A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Since the day Beam's family was killed and he was sold into slavery, a certain sensation has haunted his chest. A dark, gnawing presence as if another entity resided within him, laughing at his struggles. Even while wielding his pickaxe deep in the slave mines, he felt an unseen hand guiding his own. Something dark, ominous, and powerful coveted everything he had left. He could sense its desire. Amidst despair, he felt rage and resisted it.

Years later, this sensation still lingered. To silence it, he trained relentlessly, for hours each day, through pouring rain and freezing snow. Naturally, after so many years, someone—or something—found him in this state. Under the flash of lightning, a creature with a vaguely human shape but a left arm so purple it seemed long past rotten discovered him. "If you're going to do it, do it properly," the monster sneered, slapping the stick from Beam's hand and replacing it with a sword. "Swing it," the creature commanded.

Only when training with this creature did Beam notice changes. The voice grew louder and angrier. Yet, there was also something else—a yearning alongside the gnawing. It felt warm, like a woman's hand on his shoulder. This presence stayed with him, intensifying over time. Two voices spoke, growing louder. With them, Beam's desire to grow stronger intensified, and true progress began. Alongside this came a strength few could believe.

Months passed, and once more, Beam's world changed. Villagers who had once avoided him now showed interest. There was something mysterious about him, almost incredible. This fact was confirmed when he returned one day with the corpse of an impossibly strong Hobgoblin. He seemed too formidable for the village.

Tragedy struck again, and Beam's name was taken. The hands of the powerful turned their gaze toward him. They saw strength and included it in their games. Under immense secrecy, his past was hidden away. He was given a new name, Oliver Patrick, and a place among minor nobility.

Join Beam—and later Oliver Patrick—as he fights against his fate, clawing his way out of the mud he was born into, and begins his war against the powerful men of Stormfront.