Crown of Gods

2.1 Lee Minjun (이민준)

Date: 15th of Vernus 1321 (Five & half Years Later)
Location: The Calid Desert, Solania Kingdom, Avadonia Island.

Lee Minjun (이민준): Age 15

For over a month, Lee Minjun and Jude Hunter trudged through the never-ending expanse of the Calid Desert, their sights set on the Temple of Solania. The journey had been a grueling ordeal, navigating treacherous sand dunes and enduring the scorching rays of the sun. Minjun's clothes stuck uncomfortably against his sweaty body, and rubbed against his burned skin. Jude didn't burn. He had the power to heal himself, but even his magical energy was dwindling under the heat. It would only be a matter of time before he gave up using his magic and conserve it for better use.

Their water supplies were running low and had become a rare and precious commodity, leaving Minjun with a parched throat and a tongue as dry as sandpaper. He desperately yearned for even a drop of relief. But he had to save what little remained of their rations, so he endured the thirst.

The line between reality and mirage blurred as the desert sun played tricks on his mind. But he refused to yield to the hallucinations that threatened to engulf him. He couldn't afford to lose focus. Not now when he could feel how close they were to the temple.

As their water supply dwindled, it wasn't the only thing that began to run scarce. The freezing desert nights left them craving warmth, yet their matches and kindling were running low, threatening to leave them shivering in the cold. Their food supplies were also sparse, adding hunger to the strain of their journey. And the friendship between Minjun and Jude began to fray. Every little inconvenience, a brush of an elbow or a misspoken word, ignited heated arguments.

Yet, despite their growing agitation with each other, they had no choice but to endure each other's irritations. Every stride became a battle as their boots lumbered through the sand determined to slow their progress. It dragged at their feet, making every movement an exhausting struggle.

Time was running out for Lee Minjun. It was his final opportunity to discover the hidden temple, or else he and Jude would have no option but to return back to the Jakaya Oasis. If the Temple of Solania remained elusive today, his chance to obtain the legendary Golden Eye would slip away.

The Pirate King's command echoed in his mind, a direct order to return home empty-handed if the temple proved unreachable. But failure was not an option for Minjun. The Golden Eye held the key to his vengeance, a mythical weapon said to possess the ability to slay even a god. With it, he could finally avenge his family, and defeat the immortal Emperor who had wrought such devastation upon his life.

Lee Minjun had endured the horrors of the Seven Day War, a bloody conflict that had shaken the world eight and a half years ago. The war had erupted between the Brethren Court and the Draconian Empire, both vying for control of the Tomb of Sasha. A sacred tomb that marked the final resting place of a demigod who had valiantly fought during the Battle of the Dead Canyon three centuries prior. That fateful battle had shaped the destiny of the world, culminating in the rise of the Draconian Empire and its immortal tyrant, who continued to wield his oppressive influence to this day. The motives behind Emperor Cyrus's relentless pursuit of Sasha's Tomb remained shrouded in mystery. However, the Brethren Court had been entrusted with guarding the tomb from the Empire, and to this day they still did.

In the ensuing mayhem, Korwon had become a battleground, and its capital had become a tragic casualty of the relentless conflict. Amidst the chaos of the war, Minjun's family had fallen victim, adding their names to the thousands of innocent lives lost during the darkest hour on the seventh day: The Massacre of Korwon.

Emperor Cyrus had unleashed his Seven Vices, dark beings of immense power and magic, wreaking havoc upon the forces of the Brethren Court, pushing them to the brink of defeat. Across Korwon, the ruthless Vices painted a canvas of bloodshed and death, indifferent to the civilians caught in their destructive path.