Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points! - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: A Moment’s Pause
Illena tilted her head, with a thoughtful look in her eyes that also held a touch of concern.

“Walking through the mud, pulling boulders in full armor… isn’t that a bit much, my dear?” she asked. “Aren’t you working too hard?”

Arkanos chuckled, his expression lightening at her words. He continued wiping his face, his deep voice rumbling with amusement. “This is nothing, my dear,” he said with a small, reassuring smile. “If I can’t endure this, how can I expect my knights to?”

Illena stepped closer, her gaze softening as she placed her hands gently on Arkanos’s cheeks. Her touch was warm as she spoke with a touch of pride and fondness.

“You’ve become so stoic,” she murmured. “If I’m to be honest… it makes me proud.”

Arkanos chuckled softly, smiling right after. His right hand lifted, fingers brushing against her chin as he tilted her jaw upward, their eyes locking.

“Oh, is that so?” he said with a playful tone.

Their faces drew closer, the world around them fading as their breaths mingled. Illena’s lips parted slightly, her eyes glimmering with warmth as the moment deepened between them.

But just as their proximity reached a tender threshold, a soft voice cut through the charged atmosphere.

“Your Majesty,” Seraphine called gently from a short distance away, her tone respectful but firm. “They’re all here.”

Arkanos blinked, the moment shattering as he turned his gaze toward Seraphine, who stood nearby with an expectant look. A faint sigh escaped him, and he turned back to Illena.

“It seems I have to go,” he said, handing the towel back to her.

Illena took the towel, her fingers brushing his for a fleeting moment. Her lips curved into a soft, knowing smile. “We should continue where we left off later,” she said playfully.

Arkanos paused, turning just slightly as a rare, teasing smile graced his lips. “That’s a promise, then,” he said, his words carrying an unusual touch of warmth that caught the queen off guard for a heartbeat.

Illena’s eyes widened briefly, but the surprise melted into a radiant smile as she watched him walk away. Her heart swelled, and she whispered, “I’ll hold you to that, my dear.”

Arkanos walked away from Illena, her soft smile lingering in his mind. He gazed at the hand he had used to lift her chin earlier and smiled.

His thoughts raced.

‘It seems she’s really smiling more often now… I’m glad. She has every right to be happy.’

Over the past few days, Yu Chen… now Arkanos… had gradually begun to recover fragments of the original Arkanos’s memories.

These fragments brought with them some of Arkanos’s previous mannerisms and tendencies, allowing Yu Chen to learn a great deal about the life he had inherited.

One of the most striking revelations was that Arkanos had never truly loved any of his wives, particularly his two concubines.

Those marriages had been purely political, meant to secure the allegiance of influential noble houses. This realization not only disappointed Yu Chen but also made him feel that Arkanos’s wives had been wronged. They had genuinely cared for him, yet he had given them the cold shoulder, refusing to connect with them emotionally or physically.

It made Yu Chen question if Arkanos had ever truly understood what it meant to be a man.

But Yu Chen had no intention of repeating the same mistakes. From the memories he had regained, he saw moments when each of the women had tried their best to be by Arkanos’s side, offering him support despite his distant demeanor.

Those moments, though marked by Arkanos’s coldness, had sparked a sense of romantic interest in Yu Chen for these women. Over the past few days, he had made an effort to grow closer to them, and the results had been promising… especially with Illena and Sephira.

Kaela, however, remained somewhat closed off. Yu Chen suspected that Arkanos had hurt her deeply in the past, though he had no memories of the incident yet. He decided to take things slowly with her. Patience, he thought, would eventually help her open up.

Arkanos chuckled softly, murmuring to himself, “To think I only found love after finding myself inside a game I helped build…”

“How hysterical…”

Arkanos’ thoughts raced again. ‘Again, beside that, the system said I obtained a skill earlier.’

‘Open status window’

In the next instant, a green status window materialized before him.

—

Name: Arkanos Bloodbane

Class: Holy/Magic Swordsman 〘 Druid 〙

Rank: SSS

Title(s):

Foolish Tyrant Emperor

Scourge of the Valtor Empire

Ruin of the Verdant Lands

Scorn of the High Council

Fallen Heir of Nature

Betrayer of the Sacred Pact

Cheater of Death

Mythical Monster Slayer

Affiliation: Bloodbane Empire

Divine Affiliation: Goddess of Justice and Jurity, Pretoria

Level: 60

Race: Halvorn (Half Nature Sprite, Half Human)

Lineage: Son of Emperor Veltharion Bloodbane and Queen Selene Windwhisper

Marital Status:

Queen: Illena Bloodbane

Concubine 1: Sephira Windwhisper

Concubine 2: Kaela Darkmoon

Heirs: N/A

Loyalty: None (Individualistic) 〘 Expected to lead a Just and Pure life 〙

Base Attributes:

Strength: 1,200

Agility: 1,500

Vitality: 1,800

Intelligence: 2,500

Endurance: 1,700

Perception: 2,200

Luck: 1,100

Bonus Stat Points: +5

—

Abilities and Skills:

Unique Skill – Nature’s Wrath

Effect: Summons the forces of nature to strike down enemies with vines, thorns, and roots.

Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Passive Skill – Presence of an Emperor [New]

Effect: Radiates an authoritative aura, inspiring allies within 50 meters and intimidating enemies, reducing their combat effectiveness by 25%.

Passive.

Active Skill – Druidic Ward

Effect: Calls upon primal nature spirits to create a protective barrier around allies, blocking incoming attacks for 30 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Conditional Active Skill – Judgment

Effect: Once a target has been identified as a sinner or a creature of darkness, the player obtains divine support, giving them the power to instantly cut down the target, regardless of their level, skills, or equipment.

Cooldown: 20 minutes.

Active Skill – Holy Aura

Effect: The Holy Aura emits a divine presence that wards off evil, shaking the resolve and strength of sinners and dark beings. It reduces damage taken from evil sources and weakens enemies’ will to fight.

Cooldown: None.

Active Skill – Nature’s Touch

Effect: Summons small nature sprites to heal allies for 20% of their maximum HP, cure poisons, and boost Vitality for 10 minutes.

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Active Skill – Appraisal

Effect: Analyzes objects, creatures, or phenomena to reveal detailed information, including stats, abilities, and weaknesses. Depth depends on target complexity.

Cooldown: None.

Passive Skill – Spirit of the Grove

Effect: Increases affinity with natural environments, enhancing healing and regeneration effects by 25% when in forests or meadows.

—

Laying his eyes on the hovering status window, Arkanos thought, ‘Seems the new skill is a passive one. For some reason, I had my hopes up because of my rank.’