Chapter 14 "The One" Beyond Naming
942 Words
Elena looked at the incredibly handsome man standing in front of her, as sweet as a puppy, and felt satisfied. Just like she'd imagined.
In the second "Future Seen," when the Fear Lord touched her, he turned human—which shocked him into feeling grateful. That's why he had tried so desperately to save her after taking her life away.
At first, she didn't get it. She thought if she could give him a physical shape, he'd become her protector.
That's why she summoned him so boldly.
But after checking his [Description], everything clicked into place.
The Fear Lord's [Abilities] and [Weakness] were one and the same: Curse of Agony. He was stuck in endless pain because of his own power.
And funny enough, right after coming to this world, the system gave her a passive skill:
[Queen's Aura]: Breaks curses within a 1-meter radius.
So when the Fear Lord stepped into that space, his curse vanished—freeing him from that dark mist and giving him solid form again.
And he loved it!
"I... have taken on this miserable human form..."
Elena rolled her eyes. "Correction: He doesn't love how he looks—he just wants to be pain-free."
"Eyes... limbs... Seriously, Princess! Shouldn't I be way cooler with ten eyes and a hundred tentacles?" the guy complained.
"I just lifted your curse, showing who you really are," Elena replied. "If you're not cute, that's on you."
"Nope! It IS your fault!" He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I am fear itself—formless! YOU made me this way. This body is YOUR idea of perfection!"
A smirk crept onto his face. "Admit it, Princess. Don't I fit the prince from your dreams?"
Elena paused and took him in.
Wow.
Every little thing about him—his face, height, build, even what he was wearing—checked all her boxes.
Total swoon.
But thinking she somehow created this perfect guy out of thin air felt ridiculous.
So she reached out—
And grabbed him.
Wait… what?!
He feels real?!
Could happiness hit that fast?!
The Fear Lord's eyes went wide in shock as he gasped. "I... feel pain? What is this feeling called?"
Elena quickly let go of him. "Uh… 'ball ache'?"
"You know agony so well?" He looked oddly impressed.
"Nope!" She shook her head like crazy. Some pains were beyond understanding for her.
"Princess, you amaze me," he said softly. "Just an ordinary girl yet you've freed me from endless suffering. How did you do that?"
Endless suffering? Interesting thought!
Elena smirked; maybe her useless system had some upsides after all!
Finally!
She felt powerful!
Unfair advantage!
This was exactly the protagonist vibe she deserved! (Ahem—[Queen's Aura].)
"Have you... gotten 'Authority'?" the Fear Lord asked breathlessly.
Elena tensed up at that word: "Authority"?
It wasn't the first time she'd heard it either; Mary had mentioned it too:
"Your mom's strength wasn't just bloodline—it was Authority."
"No," she answered carefully. "I'm just stronger than you'd think." Better to play dumb than risk revealing too much.
The Fear Lord studied her with awe in his eyes. "No… not yet. But you're 's daughter After all—even without Authority, you'll surpass her one day and become the prophesied 'Awakening.'"
Awakening?
Another new term popped up but Elena brushed it off for now.
"Enough. Why are you trying to kill me?"
The Fear Lord shifted uncomfortably. "You're coming into your own today. Authority will be after you—just like it was with your mom."
"I'm the strongest one around," he went on, "but if you get Authority? You'd overshadow me. How could I let that happen?"
"So you just go around killing potential threats?" Elena shot back.
"What else am I supposed to do?"
"How about working on yourself?!" she retorted.
"That's impossible!" He laughed dismissively. "At my level, power is set in stone. Lesser beings can never reach this kind of strength."
"And what level is that exactly?"
"Primordial." He puffed up proudly. "A bit stronger than your dad."
Elena narrowed her eyes. So he was above Monarch-class.
"And with Authority?"
The Fear Lord sulked a bit. "Chaos—the source of all primordials. Only Authority can compete with it. Without it, I'm the top dog."
Chaos...
Elena felt her heart race.
If I get Authority like Mom did—
Who would dare mess with me then?!
No wonder he wanted her gone.
It also made sense why his mental attacks kicked in when she dodged the frog curse; he'd been lurking around the castle, waiting for her to slip up. When she fell for the frog spell, he thought she'd meet her end there—but avoiding it? That called for him to step in personally.
And his tactics?
Let prey drown in fear.
Enjoy their breakdowns.
Any feelings she had for him vanished instantly.
"You said Authority would show up today," she pressed on. "When's that happening? Did it take a wrong turn or something?"
Fear Lord: (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)
"Ahem... What even is Authority?"
"It's power," he replied simply. "Beyond words and sight—nobody can really pin it down."
"So how will I know when it's here?"
"You'll see it," he said seriously, "only you."
"What does it look like?"
"It's unnameable!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "It can take any shape at all! If you notice things others can't—that's what Authority is."
Elena froze.
A realization crawled down her spine.
The other version of herself at the seventh table—
Only visible to her.
It—
Was Authority.
- Writer
