Ding!
> [Mission 2: Complete]
Reward: The Guild of the Golden Star has joined your team.
> [New Mission: Travel to the cities of Regalia and Gilmore to recruit more allies for the war against Nexus.]
Mark exhaled and slumped into a nearby chair. The tension in his shoulders finally loosened.
"Hey, System," he whispered in his thoughts, careful not to move his lips, "Can you give me some background on the Seven Ancient Kings… and Miss Flora?"
A moment later, lines of text appeared before his eyes.
---
> [The Seven Ancient Kings]
The Seven Ancient Kings were rulers from seven separate kingdoms, each known for slaying an Elder Dragon.
This act granted them near immortality and limitless power, elevating them into myths—gods in the eyes of men.
---
> [Queen Flora of Giga]
Known as the Mother of Healing Magic, Queen Flora created 76% of all known healing spells still used today.
Her contributions to the magical world earned her universal reverence among every nation.
Her name is etched into every major magical medical text and temple across the continents.
---
> [Extra Info]
Queen Flora is the great-great-grandmother of the current king of this nation—The Land of Iron.
Because you bear the Sapphire Gaze, the symbol of the Knight of Flora,
you now outrank the current king in political and magical hierarchy.
---
Mark's eyes narrowed.
"So… I'm royalty now?" he thought to himself.
The system didn't respond.
He leaned back, quietly piecing everything together. A war with Nexus… ancient kings…thing are getting complicated but at least he knew what to do.
Mark turned to the Guildmaster and said calmly, "You can stand—no need to bow. I'm just glad to hear you'll be joining me in the coming battle."
Aurora and the others rose to their feet. She gave a respectful nod.
"Of course, Sir. Most cities are already preparing for the fight ahead, but we're still divided. If you can unite more guilds, especially the ones in Regalia and Gilmore, you could form a sizable army."
Mark nodded. "That's the plan. I'll be traveling to both cities next to recruit their guilds."
Aurora folded her arms thoughtfully. "I see. Unfortunately, I can't leave just yet. I'll need to inform the city officials and rally more support here. However, if you need companions for the road, we can offer you any of our SSS-rank adventurers."
Mark paused, thinking it over. A large group might slow him down.
"I'll only need one teammate. It's easier to manage a smaller group."
Aurora smiled slightly and called over Alice. "In that case, Alice, go fetch Rosemary."
Mark quickly interrupted, "Actually, just tell her to prepare for the journey. I'll meet her at the city gates—we need to move fast."
Aurora nodded. "Understood."
Without wasting another second, Mark turned and headed toward the city entrance, where his next journey—and another potential ally—awaited.
Mark waited near the city gates, his arms crossed and eyes scanning the road while speaking internally to the system.
"Hey, system—quick question. Do you know why that monster attacked the town earlier? I forgot to ask Aurora."
Ding
> [It was most likely sent by Nexus to weaken the town's defenses.]
Mark let out a sigh. "Of course it was him. Hopefully he doesn't send anything after me personally."
> [I think you just jinxed yourself.]
Mark rolled his eyes just as he noticed someone approaching—a girl with long white hair, round glasses, and a cloak swaying in the breeze. A fox-shaped mask hung from her hip. She looked shy, glancing around while asking bystanders for someone matching Mark's description.
He raised his hand and called out, "Hey! I'm over here!"
The girl rushed over, her steps hurried but graceful.
"Are you Mark—the knight of Queen Flora?" she asked with wide, sparkling eyes.
"Yeah, that's me." Mark tugged down his collar, revealing a glimpse of the glowing sapphire eye embedded in his chest.
Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "It really is you! I'm Rosemary. I'll be your teammate from now on!"
She was practically bubbling with curiosity, her gaze fixated on the eye like it held a thousand secrets.
Mark cleared his throat. "Alright then—lead the way to Regalia."
Rosemary blinked, then snapped back to reality. "Oh! Right! Let's go, it's this way!"
They began their journey, traveling down the winding path toward Regalia. Eventually, they entered the Midnight Forest, one of three major zones separating the City of Dawn from Regalia.
As they moved beneath the thick canopy, shafts of sunlight cutting through the trees, Rosemary walked beside Mark, fidgeting with her sleeves.
"So… what's Queen Flora like?" she asked excitedly. "Is it true she can grow entire forests with a snap of her fingers? What's your relationship with her?"
Mark didn't mind the questions—if anything, he enjoyed the attention.
"I can only answer one of those," he said with a grin. "She's my ancestor. The exact relation? I'm not sure."
Ding
> [Queen Flora is your great-great-grandmother.]
Mark nodded. "Okay, correction. Just got confirmation—she's my great-great-grandmother."
Rosemary's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Wait—so you're a direct descendant? That means if we were to marry, I'd become part of the bloodline!"
Mark's face flushed crimson. "A-Alright, changing the subject now."
They continued chatting, walking deeper into the forest as the air grew thicker with magic.
Crackle—
Suddenly, Rosemary stopped in her tracks. She reached out and placed a hand on Mark's chest.
"Wait. Something's following us," she whispered.
Mark tensed. "Really? Can you tell what it is?"
Rosemary nodded and closed her eyes. A gentle hum pulsed from her body.
"Mana Sense."
She released a wave of mana, scanning the woods around them. Her eyes flew open.
"A giant fireball—coming straight at us!" she shouted.
Without hesitation, she raised her palm.
"Force Magic: Dragon Roar!"
A shockwave of compressed pressure blasted forward, colliding with the incoming fireball and exploding it mid-air. Trees shattered and splintered, leaving a smoldering clearing in the forest.
Mark grabbed Rosemary's hand. "Ash Manipulation: Smoke Screen!"
A thick cloud of ash burst around them, concealing their figures as he pulled her into the trees. They crouched behind thick trunks, eyes scanning the clearing.
A man emerged.
He walked calmly through the smog, dragging a massive dragon by a chain. His body was wrapped head to toe in bandages, only his glowing eyes and exposed abdomen visible.
But his stomach wasn't normal.
It was split wide open into a gaping, toothy maw—the chain connected directly into that grotesque mouth, anchoring the dragon to his flesh.
Mark whispered, , "W-What... what is he?"
Rosemary narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. But I that mouth it seems familiar.
Ding!
> [This appears to be an assassin sent by King Nexus. He bears the Blessing of Minus—one of the Seven Ancient Kings, also known as the King of Greed.]
> [Blessing: Greed] [This ability allows the user to absorb the energy of anyone they physically touch. In addition, the user can convert damage into mana through linked entities.]
Mark's jaw clenched. "He's got the Greed blessing... Nexus isn't pulling any punches."
He turned to Rosemary and warned, "Don't let him grab you. One touch and he'll drain your energy ."
Rosemary gave a sharp nod, whispering back, "Got it. I'll keep my distance."
From the clearing, the assassin's guttural voice echoed with menace.
"I know you're here... I can smell your mana. Come out and play."
Without hesitation, Rosemary shot out from behind the trees, aiming not at the assassin—but at the chained dragon beside him.
"Force Magic: Tempest Sphere!"
A massive orb of pressure surged from her palm and slammed into the dragon's face, erupting in a concussive blast that kicked up dust and debris.
The dragon didn't flinch.
Instead, the chain connecting it to the assassin glowed ominously. The monstrous mouth on the assassin's abdomen licked its jagged lips with a long, serpentine tongue, writhing with anticipation.
Mark felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Ding!
> [Warning: The Blessing of Greed is absorbing incoming damage through the dragon's link.]
Mark cursed aloud, "Damn it, Rosemary! He's absorbing the damage! Attacking the dragon only feeds him!"
Rosemary ducked behind the rocks, eyes wide. "Then we'll sever there connection ?"
Mark's eyes narrowed. "Exactly. We break the chain first then we attack them individually"