'System, tell me, how do I obtain shadow fragments?' Modret asked curiously.
There was a brief silence before the fairy finally responded.
{Try to find out.}
Her voice sounded cheeky, almost playful, and Modret was left stunned.
'What? Come on, tell me. This is important for both our lives!' he groaned in frustration. Of all times for the system to misbehave, why now?
{There is no need to feel pressured. You will naturally find out the answer soon enough.}
The system's response was calm, yet evasive. Modret was speechless. Still, his curiosity was difficult to suppress.
Just as he was about to press further, the sound of hushed voices reached his ears, drifting in from nearby.
His mother paused the tune she had been softly humming and gently stood up, turning her gaze toward the door.
"That should be your father's siblings," she said in a low voice, her expression calm but focused, as if she had sensed their presence even before hearing them.
Just as she predicted, within a few moments, Donald stepped into the room. His massive frame nearly blocked the doorway.
He glanced at Anna, then at the child in her arms. A faint smile appeared on his face as he stepped aside to reveal the figures behind him.
A man and three women entered quietly.
"Son, meet your aunties and uncle," Donald said with a warm tone.
Anna rolled her eyes with a soft scoff. "As if he can understand you," she muttered under her breath.
Still, she walked forward with grace, bowing politely and greeting the four guests warmly.
They returned her smile and then turned their attention to Modret, who stared back at them with curious, wide eyes.
The first to approach was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his late thirties. His appearance was more ordinary, more human, especially when compared to Donald's monstrous build. He had flowing black hair and gentle brown eyes, and though his features were calmer, there was an unmistakable familial resemblance to Donald.
'His brother, perhaps?' Modret guessed silently.
"Nephew, I am Ronald, your father's brother," the man said kindly, his voice filled with affection as he looked at Modret like he was his own son.
"This is my wife. Her name is Jarvis," he added, gesturing toward the woman beside him.
She had soft features, a pair of deep blue eyes, and flowing black hair that framed her face. Despite her warm smile, something about her gave Modret a strange feeling—an odd sense of unease he couldn't quite explain.
He frowned inwardly but chose not to dwell on it.
Jarvis stepped forward and extended her hand, revealing a golden ring shaped like a snake. She gently placed it in Modret's chubby little hand.
"This is said to bring good luck," she said softly, closing his fingers over it.
Modret felt a cool sensation seep into his palm from the ring's surface.
'Could it really bring good luck?' he wondered, though he quickly turned his attention to the next approaching figure.
She had black hair and brown eyes like Ronald. A gentle warmth radiated from her gaze, something both familiar and comforting.
She looked down at Modret and spoke lightly.
"I'm your father's sister, Selina. Welcome to the family, Modret."
Even though they knew Modret couldn't understand them, each one felt it was important to introduce themselves personally. It was a tradition deeply rooted in their family history.
Selina touched his cheek gently, smiled, and then turned toward the last woman standing nearby.
She appeared to be the oldest of the group. Faint wrinkles lined her face, and a serene, maternal aura surrounded her.
"Is she my grandmother?" Modret thought.
"This is First Brother's wife. Since First Brother is currently at the battlefield, she will be representing him to welcome you," Selina said with a soft smile as she stepped aside.
Celia approached quietly, her grey eyes locking with Modret's. He stared into her gaze, sensing only calm and warmth. For reasons he couldn't explain, he felt his guard lowering instinctively.
The sensation startled him. He stared even harder, trying to understand what was happening.
'An ability perhaps?' he speculated inwardly.
Soon, the gathering concluded. With the introductions complete, Modret had now been formally welcomed into the world. As they departed one after another, his eyes followed Celia's retreating figure.
'The battlefield, huh?' he mused, curiosity flashing in his gaze.
So this world really was just as dangerous as he had feared. Even without knowing the exact nature of the battlefield, something told him it was a place of immense peril.
Modret sighed and let his thoughts drift.
Eventually, he didn't even notice when he drifted off to sleep again.
…
This time, Modret's sleep was not only peaceful, it was filled with a dream more vivid than any he had ever known.
He found himself in the company of a beautiful woman. Her voice was gentle, and her smile made his heart flutter. The dream felt like a memory, a fragment of his past life resurfacing from somewhere deep within.
He was entirely immersed.
But then, without warning, the woman let out a strange hissing sound.
Modret blinked in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but it seemed the woman couldn't speak. She hissed again, louder this time, and her expression began to distort.
Panic surged through him. His heart raced. He screamed faintly and jolted awake, the dream vanishing like mist under the sun.
"Shit, what terrible luck," Modret muttered in his heart, opening his eyes wide.
And then, everything froze.
Right in front of him was a snake the size of a grown man's arm.
Its scales were pitch black and its body radiated a suffocating aura as it slithered closer, its forked tongue flicking the air.
It seemed as startled to see Modret as he was to see it.
For a heartbeat, they stared at each other in silence.
Then, the snake lunged.
Modret's eyes went wide with fear.
'Another assassination attempt? How did it even get in here?'
But there was no time to think. The threat was already upon him.
He rolled his small body to the side with all the strength he could muster. Thankfully, the bed was spacious enough for him to dodge.
The snake smashed into the bedding, briefly dazed, but quickly recovered and turned toward him again.
Hiss.
It let out another shrill hiss and lunged straight at him.
'Not even giving me time to breathe?' Modret thought bitterly.
Suddenly, something began to change…