All my family is here to see me off on my new journey, all of them happy to watch me depart toward the capital, Primaver, for a new adventure.

"Little one, I hope you don't come back with a woman this time." I stare at my grandmother with the strangest look I can muster, but she doesn't flinch. "You already returned with a female herald, I'm worried about what comes next."

"She's like an older sister!" I retort with a tired voice. They know what my relationship with the heralds is, and my grandmother is just teasing.

"Perhaps this time you'll return with the daughter of a king… or even the emperor's daughter." My mother whispered it unconsciously, because she quickly lifted her head to find all of us staring at her.

"I won't come back with another woman… I hope." I'm not even sure myself. Women in this world love strong men, and my potential is limitless. An idea sparks in my head to push the joke further. "Although… I can't promise I won't come back with a son or daughter." My joke went too far. Everyone's faces froze, not a muscle moved. I cough lightly and say, "It's a joke."

"This time you really got us." My grandmother bursts out laughing harder than usual, wiping tears from her eyes. "Remember to make friends and have fun at the party, and don't forget to win the tournament for our family." Her smile shines with full confidence in me.

"When you win the tournament, strike a proud pose!" My father flexes his big arms as a joke, which earns him a pair of ice spheres smacking his head courtesy of my mother. "Enjoy your journey, son, and show them you're a Vichag." My father winks with a grin.

"Don't forget Arisa's gift." My mother hands me a small, elegantly wrapped box. It's the same size as the one I gave Sol on her birthday, which sparks my curiosity.

"What's inside, Mother? It looks a lot like the one Sol received." I shake it, but hear nothing. There's even a small spatial lock on it that I could break if I forced it with my world domain—but of course, I don't.

"It's a necklace." My mother avoids my eyes for a moment. "It's quite beautiful and delicate, and its meaning is: I will always be there for you, I will protect you forever." From the word "meaning," her voice fades lower and lower until the end. She looks back at me and smiles as if nothing happened.

I just press two fingers to my forehead and sigh. The necklace does represent my feelings in a way, but I can't help worrying it carries some hidden implication.

We approach the carriage, the same one I used for my last trip to the Solar territory.

"Are you sure about going alone, little one?" My grandmother looks worried, I can feel it in her Imra. These past days I've practiced how to drive it, and it's simple enough. That's why I decided to go alone.

"Yes, there are no rank 4 monsters nearby. I'm strong enough to fend for myself against rank 3 monsters." I raise my arm to show off my bicep, emphasizing my strength. The only way to "guarantee safety" would be to hire a Ruby rank, which is too expensive. That's why I chose to go alone and not waste money on a Sapphire rank. If things get ugly, I'll just escape.

They don't say anything more about my solo trip, though I can still see the worry in their faces. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." My words calm them just a little.

I climb onto the carriage, we all raise our hands to say goodbye, and with a tug of the reins, the tamed beast begins galloping swiftly. This beast can go three days without sleep, and I can do the same if I inject vital mana, so we'll make the trip without stopping. The journey should take less than a day if nothing unusual happens.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

The view from the driver's seat is far better than riding as a passenger. I can see the entire landscape and enjoy the perfect weather. I have two small swords constructed, cutting down monsters along the road. They can't keep up with the speed, but trying to strike them while racing forward is great training.

Night falls, but the path is well marked, with signals and lights every so often. It's no problem thanks to my World Domain. I haven't deactivated my constructs, since monsters are more dangerous at night.

"Hm?" I sense someone lying at the side of the road. I try to slow the carriage, but with the speed, I only stop several meters ahead. Locking the wheels to keep them still, I approach the person lying down.

"Are you alright?" He stares at me for a moment before answering.

"So so… I was attacked by a monster and injured my leg." I see a bandage wrapped around the wound, blood staining his clothes.

At that moment, two more people appear in my domain. They're far away but moving closer. That's not the only odd thing—the man's Imra suddenly turns malicious. He can't contain his killing intent.

Was I a fool to stop? My family warned me about ambushes like this. I scan their Imras carefully. All three are Sapphire rank, but they don't look strong enough to worry me. I'll play along until the other two arrive.

"I have a low-grade potion with me, let me fetch it from the carriage." A simple lie. I'll just grab one from my dimensional bracelet. I go back, take it out, and toss it to him. He grabs it, stares at it briefly, then drinks it.

"Thanks…" His voice is low, like he doesn't know how to respond. But his Imra is worse—his killing intent stronger now, as if he's found the perfect prey.

"Could you help me to the nearest town?" He lowers his head as he asks. At that same moment, his two friends close in, about forty meters away. I hesitate, not about helping, but about killing. This is my first time in a situation where I must kill humans to survive.

I activate my mental skill to steady my nerves. I convince myself—this is the best chance to practice. Alone in a forest at night, with three men who don't care that I'm just a child. If their Imras had wavered even slightly, I might have spared them. But these bastards don't deserve to live.

"Just you? Or will your two friends come along too?" I point with my left hand toward their direction. His eyes widen, and in that moment, a Joyeuse forms in my hand and slices off both his legs.

Caught by surprise, he screams in pain. His friends rush forward. I conjure my usual armor and another ice sword. All my skills flare, ready to fight this human scum.

Ice spikes rain down at me—I dodge. One of them, a mage, runs to his legless friend, while the other charges at me like a bear, wielding a thick armor, shield, and sword.

I rush to meet him head-on. His sword slashes down vertically, and I block with mine. His strength slightly surpasses mine, so I redirect it aside and slash at his abdomen with my right-hand sword. He reacts fast, blocking with his shield.

"You're going to die, brat!" the bear-man roars as we separate.

I don't answer, only glare at him with hatred. They tried to kill me for loot, and now they rage because one of them is wounded.

I charge without fear. He buffs his chest and sword with earth mana, boosting strength and defense but sacrificing speed. I exploit it with my agility and superior swordsmanship. No matter how he tries to catch me, I evade and cut, leaving marks on his armor.

He spends enormous mana patching the damage with more stone. Just as I'm about to thrust into his chest, I dodge—spikes of ice rain down again. The mage joined in.

I won't waste more time. The two small Joyeuses I had flying around dart behind the mage. I hurl them at full speed. He tries to react but fails. They pierce through his weak defenses, stabbing into his back and skull. His body collapses like a sack.

The big man falters and in that instant loses an arm. I keep pressing, and seconds later, he drops to his knees with two swords driven into his heart and his cube. Both had decent skills and even a pseudo Law—but they were nothing compared to me.

I walk toward the legless man, who now sobs and begs for mercy. "If I were in your place, you wouldn't show me any." A Joyeuse forms, and I decapitate him in one stroke. Killing three men leaves a bitter taste. I feel dizzy, nauseous. Without my mental skill, it would have been harder to endure.

"They deserved it. Don't feel guilty." Glia's voice resonates, trying to calm me. She's right, and I know it—but that doesn't make it easier.

I freeze their corpses and shatter them with my Electrifying Raging River, scattering the pieces. Mounting the carriage, I sit still for minutes, staring ahead. Glia curls on my lap like a cat, purring softly before falling asleep.

"It had to happen sooner or later…" With that thought, I whip the reins, accelerating toward my destination.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.