
"I swear."
The instant those words left my mouth…
A screen appeared before me.
Its blue glow illuminated the snow around us.
[The user has accepted an oath with one of the system administrators.]
My eyes widened slightly.
[Special permissions granted.]
[Accessing classified information…]
[Warning: Breaking the oath will activate corrective measures.]
[Congratulations. Your user level has increased.]
The screen vanished.
My breathing became unsteady.
What…?
I didn't understand anything.
Administrator.
Classified information.
User level.
Slowly, I looked toward Loki.
What exactly was this being?
His voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"This planet is far more complex than you imagine, Tharok."
He raised three fingers in front of me.
"There are three domains separated by a veil."
The freezing wind swept through the crater once more.
"The first… is the Main Plane."
He pointed at the first finger.
"The place where most known races live and where Origin Energy is cultivated."
Then he pointed at the second.
"The Celestial Realm."
A strange nuance entered his voice.
"A domain of light, order, and sacred energy."
I had never heard of such a place.
Finally, he pointed at the last finger.
The atmosphere seemed to grow even colder.
"And lastly…"
His black eyes glimmered faintly.
"The Nightmare Realm."
A chill ran down my spine.
"A place ruled by darkness, death, and…"
He paused briefly.
"Corrupted Energy."
Loki frowned slightly.
"Now that I think about it…"
His gaze became strangely serious.
"That name is terrible."
Slowly, he raised his hand.
"System."
A screen appeared immediately.
[What request would you like to make?]
"I request to modify an official designation."
[Request accepted.]
[Which term would you like to replace?]
"'Corrupted Energy.'"
The screen glowed.
[Please enter the new designation.]
Loki watched the falling snow for a few seconds before answering.
"Umbra."
For a brief moment…
I felt a strange pressure spread through the atmosphere.
As if something invisible had just changed.
The screen glowed once more.
[The modification has been successfully implemented.]
[Updating global records…]
[Process completed.]
My skin prickled.
Did he just change the name of an energy known throughout the entire planet…?
Just like that?
Loki nodded in satisfaction.
"Much better."
Then he looked back at me.
"Now then… let us continue where we left off."