Hero of Darkness

AUTHOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT

This is a compulsory chapter as a tradition of the novel that I write after the end of every arc.

If you've read all the chapters till now and still decided to stick with the novel… then you have my gratitude.

Unlike the previous two Epilogue chapters, I won't go too much into details or do a Q & A here since I haven't found many people questioning any plots or background stories in this arc.

Mainly because I don't leave any plotholes or gaps these days. And if you think that there is one… just be patient and read the next chapters since I always tend to address every single thing sooner or later as the story progresses.

So let's talk about some issues at hand first.

----------------

The reason I took 190 chapters just for this arc and spent a lot of time on the politics of the fiefdom, Kahn getting control over various sectors and institutions of government, economy, underworld and military…

Is because I like writing logical plots where MC has to work for everything. Nothing is handed down to him just because he won a competition and became a sovereign of a fiefdom in the name.

Being a King in the name is nowhere close to actually ruling a kingdom with full control and absolute authority. That's why I have used the word 'Sovereign' in this arc.

Kahn took logical approaches, used underhanded means and did both good using the People's Court while did bad by executing his enemies and those who served his opponent in the name of trials.

I know many people complained that why was he acting all goody two shoes all of a sudden and cared about the fiefdom instead of just gathering resources and increasing his levels.

Many still complain that he was unnecessarily getting involved in the faction wars as if he learned nothing from Arc 2.

Well, I can say that Kahn was neither controlled nor became anyone's puppet in Arc 3. Just that he got involved in the expedition to get the Tablet of Arcana in order to secure his future by getting the cores up to the sixth stage saint as part of his deal with the Pureblood faction.

And he didn't know the real truth behind the tablet and how they planned to extract it from Kahn in case he acquired it.

Like I have said before… MC isn't an omniscient god who knows about everything or can see the future.

Both Tablet of Arcana and Chamber of Exaltation have their uses and I will properly explore them in the next arc.

As for those who think that he was wasting time with all the faction wars and stuff…

Remember, if not for him becoming the Sovereign… Kahn wouldn't have managed to get enough resources that he has now even in his entire lifetime.

Choosing the silent route while stealing from petty clans and street thugs wouldn't have helped him at all because the resources required to rise in strength are simply abundant. The wealth he has now is something that the majority of the noble clan leaders do not possess.

So him spending months to become Verlassen's sole leader was all worth it.

And even after he faked his death, he still controls it and can always go back to fill his pockets in case he runs out of resources.

----------------

I spent a lot of time writing the hunting arc which led to Kahn getting so many OP and amazing abilities that will make him an absolute badass and impervious to many types of enemies.

All the subordinates have also ranked up to legendary class because of this mini-arc.

Which made many readers think that he will not face any type of opposition in the future arcs or won't have the cliche level-up progression like those cultivation novels where you go from one level and fight an opponent of a higher level just because you're the MC.

No, Kahn is the type of guy who will fight 2 to 3 levels above him. Because I don't have time or the will to write the same repetitive plotlines again and again.

And if you think that he is too powerful… wait till he meets other Heroes who have more Divine Abilities than him, millions of people working for them and too many powerful allies that are provided by the empires that summoned them.

Why do you think I spent so much time on those Legendary rank monsters and chapters just to specify their abilities and how Kahn and the gang managed to kill them?

Because not just him but all the generals also have to prove their worth and play a big part in the storyline.

So far, Kahn didn't even have a mentor to teach him how to fight or study magic. If not for the blessings and his own intelligence, Kahn would still be in the Flavot city while trying to become a grandmaster.

The reason why I only spent bits and pieces on these training arcs and left stuff such as Blacksmithing, Alchemy, Magic study and other weapons that Kahn has to master for future arcs is because I have plans ready for everything.

And all of them will come into play for the future arcs. As things start… I have at least 7 arcs of the story ready.

And from now on, every arc will be 100 to 120 chapters at best.

Because I'm done with building the basic foundation for Kahn's character development and the subordinates. So from now on, there won't be the need for betrayals or Kahn falling for someone's traps or getting used by someone. He also finally overcame his past life trauma about women.

He's a purebred Antihero now. There is no more need for anything else just to call it the 'Character Development'. High school has ended now. So let's move on.

Now, the real story related to other Gods, their churches, empires that serve them and the introduction as well as characterization of the other Heroes will be focused on.

Not everyone will be a textbook cliche hero or act high and mighty savior. Some of them will have their own brains and motives while some will be either naive or diabolical.

Not everyone will be Kahn's enemy just for the sake of it. And also, they're from different worlds so there is a lot of exploring to do as well.

On top of it, different empires will have different cultures, social standings, beliefs and how the law and authorities operate there. So time for World Building to get an upgrade as well.

They will obviously have different types of species and characteristics and traits as well as notions and outlooks on the world.

The reason why I'm mentioning this is because those who still wish to stick with the story should know what to expect.

Plus there's a lot of history such as the old heroes, their impact on the world of Vantrea and the empires, Kahn's predecessor aka the 8th Hero of Darkness and what happened 300 years ago.

What part do Gods play in it and how Kahn tackles these problems now that his arrival is known to the whole world.

So the first three arcs are basically the first Origin movie of a Trilogy.

----------------

Now a SERIOUS NOTE about the Novel itself.

I hate to write this in a chapter but thanks to certain types of websites and certain types of readers… the novel is doing really bad. Like going bankrupt level bad.

I'm losing more readers and income I make with every passing week and month.

If this carries on, I don't think the novel itself will last another 5 months before the losses are to an extent where I can't even pay for my food, rent or any living expenses.

Even the highest level cuisine I can afford these days is a packet of instant Ramen noodles that costs 1.14 Dollars.

If not for the regular fans and people who paid for the privileged chapters… I would've stopped writing so many chapters.

Because I'm both physically and mentally exhausted. Plus my health is really becoming an issue because of the late-night work and being unable to even form an exercise routine since I'm always drained out of energy and the will to live.

So I'd appreciate it if everyone keeps reading on the official website if you really like the novel and not use excuses of having no money or being poor.

Many pay 5 times the money just for the internet and junk food so I find that excuse laughable.

And on a side note, if you want to see me continuing this novel… support my other work called 'Dracula Reincarnated With A System' that I just started.

Both novels will run simultaneously at the same time and if they are doing good and I earn enough to make a living, then I can carry on with writing.

Otherwise, I will be forced to focus my attention on the new novel only or worst case scenario… drop this novel.

Because passion doesn't pay for your food or helps to pay the bills. So I hope you understand my plight as well.

I know I sound bitter about this issue but my livelihood depends on it. So be considerate and give me a few million dollars.

Or go and support me on Patreon. I post all the Reference Arts there as well.

ID : CrimsonWolfAuthor

----------------

Lastly… since many of the readers are failing to get the references and mythical lore I add in the novel these days, particularly the third arc… I shall be the one to enlighten everyone myself.

Here are some of the notable and missed references by most of the readers.

Verlassen = German for 'Abandoned'.

Since the fiefdom was abandoned by the government in all aspects.

Commander Aswala = Aswala stands for Bear.

I know… my naming sense is un'bear'able.

Commander Stark & Mormont = Game of Thrones characters.

Elijah & Niklaus = The Originals tv show

Victor Apopis = Apopis aka the Egyptian God of Chaos.

Victor had the True Demon bloodline… which has the 'Chaos' element exclusive only to the demon race.

Ezekiel Nabi = Translates to Prophet Ezekiel from the Hebrew language.

Kassandra Mikealson =

Kassandra is the protagonist of the Assassin's Creed Odyssey video game.

Mikealson surname from The Originals.

Kahn Salvatore =

Kahn means a Lone boat adrift in an endless ocean.

Signifying Kahn's journey as a lonewolf character when I named him at the beginning of the novel.

Salvatore surname from the two main leads of The Vampire Diaries show.

Kronos = Blackwall's evolved species is called Kronos after merging with Primordial Titan.

Kronos is the God of Time in Greek mythology who was also a primordial titan.

Thunderbird = Oliver's evolved species is Thunderbird aka Native American/ Red Indian mythology bird.

Emerald Archer = Oliver's new job is Emerald Archer which is also the moniker of Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow.

Thanatos = Ronin's legendary rank up is called Thanatos, the true Greek God of Death who carries the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.

Diablos = Jugram's legendary species upgrade is Diablos, Spanish/Español word for the Devil.

Erdtree = Armin's legendary species is named Erdtree.

It's the reference to the Erdtree from the Elden Ring videogame.

Yggdrasill = Armin is a Variant Yggdrasill.

It's the name of the World Tree in Norse mythology.

Velsharoon, the Deity of Necromancy =

The one who gave blessings to Ceril when he became a legendary rank creature is the reference to Velsharoon, the Faerunian mythology Demi-God of Necromancy.

Indra, the Sky Deity =

Hindu God of Sky and Lightning.

Vajra = Oliver's ultimate attack skill name.

Vajra is the name of Indra's divine weapon which transforms into a Lightning Bolt.

----------------

Vilgax = The main villain of Ben 10 cartoon (many noticed this one).

Bjormngandur legendary snake = Wordplay with Jormungandr aka The World Serpent from the Norse Mythology.

Caladrius = The Caladrius, according to Roman mythology, is a snow-white bird that lives in the king's house. It is said to be able to take the sickness into itself and then fly away, dispersing the sickness and healing both itself and the sick person.

In the novel, Caladrius has the same appearance as the mythology and it had the Soul Distortion skill which almost killed both Kahn and Kassandra.

Ashokvatika = In Indian culture, it's a notable garden in the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic.

Skoll & Hati = Skoll, "One Who Mocks" and Hati, "One Who Hates" are two mythical wolves and the guardians of the second barrier. (Character traits adopted in the novel as well.)

Both are the sons of Fenrir in Norse mythology.

Omega's new species name is Hrodvitnir, which is the Nordic name for Fenrir.

Raijin = Omega's katana is named Raijin by Kahn.

Raijin is the Japanese God of Lightning, Thunder and Storm.

Sirius Blake = The orc accountant is named after Sirius Black from the Harry Potter franchise.

Stalin Joseif = Just a changed sequence to the name Joseph Stalin, former Soviet dictator who was also responsible for the death of millions of citizens under his rule.

Jeremiah Themis =

Jeremiah was an Israeli prophet.

Themis is the Greek Goddess of Justice.

In the novel, Jeremiah Themis is the leader of the Pureblood faction and also the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Rakos Empire.

Niflheim border = God of War 4 game reference.

Mordor (where Ceril harvested millions of dead bodies and made a breakthrough to Legendary Rank) =

Lord of the Rings reference.

----------------

There are many more references but the word count is rising. (For which I'll get yelled at by readers again.)

Like seriously… you guys need to step up your game as well. I'm not even flexing… use your brains and general knowledge about the world while reading the novel. You might as well learn about other cultures in the process.

I put so much effort into research and it hurts to see that nobody even notices these references but then complain when I make an anime, pop-culture or Superhero movie reference or use a popular character's name.