The Transmigration Stone shattered without a sound.
Its solid form broke apart like fragile glass, dissolving into countless motes of green and purple light. Those lights wrapped themselves tightly around Lucien's soul, clinging to it as if afraid to let go. In the next instant, the glow stretched into a thin stream and vanished, racing through space at a speed that felt impossible to measure.
Far away, several kilometers from where the stone had first appeared in midair, a tense silence hung over a small, damaged encampment.
"It's no good."
A middle-aged man let out a heavy sigh, his voice thick with sadness.
He wore blue armor marked with a roaring tiger emblem on the chest, though the metal was chipped and cracked in many places. Dried blood stained the edges. His tired eyes were fixed on a small figure lying motionless on a rough bed nearby.
"He hasn't woken up since the day you dragged him back," another man said coldly. He was dressed in the same blue armor, but his expression carried impatience instead of concern. "Is it really worth caring this much for a kid you have nothing to do with, Garreck?"
Garreck's jaw tightened.
"I picked him up," he replied stiffly. "So he's my responsibility. Shut your mouth, Merek."
Merek scoffed, crossing his arms. "There you go again. Always snapping. You don't even carry out the captain's orders properly anymore. All you do is look after this brat. Tell me, is he your illegitimate son or something?"
Garreck turned slowly, his eyes sharp.
"I know you don't like me," he said, his voice low. "But stop provoking me again and again. If you have the guts, draw your sword."
With a metallic hiss, Garreck unsheathed his blade.
Merek's eyes widened, but he quickly followed suit, pulling his own sword free. "You think I'm scared of you? I'll show you who deserves the captain's position in the Blue Tiger Mercenaries!"
The moment the words left Merek's mouth, Garreck moved.
His body blurred forward, far faster than his cultivation level should have allowed. As his sword swung, a blinding white light erupted from the blade, flooding the entire area and swallowing everything in brilliance.
"What?!" Merek panicked. "A battle technique?!"
His vision vanished. He froze where he stood, unable to see, unable to react. Fear crawled up his spine as his heart pounded wildly.
At that same instant, a faint glow slipped quietly through the overwhelming brightness. It was so dim that neither man noticed it.
The light drifted toward the child on the bed, whose breathing had just stopped moments earlier, and sank into his body without a trace.
The light faded.
When Merek's vision finally returned, the first thing he saw was a sword tip pressed gently against his throat.
Cold. Sharp. Deadly.
He swallowed hard, his legs trembling.
"I've had enough of you," Garreck said flatly.
Just as he shifted his grip, preparing to end it, a firm voice cut through the tension.
"Wait."
Garreck clicked his tongue. "Tch. The captain."
He stepped back reluctantly and lowered his sword.
Warmth spread through Lucien's soul.
The crushing cold that had followed him since the space-time tunnel slowly receded, replaced by something gentle, something alive.
'Is… is this body being repaired?' Lucien wondered. Even now, it felt unreal to him that this fragile body was his.
Nearby, Merek collapsed onto the ground, relief washing over his face.
"Haha! I'm alive! I'm alive!" he shouted. "Captain, Garreck was about to kill me! He's a traitor, I tell you, a traitor!"
The captain, a tall man with a calm yet oppressive presence, walked toward Merek without a word.
"Is that so?" he asked quietly.
Hope flared in Merek's eyes.
Then, without warning, a fist smashed into his face.
Merek's body flew backward, slamming into the wall with a loud crash.
Boom.
He slid down slowly, staring ahead in disbelief.
"Why…?" he muttered weakly.
The captain looked down at him coldly. "Do you think I don't know your little tricks? How many times have I warned you not to provoke Garreck?"
He turned toward Garreck and let out a breath.
"Garreck, forgive my nephew. He won't dare do this again. I'll handle his punishment personally."
Garreck gave a short nod. He said nothing. Out here, some bitterness could only be swallowed.
The captain glanced around, narrowing his eyes slightly. "By the way… did either of you see anything glowing just now?"
Garreck thought for a moment. "The only thing glowing was my sword."
"Not that," the captain said, then waved his hand. "Never mind."
A flicker of greed passed through his eyes. If there really was something unusual here, he had no intention of sharing it.
Inside the child's body, Lucien felt sweat soak his skin.
Not because of the glow they mentioned, but because of something far worse.
'I can't understand a single word they're saying,' he realized.
The sounds were clear, but the meaning was completely foreign.
'Of all the bodies… why a child?' Despair crept into his thoughts. 'I can't even take care of myself like this. Am I really this unlucky?'
His eyes drifted upward, staring at the cloudy sky beyond the tent.
It looked heavy, dark, and endless. Just like his fate.
Then, slowly, his expression changed.
'I won't give up,' he decided. 'Not again.'
The determination on that small, pale face looked strangely adorable.
Garreck turned back toward the bed, and his eyes widened.
"The kid's awake!" he exclaimed. "Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?"
"Calm down," the captain said with a chuckle. "He's just a child. He's been unconscious for days. Don't expect miracles."
Garreck scratched his head, embarrassed. "Right… sorry. I got carried away."
"Take care of him," the captain said as he turned to leave. "I have other matters to deal with."
When the camp grew quiet again, Lucien's head suddenly throbbed violently.
Pain stabbed into his mind like needles.
"Arghhh!"
"Kid?" Garreck rushed over, panic rising again. "What's wrong? Don't scare me like this!"
A dark shape flickered at the edge of Lucien's vision.
'What… is that black thing…?'
He clutched his head, the pain growing unbearable, until darkness swallowed him whole.
Garreck quickly checked his pulse and finally relaxed.
"He just fainted," he sighed. "Thank goodness."
He laughed bitterly. "This kid really likes putting my heart on the line."
'It's almost his third birthday,' Garreck thought. 'If he hadn't woken up by then, I'd be in serious trouble.'
He lifted the child gently and carried him into his own room, laying him carefully on the bed.
After that, Garreck sat at the table and began writing a letter. When he finished, he stood by the window and whistled softly.
A pigeon fluttered in and landed on his hand.
Garreck tied the letter to its leg and sent it off into the sky.
"That should do it," he murmured. "If things go smoothly, my mission will finally end."
He leaned back, exhaustion washing over him.
"It's been nearly three years since I left the empire," he said quietly. "Hopefully, the storm has passed."
"And if it hasn't…" he chuckled weakly, lying down on the floor.
"Then the two of us will die together."