---
In the tranquil of the forest moved three slender, shadowy figures as they leapt through the trees with such grace, speed, and fluidity that every step they took felt ethereal. On a closer look, one could notice distinct features — they were humanoid. In fact, they looked mostly human except for a few traits that said otherwise. They were tall and lean in a way that seemed not odd but perfect — and most of all were their oddly pointed ears.
"Iyvre, I think we should slow down. We've definitely gained distance from them; we should rest," an alluring feminine voice called to the shadowy figure in the lead.
The figure in front landed on a large branch and turned toward the voice. With that, her face became visible — ethereal, with icy silver-shaded skin, pale white-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and pale green eyes. A beauty — far above human standards. Yet, even this beauty looked weary, rough, and untidy.
She looked at her two battle sisters — two other beauties with fairy-like features, though her skin was even paler.
"Yasmin is right, Iyvre. No matter how fast we run in this state, we won't make it to Eldoria before the Withered Nights. We have to recuperate."
Iyvre sighed. Her sisters were right — they had to find shelter or regroup with the rest of their squad.
"Alright, you both have a point. Besides, you still haven't healed yet," she said, turning to Yasmin, whose arm was wrapped around her waist, clutching a blood-soaked bandage.
"Where do you think we can hide for a while?" Yasmin asked, groaning in pain.
"I say we head toward human territories. The Dark Acolytes would never follow us there. What do you think, Iyvre?"the third sister replied
"That's risky. Humans are just as bad," Yasmin argued.
"But there's no other way. The High Elves would never lend a hand to sell-swords like us. They won't even consider listening to us."
"That's enough," Iyvre cut in, silencing their bickering. "Remember, we still have to find Lady Valerie . If we can find her faster than they can, we'll be able to gain the support of the High Elves. It's the only way."
"All this could've been avoided if not for those greedy elders," the third one cursed.
"Regardless, what's done is done. Yasmin, rest here. I and Ayobe" she paused, glancing at the third sister, "will scout the area and make sure it's clear of any beasts — and hopefully not a Withered spawn point."
"Alright," Yasmin said as she sat gently on the branch, pulling out a handful of herbs from a surprisingly small pouch attached to her waist. Her hands began glowing green, pulsing with lifelike energy.
Iyvre turned to scan their surroundings as thoughts ran through her mind.
'We're at the borderlands. We should avoid humans as much as possible. I need a quiet place to break through to the next rank',
she thought as she unsheathed a long blade strapped to her back and leapt into the canopies, followed by Ayobe.
---
It had been a day and a half since Rael left the stream, treading deeper into the woods — close to red zones, though he made sure to avoid them. He was forever grateful for the scorching furnaces they called suns in this world; though the heat was unbearable, it helped him, as most beasts avoided sunlight. By his luck, he hadn't yet come across the ones that didn't.
Rael leaned against a huge oak tree, tossing berries into his mouth as he chewed. They were common wild berries — tasty, though they made him answer nature's call more than once a day. Still, he didn't mind. They filled his stomach and quenched his thirst.
He gazed ahead, noticing the trees had grown scarce — as if cleared or cut down.
"Possibly some kind of camp up ahead," Rael muttered. He was sure of it, having noticed marched and cleared paths earlier. Yet he hesitated. He had no idea what kind of people they might be — bandits, cultists, or worse, Aether users.
Thinking deeply whether to approach or turn back, he closed his eyes and viewed the system panel.
[System Awakening]
[At 99%]
He knew he had just one more mile before the system revealed whatever it had installed. He chose to move in the same direction as the cleared path.
Along the way, more signs confirmed his suspicion — burnt wood, ash, and signs of a former camp. But he paused when he spotted dried blood splattered on the ground. Bending down to inspect, he found a severed finger, dried and decayed.
Rael instantly drew his short sword, now sharpened, scanning the surroundings carefully.
'Whatever happened here must've been a while ago,'
he thought.
" I hope it's not some damn cultists." Cultists were bad news Still, he decided to investigate further out of curiosity.
It didn't take long for him to reach an abandoned campsite filled with torn tents marked by strange claw gouges and dried blood.
Rael froze, processing what could only be described as a gruesome massacre. All around him were shattered corpses of men and women in leather armor.
He scanned the scene, ensuring whatever had slaughtered them wasn't still nearby, then knelt beside one of the few intact corpses. Ignoring the stench, he searched the body until he found an insignia.
"The Rosil Guild?!" he exclaimed softly. He recognized it — a transport guild from Grandveil. The realization made a shiver crawl up his spine.
Though only a one-star guild, the Rosil Guild were well-respected, often hired by mid-class merchants and families. They were still a force to be reckoned with, especially since they had four Aether users, all at the Iron Fighter rank.
Whatever had killed them tore through them too fast — he could tell from how most of their faces were frozen in peaceful, sleeping expressions. Only four showed horror. Those four, Rael was certain, were the Aether users.
"It was definitely fast… too fast," Rael murmured.
He rummaged through the camp taking potion sacks, a fitting leather armor including a better long sword, ignoring moral restraint — such things barely mattered in this world at all.
Finally, while searching the last Aether user impaled through the chest by a sharp branch, his face lit up with excitement as glowing text flickered across his mind:
[System Awakening complete]
[System stabilizing]
[Host identification 1…2…10…20]
[Host identified: Rael Drakul]
[Welcome to the Dominion Codex]
"Finally," Rael whispered.