I looked down at my fist, then at the coiled corpse at my feet.
The serpent's skin had cracked like damp paper. It was tough, sure—just not… tough enough.
The things I'd fought back there had hides like iron and screams like drills. This thing? It was a beast. But not a nightmare.
Not anymore.
I blinked, my fingers twitched, but not from fear. From something else.
Control.
Power.
And then I heard it—metal clanking, boots stomping, voices yelling.
I turned, and my brain short-circuited.
Knights.
Literal knights. Chainmail, crests, swords that gleamed like movie props. For a second I thought I'd blacked out and woken up at a renaissance fair.
But they were real.
Shouting. Moving. Pointing blades at me.
And behind them, the girl earlier.
golden hair.
She didn't look like a soldier. Didn't look like a hunter or whatever this world had. Her clothes were too clean. Too fine. Her presence was… different.
"Princess!" one of the knights shouted, pushing forward.
Princess?
What the actual hell?
I almost laughed. I'd been chased by flesh-hounds, lived off monster jerky for months, seen an eye split the sky—and now there was a princess in front of me?
Where was I?
Was this some medieval-fantasy world?
How had I not noticed it before?
The pieces were snapping into place. Slowly. Painfully. But they were there.
And through all of it—the blood, the questions, the weapons pointed at my throat—I couldn't stop thinking one thing:
That snake was too soft.
Everything here… felt soft.
Too soft for me.
Like I didn't belong in this world.
Not anymore.
Swords glinted in the sunlight, all pointed at me.
"Don't move!" one of them barked.
I didn't.
The girl—no, the princess—was behind them now, her voice shaky. "He… saved me."
The knights glanced at her, then back at me. Their grips didn't loosen.
"He killed the serpent," another muttered. "With one hit."
"Did you see the crater? That wasn't magic."
"He's not human."
A younger one leaned toward the others. "What if he's a beast wearing skin?"
"I'm standing right here," I muttered.
They flinched.
One knight—a tall man with a lion emblem on his shoulder—stepped forward. "We don't know what you are. But you'll come with us. Quietly."
"Or?"
He didn't answer. Just tightened his grip on his blade.
I glanced at the dead serpent again. Then at the trembling knights.
I could run. I could fight. I'd survived worse.
But my legs were still heavy. My head still spinning.
And… this was the first time I'd seen humans in months.
Real people. Real voices.
If I wanted answers—about where I was, what world this was, who had saved me—I needed them.
So I raised my hands slowly.
"Fine. Lead the way, Sir Tin Can."
He blinked, clearly unsure if I was mocking him.
I was.
They circled me cautiously, still tense. But the princess—she watched me differently. Not with fear now.
Curiosity.
Suspicion.
And maybe—just maybe—a hint of something else.
I didn't know it yet.
But this was the beginning of everything changing again.
They didn't chain me.
Which was nice.
Instead, they led me through a series of winding forest paths until the trees gave way to stone. A small fortress—more like a heavily armed manor—rose ahead, surrounded by a sturdy wall and a wooden gate. It wasn't high-tech or anything, but it wasn't medieval garbage either. Somewhere in between.
They didn't speak to me. Just threw glances, whispers.
Monster. Hero. Threat.
They didn't know what box to put me in.
Eventually, they shoved me—not roughly, but firmly—into a room.
Solid walls. A bed. A chair. A window with actual sunlight pouring through.
It was more comfort than I'd had in months.
The door clicked shut behind me.
I let out a breath and sat on the bed.
Soft.
What even was this place?
Not Earth. Not the mist hellhole either. A middle ground. Real people. A princess. Delicious mea—wait, no, just a rabbit. Still.
I lay back and stared at the ceiling.
Did they think I was a threat?
…Fair.
I did came out of a portal and punched a serpent into mulch.
And I was smiling afterward.
The door creaked open again some time later. I sat up quickly, expecting guards.
Instead, I heard voices outside.
"He's dangerous," said one. A man.
"We can't just keep him here," another added. "If the capital hears about this, they'll demand to see him."
"That could start a panic."
A pause. Then:
"I'll go with him," said a voice I recognized.
The princess.
"What? Your Highness, that's insane—"
"If we send him alone, they'll assume we're hiding something. If I accompany him, I can speak on his behalf."
Another silence.
"He saved my life," she added, softer. "He's not a monster."
I blinked.
Saved her life?
That wasn't what I remembered. I was just hungry. The rabbit ran. Then the girl screamed.
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
Now I had a princess vouching for me, knights who didn't trust me, and no idea where I was.
Great.
Just great.
But somewhere deep down… I was glad I hadn't run.
Because finally—finally—things were moving again.
And I wasn't alone.
The next morning came quietly.
I was led to a carriage. No chains. No threats. Just a silent escort of armor-clad knights who kept their hands near their hilts. Fair enough.
I climbed in.
The interior was surprisingly clean. Padded seats. Soft cushions. Not bad for someone they thought might be a threat yesterday.
The door creaked open again.
Lana stepped in.
The same girl from yesterday—princess, apparently. She wasn't wearing a gown now, but a light travel outfit. Practical. Her expression was stiff at first, but then she sat across from me and lowered her gaze.
"I wanted to apologize," she said quietly.
I blinked. "…For what?"
"For calling you a monster. I didn't understand what I was seeing. You'd just… crushed a greater forest serpent with your bare hands. You were covered in blood and growling."
"…Fair."
A faint smile tugged at her lips, but didn't last.
"I am Lana Virellian. The third princess of the kingdom Elaria."
"Nice.I am Ark."
The carriage rolled forward. Hooves clopped rhythmically. Silence stretched between us for a moment.
Then Lana asked, "What core are you?"
I raised a brow. "Core?"
She looked surprised. "What?You… don't know?"
"Not really. Is this one of those magic things?"
Lana straightened a little. "Yes. Everyone is born with a core—it's the center of our energy. It's how we grow stronger, cast spells, enhance our bodies. Knights use their core to strengthen themselves physically. Mages use theirs to channel and shape mana."
"Huh…" I leaned back, thinking. "I don't remember ever having anything like that. I guess… mine would be whatever the weakest one is."
She hesitated. "You defeated a serpent bare-handed. Even knights with an Emerald Core would struggle to do that."
"…That bad, huh?"
Lana gave a small laugh, then grew thoughtful. "Let me explain it clearly. There are ten known core levels. Everyone starts with a Clear Core—it's dormant, with no energy awakened."
She held up her fingers and counted them off:
"Clear Core. Dormant, like I said.
Gray Core. Weakly awakened. Some can barely light a candle.
Crimson Core. The first true ignition. Raw and unstable.
Amber Core. Balanced growth. Control begins.
Emerald Core. Refined and stable. Skilled knights and mages reach this stage.
Azure Core. High-tier. Energy flows freely through them.
Violet Core. Rare and powerful. Tapping into deeper forces.
Silver Core. Semi-legendary. Their presence bends the world slightly.
Gold Core. The peak of mortal power. Kings and champions.
White Core. The final threshold. Transcendence, but still mortal."
I blinked. "…You said that like it's normal."
"It is. Everyone here grows up learning this."
"Yeah. Not where I'm from."
She tilted her head. "Where are you from?"
"…Far."
Her eyes narrowed with interest, but she didn't push. Instead, she leaned back and studied me for a moment.
"If you really don't know your core… someone in the capital can test it. That's where we're going."
"Great," I muttered. "Royal tests. Sounds like fun."
Lana smiled. "Better than being mistaken for a monster."
"…You're not wrong."