Legendary Extraction: Kingdom Builder in a Ruined World
Chapter 45: The Mysterious Arcane Race.

Chapter 45: The Mysterious Arcane Race.

Elias smiled lightly. "Good. Now, one question—are there any more of you?"

Raya frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Elias said calmly, "are there other versions of you out there? Fragments. Possessing other people or beasts."

Raya tensed slightly at the question, her expression tightening.

Elias didn’t stop. "You’re an arcane being. I still don’t fully understand how your race works. But if there’s even one more fragment of you somewhere, I need to know now."

He couldn’t afford to take chances.

If even a small part of Thalor had separated from her main body before the imprint was placed, then that part might not be affected by it. And that was dangerous. Elias didn’t like leaving threats alive, no matter how small.

After a moment of silence, Raya finally shook her head. "There’s none. We arcane beings can only split our essence a limited number of times. I’ve already reached my limit. It’ll take a very long time before I can split again."

Elias stared at her for a few seconds, watching her face closely. Then he gave a small nod.

"Good."

He turned away. "Let’s go back."

With that, the group began walking back toward Elias’s territory.

---

As they moved through the forest path, Elias turned his head slightly toward her. "Tell me about the arcane race."

Raya glanced at him, hesitant.

"I’m not asking you to reveal your deepest secrets," Elias said simply. "I just want to understand your kind better. I need to know what I’m dealing with."

She sighed. And under the pressure of the imprint on her soul, she began to speak.

With every sentence she said, Elias’s brows furrowed more.

Apparently, the arcane race was different from every other.

They didn’t reproduce like humans or beasts. They didn’t even have genders.

They were created. Not born—but formed. Each one came from a single origin.

The All Father.

An ancient being of unimaginable power. According to Raya, this entity could easily conquer the entire world if he ever wanted.

Elias raised a curious eyebrow. "If he’s really that strong, then why didn’t he fight back when the other races teamed up to defeat your kind?"

Raya answered, "The All Father does not believe in violence. When the other races attacked us, he didn’t fight back. Instead, he told us to retreat. He gathered what remained of our people and went into hiding."

Elias frowned at that.

That sounded... off. He didn’t believe it for a second. But he didn’t push further.

He kept listening as Raya continued to speak, each word revealing more strange truths about her race.

What shocked him the most was how the All Father expanded their numbers.

Unlike normal arcane beings, when the All Father split parts of himself, he didn’t just create fragments or extensions.

He created full, new arcane beings. Entirely independent, with their own thoughts and cores.

But others like Thalor couldn’t do the same.

When a normal arcane being split off, the parts remained tied to their main body. They were fragments—still part of them. They could then use those fragments to possess other creatures or do whatever they wished with them.

Elias narrowed his eyes.

"So he’s not just a creator... he births your people by sacrificing parts of his own being?" Elias asked.

"Yes," Raya confirmed with a nod. "He gives his energy. His essence."

Elias was silent for a moment, stunned.

That meant the All Father’s energy reserves were either limitless or something very close to it.

To create an entire race of energy-based beings just by tearing off pieces of himself...

How much power would it take to do that?

Elias couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Still, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "If he’s really that powerful, then why did he choose to hide?"

Raya’s eyes dimmed. "He once said... ’There is no victory in domination, only delay in downfall.’ He believes balance should be natural, not something forced."

Elias furrowed his brows. All of it sounded like a load of nonsense to him. No matter how peaceful or detached someone was, they wouldn’t just sit still while being attacked—especially not when part of their own essence, the arcane race, was being hunted down and destroyed. That didn’t sound convincing at all.

Even so, Elias figured the All Father must have been powerful. After all, if the other races had to form an alliance to take down the Arcane race, then they clearly weren’t weak. But still... something about Raya’s story felt exaggerated. There was probably more to it than she was saying. For now, though, he didn’t press too hard and chose to keep asking.

"Then tell me—why did the other races attack your kind in the first place? From how you describe it, your race sounds peaceful. Why would they go to war with you?"

That wasn’t what Elias had heard before. According to Veran, the Arcane race had been evil—dangerous enough that the entire world united just to destroy them.

Raya’s face darkened immediately. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. The air around her grew tense and heavy. For a few moments, she said nothing. But then, in a low, trembling voice filled with hidden fury, she finally answered.

"What do you think they did it for?" she hissed, teeth gritted. "They were afraid."

Her voice was sharp now, and full of restrained anger.

"Afraid of the Arcane race’s power. Of how fast we were growing. How strong we were becoming."

Elias stayed quiet, simply watching her.

"They felt threatened," Raya continued, her voice rising. "Even when we offered peace... even when we showed them nothing but respect, they still chose war. It wasn’t enough. Our strength scared them, and they responded with fear and destruction."

She paused, fists clenched at her sides. Her whole body was trembling now.

"But it wasn’t just fear," she went on bitterly. "It was greed too. We Arcane are made from pure soul energy. Our existence alone can help others strengthen their souls. They didn’t just fear us... they wanted to use us."

Her voice cracked slightly. "They wanted to bind us. Break us. Turn us into tools."

The weight in her words was heavy, thick with pain and rage.

Elias didn’t say anything. He simply listened, letting her speak. Then after a short silence, he gave a slow nod.

He wasn’t sure who was telling the truth—Veran or Raya. Maybe both had pieces of it. But one thing was certain in his mind.

This world was cruel.

And in a world like this, the truth didn’t matter as much as strength did. If you weren’t powerful, you would be crushed. That was the only thing Elias truly believed now.

He had to get stronger. Fast.

Just then, the shimmering dome of his territory came into view.

They have reached the edge of it.

Elias stopped.

He turned toward Raya, his expression calm, but his voice carried a cold edge.

"One last thing," he said. "You’re under my command now. Don’t do anything reckless. I don’t care who you were before."

He leaned a little closer, voice dropping.

"This is my territory. I make the rules here. And I’ll kill you without hesitation if you ever become a threat."

Raya didn’t speak.

But after a few seconds, she gave a slow nod.

Without another word, Elias stepped through the barrier, the transparent dome rippling as it parted for him.

Raya followed silently behind.