The morning passed peacefully.Alex slowly opened his eyes as rays of sunlight began to pierce through the dense canopy above, illuminating the area around the Holy River with a gentle glow. The air there felt incredibly clean and refreshing, completely different from the oppressive atmosphere he had experienced when he first found himself stranded in the Forbidden Forest.He rose from where he had been lying and scooped up a handful of water from the crystal-clear river. The moment he drank it, an extraordinary sense of freshness spread throughout his entire body. The fatigue and soreness lingering from yesterday vanished without a trace within seconds."This water is seriously magical," he muttered in amazement.Even so, there was one important thing that had been occupying his mind since yesterday.His status screen."System."Ding.A familiar transparent blue holographic screen unfolded before him.[Host Status]Name: Alex / Aldric StormbladeRace: HumanLevel: 10EXP: 0 / 5000Ti

Alex looked at the silver bracelet on his left wrist. At the center of the ancient interwoven metal, a chunk of blue crystal remained still without a single ripple, closely hiding the presence of the Sacred River stored within. A legacy that, if its existence ever leaked, would be enough to trigger a blood war between kingdoms."I still don't understand," Alex said, breaking the silence.Kirin, who stood at the riverbank, turned slowly, letting its white fur coat be swept by the evening wind. "About what?""Why does it have to be me?" Alex pointed at himself. "You have been guarding this place for thousands of years. Why hand it over to a human stranger?"The flow of water in front of them slowly began to recede and fade, a sign that the authority of the Sacred River had indeed shifted entirely. Kirin stared at the void with a calm glow in its golden eyes."I am the guardian of this place, Alex. However, I was never its owner. My duty all this time was merely to wait.""Waiting for so

Alex walked out from behind the large boulder with steady steps. There was no hesitation, no haste, and he had absolutely no intention of hiding his presence any longer.Meanwhile, Nero had slipped into the Shadow Nest upon a brief instruction through their mental link. Inside the dense, pitch-black shadow dimension, the dragon hatchling's pair of reptilian eyes still watched the outside world intently.Nero snorted in sheer annoyance. Through the contract connection, Alex could feel Nero's surging rage; the small dragon truly wanted to come out and tear the throats of the humans in front of them."Stay there and be quiet," Alex whispered inwardly, calming his partner's emotional ripples.Nero snorted again, forced to obey even though his wings twitched in frustration inside the darkness of the shadow dimension.In the middle of the dirt road, the five sturdy men who were busy inflicting torture on the victim suddenly halted their movements. The sweep of the wind carrying a foreign pr

Aldric continued to stare at Darius without blinking. One second, two seconds, up to five seconds passed in an awkward silence, making Darius begin to shift his standing position uncomfortably beneath the intensity of that gaze."Is there... something on my face, Master?" Darius asked hesitantly, his hand rising to touch his bruised cheek.Aldric did not reply right away. Behind his silvery-white mask, his sensory focus was completely directed toward the mechanical voice echoing within his consciousness. "System, can the slave shackle on his neck be removed?"Ding.A transparent blue screen slid down in the corner of his vision, scanning the iron band on Darius's neck in real-time.[Slave Mark Detected]Magic Structure Tier: IntermediateStatus Analysis: CompleteConclusion: The seal can be removed by force.Recommended Method: Host possesses qualified attributes. Removal can be executed using high-tier mana control, or by applying the purification principles of the Sacred River which

The moment they crossed the main gate of Arkan City, Aldric’s steps involuntarily slowed. His eyes moved in all directions, observing the stone buildings neatly lined up along the street. The voices of merchants shouting out their wares vied with the rumbling thud of passing horse carriages. Children could be seen running through the crowd. For the first time since arriving in this world, Aldric was truly in the midst of human civilization."I didn't expect it to be this crowded," Aldric murmured.Darius offered a thin smile beside him. "Arkan City is indeed one of the largest trading cities in the southern territory."Aldric nodded slowly. The city left Alex in awe, even though it looked ancient and far from modern like his original world.Throughout the journey, he saw people, both women and men, clad in full steel armor, and some among them even carried magic staffs. Their personalities appeared distinct; some looked friendly, while others looked arrogant. Not a few even glanced at