Lucien’s blood was all over the rock. But the big man did not stop punching his head against the stone.

“Father…”

Lucien wouldn’t try to beg for his life before, but now that there was a chance of his mother not being dead, he couldn’t give up. When he tried to beg, his father threw him down again.

“You are as useless as your mother!”

Lucien had most of his bones broken and less than half of his blood, yet he still made an effort to sit up while pleading to his father.

“Father… Please tell me if she is really alive.”

The Evil King walked over to Lucien and gave him a look of contempt.

“That whore did not die but was captured by the Pope’s forces.”

Lucien became enraged when his father called his mother a whore, but he couldn’t do anything against the great Evil King.

“You said that she died… Why?”

Evil King looked at his youngest son. He was supposed to be like his sisters, but he could only think of his mother, and he was not such a talent like her.

“She was taken to the White Tower, and you know that no one here can return from there alive, so what’s the point of telling you?”

Lucien did not understand why his father hid such an essential thing from him.

“But why couldn’t I know?”

Evil King stared at that bloody face while thinking why the boy was so handsome, even covered by dirt and wounds. He is not ugly, but Lucien is almost a hundred percent like his mother.

“You were always weak and spoiled by her. So, I thought it was an excellent opportunity to give you a goal. If you believed that you had to avenge her, then you would become strong for that.”

Lucien couldn’t help but thinking that his father didn’t think rationally. He tried to get up, but his body was too broken to follow his thoughts, and he fell on the floor.

“Mom… You are alive… I will find you…”

Lucien pointed his hand at the sky while he had a great smile. His father could not help smiling too, seeing the boy’s resistance.

“Rest now because you passed my test, and you will have a chance to save your mother.”

Lucien closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep. Even though he is very resistant, he should not be conscious after such a beating. As he returned to the land of dreams, a part of the tree’s scent was still on his nose.

When Lucien fell asleep, his father came over and took his body. He put him on his shoulder and looked up while shouting a scary roar.

Then a gale broke out of nowhere, and the dark clouds that were in the sky parted while another scary roar came from above.

A creature very similar to a black dragon comes from the sky. It didn’t have enormous wings, and its skin was all smooth and black with few scales. Its head looked like that of a lizard with large and sharp yellow teeth.

The creature loudly growled as it descended, but when it landed in front of the Evil King, it lowered its head and made bizarre deep grumblings as if waiting for its master’s order.

“Let’s go.”

The Evil King pated the creature’s head while speaking words of comfort as if he was talking to his pet. He then straddled its back and placed Lucien lying in front of him so that he wouldn’t fall off during the flight.

When the Evil King was ready, he patted the creature’s head that took flight with an explosive force creating a vortex of wind.

They flew towards the distant mountains. The landscape below was like a dead forest with some isolated ruins. But on the distant horizon there is a beautiful land with green forests and mountains topped with white snow on their peaks.

During the flight, the Evil King talked to himself while looking at his sleeping youngest kid.

“Your sisters have always been the hope of our nation, but you…”

“Your mother was so talented, yet you are so weak…”

Evil King did not understand why, although Lucien trained as hard as his sisters, he did not show either exceptional strength or talent, unlike the others.

He still believed that the boy had some potential. But it took more than just that for others to accept that his participation in the ritual.

So, he had to beat his own son up, to test whether or not he is of any use. He had to focus on his strength in order to not kill the poor boy.

“Your sisters would have lasted much longer than you… But you are still my son, I hope you can improve after the contract…”

While the Evil King talked to himself, the draconic creature continued to fly at super high-speed towards the peak of the mountain in front of them.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at what looked to be a large monastery on the apex of it. It was so large that it looked like a small medieval-style town from the east.

The creature landed in a large courtyard with cherry trees and a few flower beds. Even though the place was very large, there were no people at sight. If anyone lived there, they’d just be a few servants who were always busy keeping everything clean.

The place was called “The Refuge of The Chosen” and was built at the behest of the Evil King as a training grounds for his seven children.

Everyone in the country, rather in the whole world, knew about the super protected place. It had so many layers of protection that its whole territory encompassed an area larger than many countries.

But only the servants, the seven children, and the Evil King himself knew the truth. What everyone called a refuge, was actually a prison. The prison for the chosen ones, such that they do not act further than the Evil King’s plans.

Lucien spent most of his life in this place, even while his mother was alive. After she disappeared, he lived here with his sisters and trained every day to fight against the Kingdom’s enemies in the oncoming war.

The Evil King descended from the creature’s back, carrying Lucien on his shoulder. He walked down the small stone road between some buildings until he reached a grand stairway.

As he went up, he looked at the majestic palace at the end of the staircase. He used half of the country’s wealth to build this palace. It was all dedicated to the seven great demons of legends. All Evil King wanted is to protect his people from the oncoming war.

“The ritual must be almost over…”

He finished heading up the stairs and arrived in front of a large stone door. It was over five meters high and seemed to weigh several tons.

Using one hand to hold Lucien, he used the other to push the big door, which made a loud noise that echoed throughout the mountain.

When the Evil King entered the great hall, he could see some people wearing black ceremonial costumes and a girl in the center of a circle in front of another big door. Everyone looked at him, waiting for his orders.

“Were the others successful?”

The people in ceremonial dress were of high rank from the most significant organizations on that side of the planet. But they only bowed to the Evil King and did not utter a sound because the girl in the circle is one of the chosen ones and has the highest authority to speak for them.

The girl was gorgeous. She was 1.65 meters tall, very fair skin and long fiery red hair.

Sophia was 21, one year older than Lucien, and was always a good sister who took good care of him.

She bowed to the Evil King and couldn’t help but give the unconscious Lucien an affectionate look. She really wanted to ask if he was okay, but even she had to show high levels of respect towards the King.

“Yes, my father. All five completed the ritual successfully and were sent to other worlds to complete the quests given by the great demons.”

The Evil King threw Lucien to the ground without any care and clapped his hands happily.

“Excellent! Now, what great demons are left?”

Sophia held back the urge to run to check on Lucien and answered her father’s question. She knew that if he brought Lucien back, it was because he was still going to participate in the ritual and could stay with everyone even after running away.

“Sloth and Lust.”

Evil King put a hand on his chin while making a thoughtful expression.

“Those are really the most complicated. I am almost certain the Sloth will choose you, but then how will Lust deal with this idiot?”

It is not known why Sophia blushed when the King talked about Lust dealing with Lucien. She tried to ward off strange thoughts and spoke timidly.

“The great demons are very eccentric and complex, so we can’t predict what will happen.”

The Evil King couldn’t disagree with his daughter. He then walked to the largest seat in the hall, which looks like a throne. But stopped, and after turning around spoke in an informal tone.

“Everything I do is for the good of all families in the kingdom. So that they can survive the hardships ahead of us.”

“I don’t care if my own family hates me. But I will never hate my children…”

“You can take care of your brother. But be quick and then go and make your contract.”

Sophia said nothing and just bowed even though her father wasn’t looking. After he sat on the throne, she couldn’t help herself and ran to check Lucien.

She dropped to the floor and wasted no time before putting her hands on Lucien’s chest. After she closed her eyes, it didn’t take a full second for a light to appear in her hands.

Lucien’s body was severely injured. Broken bones and cuts everywhere. Sophia cannot contain some tears from falling on his chest.

The King looked at his daughter with a proud smile and commented out loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

“What incredible healing magic. Such a talented daughter is more than I could ask for.”

Sophia was not someone who liked praise, and right now, she could only think of healing Lucien. She focused all of her concentration, and it wasn’t long before Lucien’s wounds started to heal at incredible speed.

It was almost ten minutes before Lucien showed indications of waking up. He was already fully healed, and there was only blood and dirt left on his skin and clothes. But Sophia still kept her hands his chest inadvertently.

Lucien, who felt a pleasant warmth, started to wake up and saw his beautiful sister looking at him with a face full of tears and affection. His arms, already out of control, hugged her tightly.

“Thank you, sis! And sorry… I didn’t want to worry you.”

Sophia didn’t care what happened and just thought about hugging Lucien back while crying but now out of joy, since he was fine.

“Stupid brother! Don’t run away again… Even I know that what we do here is important, but we are a family, and we must stay together.”

While the siblings embraced, the King looked at them, rolling his eyes. He waited a few minutes before interrupting their display of affection and bring them back to the task at hand.

“It’s your turn, Sophia. Make the contract and come back to report it.”

Sophia gave Lucien one last hug and went through the large ornate door, to make a contract with a great demon.