Divine Path System

Joras yawned, bored at another work day.

When you realize that living for 1,000 years meant working for 800, the so-called longevity didn't seem so desirable anymore.

It's not like he's doing anything great with his work life. Sure, he's working in the royal district and earned more than his cheap friends.

But being a security guard was as mundane as it could get.

Sometimes, Joras would curse his father for getting horny on that fateful day. If at least that old bastard controlled his libido, he wouldn't be stuck here.

'And that motherfucker incurred so much debt. I'm stuck here until my old age.' Joras gnashed his teeth.

All of a sudden, the world spun and something harsh fell on him. The familiar smell of the cleanly trimmed purple and bluegrass in front of the royal district caused him to realize that he was kicked and crashed to the ground.

When he raised his head to look up who even dared this, a foot slammed down onto his chest and with the wound of dry twigs snapping, his bones cracked.

"You lowly bastard. How dare you slack off during your duty hours?"

Unlike the middle-aged Joras who was a rank 6, the attacker was young and merely a rank 4.

But there was no fear in the youngster's eyes. Only utter contempt that despised the inferiority of the 'creature' wriggling under his foot.

"Unspirited bastards like you aren't even fit to be guards. If only you guys stopped having children, this kingdom wouldn't have to feed so many leeches."

The young man lifted his shoe, cleaned it with a silken cloth, and entered the royal district.

A few minutes later, Joras stood up. His injuries were already fixed. Thankfully, that guy was only a rank 4 and couldn't give serious injuries to his strong body.

"Only five beatings before afternoon. Looks like today will be alright."

Joras smiled brightly and continued to stand guard.

It's actually unnecessary to have security guards for the royal district—the place where the royal members lived and the royal palace was present. Every important building had its own security.

But maybe it's just for the sake of appearances or maybe those loan sharks just wanted to torture him mentally, so he ended up in this shop.

'I'll not have a child even if you tell me to. I curse my old man every day for the shitty genes he gave me. If my son too ends up without a natal treasure, he too will curse me until he dies.'

With a relaxed smile, the middle-aged man who already spent half of his lifespan working this menial job for a debt that never seemed to end, continued about his day.

People kept moving in and out, but the royal district was a vast area—hundreds of times greater than the earth's land surface—with a vast area consisting of many, many entrances and exits. So, the traffic for any single entrance was low.

As Joras began to believe there wouldn't be any significant events today, a very traditional carriage started to approach the entrance.

Unlike the sleek, automated locomotives, this one was pulled by flaming horses—beasts that contained the bloodline of a divine beast called Hell Steed.

The man's fist was on his heart and his back was bent. He was saluting before he even knew it.

As the carriage was about to go in, the badge on Joras' red shirt began to flick with a white light.

The man's expression changed and he hurriedly rushed between the carriage and the entrance.

"Lord, Lady, one of you is not a royal. As you know, only royals are allowed inside the royal district. Anyone else needs permission."

The silky curtains covering the carriage fluttered as a snort sounded and then a youth stepped out.

"Hah! Even I need permission? Me? Hahahaha!" An arrogant laughter rang from him, as he sized up the guard with a contemptuous gaze.

Joras wouldn't mind that much. A bad gaze was the lightest damage done to him.

The problem, however, was that this young man pointed to the whole of the royal district and put his hands over his mouth as if he's about to shout.

"S-Sir! Please don't!"

Even if rank 7s fought here, the space wouldn't break. Rank 8s could barely tear a few threads of the space.

So, anyone trying to attempt what they'd usually do on a normal or less-reinforced planet simply wouldn't work here.

In such a backdrop, the air of the capital—the kingdom's finest capital—was much stronger than one would expect.

Using aura to amplify one's voice in the air—the typical tactic elsewhere—wouldn't work here.

If this foreign young master tried it and got embarrassed, he might try to silence the one who witnessed his embarrassment—Joras.

Even though he's a guard to the royal district, someone like him—an Unspirited—those without a natal treasure—were not seen as equals in this kingdom and its society.

If enough compensation could be paid, the young master could escape punishment.

'Fuck you Daddy! I don't want to die for such a trivial rea—'

"You cowardly bastards and spineless pussies! Why aren't you welcoming this young master? Roll over here!"

A strong male voice swept over the royal district, spreading in every corner and echoing for a while before dissipating.

Plop!

Joras' legs wobbled and he knelt on the ground. If not for his half-millennia experience, he'd be pissing himself right now.

"Mad! Mad! Absolutely mad!" Like a broken record, the guard who witnessed the royal district for hundreds of years muttered to himself.

Then the middle-aged man raised his head and looked at Varian with a look of anger, amusement, and pity. "Young master! Not only did you kill yourself, you also dragged me down with you! The royals of Pala do not tolerate disrespect.

Even if you're the best prince of the finest dukedom, your life is over. They…should already be here."

As he said those words, auras quickly locked onto Varian.

Five rank 7 guards, clad in black full-body armor landed in front of him. Only their eyes could be seen through the gap in their helmets. And those eyes weren't friendly.