Owen's POV
I stood atop the cliff, watching the horizon split open with the faint shimmer of an incoming portal. The air thickened. The world seemed to hold its breath.
A grin stretched across my face.
"Samuel…" I muttered, hands tightening around the massive hammer slung over my back. "You actually did it. Bardot's legacy… erased."
I could almost feel the weight of that chaos he left behind in the Human World. The ripples of his destruction reached even here, to the Third Realm. And now, he was coming back—stronger, darker… more dangerous.
And I couldn't be more excited.
"System," I said, eyes gleaming. "Show me my status window!"
---
[Status Window]
Name: Owen Yates
Title: Beast King of the Third Realm
Race: Transcendent Human (Beast-Heart Awakened)
Level: 185
HP: 190,000 / 190,000
Mana: 72,300 / 72,300
Strength: 720
Agility: 520
Endurance: 680
Intelligence: 550
Beast Affinity: MAX
---
[Combat Techniques]
1. King's Maul – Devastating hammer swings with wide shockwave impact.
2. Feral Blitz – Claw-combo flurry; fast, relentless, causes bleed.
3. Ironhide Burst – Temporarily beast-hardened body; +70% defense.
4. Savage Dominion – Beast aura weakens foes, buffs allies.
5. Heavenbreaker Fang – Final strike with mountain-splitting force.
---
[Magical Abilities]
6. Spirit Howl – Mana-infused roar; induces fear and confusion.
7. Earthsplitter Pulse – Seismic magic detonates beneath enemies.
8. Moonlit Regeneration – Passive healing under moonlight.
9. Wild Binding – Spectral chains restrict enemy movement.
10. Stormclaw Manifest – High-voltage attacks; paralyzes on hit.
---
[Unique Skills]
11. Beast King's Authority – Commands lesser beasts; tames or paralyzes.
12. Bloodborne Evolution – Survives fatal damage, grows permanently stronger.
13. Wild Soul Pact – Fuses with Great Beasts; huge buffs and new powers.
14. Loyal Pack – Stat boost when fighting with allies or beast summons.
15. Memory of Past Lives – Carries over battle instincts and lost techniques.
---
I exhaled slowly, heat rising in my chest.
"Damn… we've both grown."
I looked up at the portal's fading light, a wild smile forming.
"Alright, old friend. When you're done leaving trails of ruin behind you—come find me. No politics. No missions."
My grip tightened around the hammer.
"Just a real, honest fight."
The beast inside me stirred.
It was hungry too.
________________________________________
Samuel's POV
The wind was dry, carrying the scent of earth and beast blood, but it felt like home. I stepped through the last ripple of the portal, boots landing on the cracked stone of the Third Realm.
Owen was already waiting.
He stood on the cliff edge like a sentinel, arms crossed, wind ruffling through his silver-streaked hair. The Beast King. Regal and untamed. A predator in command of his world.
"Well, well…" I called out, smirking. "Still got that stupid cliff-top drama pose, huh?"
Owen turned, grinning wide. "Look who's talking. Mr. Harbinger of Edgy Entrances."
I walked closer. For a moment, we just stared at each other, then—
A quick fist-bump.
"Been too long," I muttered.
"Too damn long," Owen replied, eyes gleaming. "Samuel freakin' Gebb. You burned the Human World to the ground."
"Not all of it. Just the parts that needed burning."
We both chuckled, stepping aside to sit on the edge of the cliff, legs hanging over the ledge like two college kids skipping class.
"Remember our first life?" Owen asked, his voice lighter now. "God, we were such dumbasses."
I laughed under my breath. "You mean the time we turned the dean's car into a chicken coop?"
"Hey, that was Henry's idea," Owen said, raising his hand like he was swearing under oath. "I just handled the real chickens."
"Yeah, well, I was the genius who hacked the PA system and played a loop of the dean screaming for an hour."
Owen laughed so hard he actually clutched his gut. "Man, we were legends. No rules. No limits. We weren't heroes… we were pure chaos."
"And somehow," I added, "we still managed to graduate. Barely."
"And somehow," Owen echoed, "Henry always bailed us out. Every damn time."
I smiled, but this time, a hint of melancholy crept in.
"Second life wasn't much better," I said after a pause.
Owen's grin faded, and his eyes turned distant.
"You as the Heavenly Demon, Henry as Heaven's Wing… and me, the so-called Martial King."
"The three pillars of a war-torn era," I said quietly. "Remember that time we faced the Ten Thousand Blades of the Sky Temple?"
"You mean you vaporized them," Owen chuckled, "and I sat there healing a broken rib while Henry soloed their commander."
"We had so much power," I muttered. "And still… we couldn't stop the fall of the Celestial Empire."
Owen nodded, eyes on the sky. "We lost a lot back then."
"Too much."
A long silence passed between us, filled only by the rustling wind and distant roars of creatures far below.
"But hey," Owen said, breaking the silence, "third life, right?"
I smirked. "Third life."
"We're back. Stronger. Wiser. And a little less reckless." He paused, then smirked. "Okay, maybe just a little."
"We both know I'm still the reckless one," I said, amused.
"And I'm still the one cleaning up your messes."
I raised a brow. "You missed it, didn't you?"
Owen looked at me with a soft grin. "Like hell."
Then his expression sobered.
"Damn," he murmured. "I just wish Henry was here with us. The trio's not complete without that smug, overpowered bastard."
I leaned back on my elbows, eyes scanning the purple-hued sky.
"Don't worry," I said with a knowing smile. "He's here. Somewhere in this realm."
Owen turned sharply. "Wait. You're serious?"
"Dead serious," I said. "The System hinted at a high-level anomaly—someone rewriting their own stats without permissions. Sound familiar?"
Owen's eyes widened slightly. "Henry…"
"He's preparing," I said. "Probably waiting until he's strong enough to one-up both of us again. Typical Henry."
Owen laughed. "That cocky bastard. I bet he's already got some ancient dragon sealed in his left arm or something."
"Wouldn't be surprised."
We sat in silence again, but it was warmer this time. The kind of silence that comes between brothers. Survivors.
Finally, Owen stretched his arms wide. "So what now, Sammy-boy?"
I cracked my neck. "Now?"
A grin crept up my face.
"We paint this realm red. Together."
"Hell yes," Owen said, standing up. "Let's shake this world like we did the last two."
And with that, the two of us stood—beast and harbinger, kings reborn—ready to make the Third Realm remember us.
Because legends?
They never die.
They just come back stronger.