At first his control was rough, the vessel weaving slightly as he overcorrected, but with each passing minute he felt himself adapting. His enhanced reflexes and the system's processing capabilities worked in concert, learning the ship's responses and integrating the feedback into muscle memory at an accelerated rate.

His system wasn't responding inside his head. It stayed dormant.

But Jorghan's focus is on the ship and the view before them.

They climbed higher, punching through clouds that gathered over the desert in the pre-dawn hours. The ship's systems handled most of the complex navigation, but Jorghan was actually flying, actually guiding this technology through the sky.

"Approaching optimal altitude for hyperswift," ARIA announced.

"Jorghan, you'll want to engage the autopilot for this part."

He reluctantly released the controls, watching as the ship oriented itself according to parameters he couldn't see. The air around them began to shimmer, reality itself seeming to warp and distort.

"Hyperswift mode in three... two... one..."

The space around felt like it was sucking out as the ship accelerated to unimaginable speeds, hurtling through the fabric of space-time itself. Jorghan's heart raced as he felt the exhilarating rush of traveling faster than light, a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

There was no other word for it.

Everything Jorghan could see through the canopy folded in on itself.

Then reality snapped back into place, and they were somewhere else.

"Hyperswift mode complete," ARIA reported.

"Welcome to Earth, travelers. Current location: approximately thirty miles north-northeast of Grayhaven City. Adjusting course for final approach to specified coordinates."

Jorghan stared through the canopy at a world he'd long forgotten. But it was all coming back to him.

Below them, lights sparkled like constellations—cities, vast urban sprawls connected by luminous highways. The darkness was punctuated by pools of illumination, and the sheer density of human habitation was staggering.

Beside him, Sarhita gasped. "There are so many lights. So many people. Is this... is this really the Terrasper world?"

"This is Earth," Jorghan confirmed, his own voice hushed with something like awe. "And we're about to land in Grayhaven City."

He took manual control again, following ARIA's guidance as they descended.

The ship's stealth systems engaged automatically, rendering them nearly invisible to the primitive detection systems of this world's military and civilian infrastructure. They approached a large property on the city's outskirts—a white mansion surrounded by extensive gardens, the whole thing secured behind high walls.

"That's your target," ARIA confirmed.

"Large residential structure, approximately thirty thousand square feet. Significant security presence detected. Are you certain you want to land here?"

"Positive," Jorghan said, feeling a little anxious.

It felt like a lifetime; he didn't even imagine that he would come back here.

It was his mansion back in his previous life.

They landed in a garden area behind the mansion, the ship settling onto manicured grass with barely a whisper of displaced air. Through the canopy, Jorghan could see security personnel already converging on their position, weapons drawn.

"Armed response detected," ARIA noted.

"Recommend remaining in the ship until hostile intent is clarified."

"We're going out," Jorghan said, already unstrapping from his seat.

Sarhita grabbed his arm.

"Jorghan, where are we? What is this place? Why are we here?"

He met her liquid gold eyes, saw the concern and confusion there, and realized he didn't have a good answer.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her the truth now. So he decided to play mysteriously.

"I have business here," he said finally.

"With the humans who live in that mansion. I can't explain it better than that."

He cupped her face gently. "Why don't you take a look around and explore the mansion?"

"A couple of hours?" Sarhita looked uncertain.

"Jorghan, I don't think that's enough." She pushed her doubts about him and his mysterious visit here, and her own excitement was building up, seeing the earth so close.

She was already obsessed with humans and their technology, so she was more than happy to explore.

The hatch opened, and they stepped out into Earth's air.

It tasted different from the air of their world—cleaner somehow, with chemical notes that spoke of industrial processes and urban density. The temperature was mild and comfortable, nothing like the desert's extremes.

Security personnel surrounded them immediately, at least a dozen men in tactical gear, all pointing weapons that Jorghan recognized as firearms—kinetic projectile weapons, primitive by magical standards but effective against unprotected targets.

He certainly upgraded himself. Jorghn chuckled.

"On the ground! Now! Hands where we can see them!" Someone was shouting in English, the words crisp and commanding.

Jorghan raised his hand, and the world became red.

[Bloodline ability active]

[Sanguine Will]

His ability reached out, sensing the blood flowing through every body around him.

The [Seven Star Blood Deviant] classification wasn't just a measure of power—it was a description of what he could do, the absolute dominion he could exert over the life force flowing through living creatures.

As the progression of the bloodline crossed more than half, such abilities have been unlocked.

He didn't even need to fully tap into the Bloodborne Rage. This was simple manipulation, basic control over a fundamental aspect of biology.

The security personnel collapsed as one, their bodies twisting and contorting as Jorghan forced their blood to move in ways nature never intended. They wrapped around each other like tangled rope, limbs interlocking, bodies forming a pile of groaning, terrified humanity.

Then he made their blood heat.

Not enough to kill—that would be wasteful and unnecessarily cruel—but enough to burn, to hurt, to send waves of agony through their nervous systems. Internal temperatures spiked, tissues screamed in protest, and the sensation was like being cooked from the inside out.

The pile of men writhed and screamed, and Jorghan felt nothing.

No satisfaction, no guilt, just cold tactical assessment.

They were threats.

He'd neutralized them.

Simple.

[Bloodborne Rage: 15% activation]

Beside him, Sarhita stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock.

She'd seen him fight, had watched him training with lethal efficiency, but this—this casual display of absolute power over life and death—was something else entirely.

"Jorghan," she whispered.

"What did you do to them?"

"Made their blood boil," he said matter-of-factly, already walking toward the pile of groaning men. "They'll survive, but they'll remember what happens when you point weapons at me."

He crouched beside the nearest guard, a man whose face was contorted with pain and terror. Jorghan grabbed his collar, forcing eye contact.

"You're going to escort this woman," he said in perfect English, gesturing to Sarhita.

"You're going to take her wherever she wants to go. If anyone tries to stop her, you're going to tell them she's under my protection. Do you understand?"

The man nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face from the pain.

"Good." Jorghan released him, letting the temperature of the man's blood return to normal.

The relief on his face was immediate and profound.

"What's your name?"

"M-Marcus," the guard stammered.

"Marcus Chansar."

"Marcus, meet Sarhita. Sarhita, this is Marcus. He's going to be your guide for the next couple of hours."

Jorghan looked at the pale red-skinned woman and saw the mixture of fear and fascination in her expression.

"I need to go inside that mansion. I'll be back soon. Until then, explore. Learn. See what Earth has to offer."

He thought it was better this way, he didn't to reveal his past memories or the people related to him, not until he dealt with them.

Then he turned to Marcus again and said, "Not even a tiny fly should touch her."

Marcus nodded, with fear in his eyes.

"Jorghan," she began, but he was already walking away, striding toward the mansion's rear entrance with the absolute confidence of someone who knew exactly where he was going despite never having been there before.

Behind him, Sarhita stood in the garden, surrounded by groaning security personnel and illuminated by the soft glow of outdoor lighting.

Marcus struggled to his feet, his movements shaky but functional.

"Ma'am," he said, his voice rough with residual pain.

"I... where would you like to go?"

Sarhita looked at him, at the mansion, and at the ship sitting incongruously on the manicured lawn. Then she straightened her shoulders, squaring her stance with the determination that had carried her through her entire life.

"Show me everything around here," she said.

She pointed at the ship and said, "Especially a place where that type of thing is present."

Sarhita had managed to learn English, and her English was at a basic level, but it was already good.

Marcus nodded, not understanding half of what she'd said but recognizing authority when he heard it.

And Jorghan walked into the mansion alone.

He had dealt with the guards who stood in his way as he moved forward.

The mansion's door opened under his hand, and Jorghan stepped inside.

Grayhaven Mansion - Earth

The interior of the mansion was exactly as Jorghan remembered it—and that was the most disturbing part. The memories of the past were rushing back to him.

The grand foyer stretched before him, all white marble and gold accents, wealth displayed with the confident excess of old money. A sweeping staircase curved up to the second floor, and oil paintings in gilt frames lined the walls.

This had been his home.

He had lived here.

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.