The road leading to the village of "Aurina" was long enough to make anyone reconsider their life choices. But for Zayn, the road was not the problem. The real problem was the cursed gravity that made his eyelids heavier with every step.
He walked slowly, dragging his feet across soil he hadn't stepped on in ten years. Wearing a faded linen shirt and loose trousers, Zayn looked like nothing more than an ordinary twenty-five-year-old young man — a face devoid of ambition, half-closed eyes suggesting he was in a state of "hibernation" even while walking.
"Ten years…" Zayn muttered softly, followed by a deep yawn that nearly dislocated his jaw.
"I just hope my old bed is still there. I don't want to save the world. I don't want to slay dragons. I just want a pillow that doesn't smell like damp wood."
He suddenly stopped.
In the middle of the narrow mountain pass stood a massive boulder. No — it was as if a piece of the mountain had decided to commit suicide and settle right in the middle of the road. The rock was the size of a small rural house, solid and unmoving, completely blocking the path.
Zayn looked to the right — a sharp cliff.
To the left — a steep slope.
Going around it would require walking an extra three kilometers.
"That's annoying…" he sighed.
In the Empire of "Astria," travelers in such situations would normally summon a Rank B Earth Mage to shatter the rock, or perhaps a Knight to try pushing it aside with great effort.
Zayn didn't have time to look for mages.
He approached the boulder, slipped a hand into his pocket, and with a motion that resembled someone lazily kicking an empty soda can in a back alley, he lifted his right foot and tapped the rock with the tip of his worn shoe.
There was no traditional explosion.
What occurred was a violation of physics.
"BOOM!"
The air around the rock detonated due to sudden acceleration exceeding ten times the speed of sound. In a fraction of a billionth of a second, the boulder transformed from inert stone into a flaming spherical projectile, ignited by air friction. It shot into the horizon in a perfectly straight line, leaving behind a tunnel of vacuum that shattered nearby trees from the pressure.
The rock disappeared.
The echo faded within seconds.
Silence returned.
Zayn blinked slowly, as if he had merely brushed dust off his clothes.
"Good. The road's shorter now," he said to himself, continuing forward lazily, unaware of what had just occurred three thousand kilometers to the east.
Imperial Capital – Grand Palace Plaza Duke "Olaric," one of the Empire's strongest SS-Rank Knights, was breathing heavily.
His golden armor was shattered at the shoulder, and his sword, "Flame Cutter," glowed faintly. Before him, the Ashen Legendary Dragon flew low, preparing to unleash a breath of fire capable of melting stone.
"Prepare the magic barriers!" the Duke shouted desperately.
Suddenly, the atmosphere split open.
A blazing spherical object wrapped in blue lightning descended from the sky like divine wrath.
There was no time to scream.
The object — nothing more than a granite boulder — smashed into the dragon's skull, obliterating its head into fragments. It continued forward, crashing into the mountain behind it and causing a tremor equivalent to magnitude seven on the Arcane Seismic Scale.
Silence.
Duke Olaric fell to his knees, staring at the empty space where the dragon had been seconds ago.
"What… what was that? Did the Emperor deploy a secret weapon?"
"My Lord Duke!" a mage shouted while observing through a magnifying crystal.
"It was… it was just a piece of granite!"
Zayn finally reached the wooden gates of the village at sunset.
The village had changed. The walls were taller, and magical signs bearing the name "Aurina" shimmered faintly.
"Halt!" a young guard shouted. "Entry fee for outsiders is ten copper coins, or present an Imperial registration card."
Zayn sighed and searched his torn pockets.
"I'm from here. I only left ten years ago."
The guard scoffed. "Sure. Everyone says that to dodge taxes. Look at those boots — does that look like an adventurer to you? Pay up, or—"
"Wait, you idiot!"
A large guard with a thick beard and an old scar over his eye stepped forward. He stared at Zayn for a few seconds, then burst out laughing so hard his armor shook.
"Guys! It's Zayn! The kid who used to tie horses' tails together and hide on rooftops!"
He slapped Zayn on the shoulder with a force that would have shattered a normal man's bones. Zayn didn't move an inch. He only felt mildly inconvenienced.
"Bruno?" Zayn muttered.
"Look at you! Still got that sleepy face. Where've you been? We thought you died out there!"
"I was… training a little," Zayn replied honestly.
To Bruno, that probably meant jogging around the forest or lifting logs.
They entered the village together as Bruno kept talking.
"The village isn't the same anymore. Ever since the 'Gate' appeared in the nearby forest, it became a hub for adventurers. They even built a Guild branch over your family's old land — thought there was no heir left!"
Zayn stopped at the central square.
His old wooden cottage, once filled with the scent of oak, was gone. In its place stood a massive stone building bearing a large sign: crossed swords — "Adventurers' Guild."
"They demolished my house?" Zayn asked quietly, and for the first time, a note of genuine irritation entered his voice.
"Imperial law, my friend. Abandoned land becomes Crown property after several years," Bruno said apologetically.
"Zayn? Is that you, my boy?"
A warm feminine voice came from behind them.
It was Aunt Mary, their old neighbor who used to feed him apple pies as a child. She looked older, but her eyes still radiated kindness.
"Aunt Mary," Zayn said, bowing slightly.
"My goodness, you've grown into a handsome man! Though you look like you haven't slept in a century," she laughed, pulling him by the hand.
"Don't worry about your house. My spare room is ready. My dear neighbor's son won't be sleeping outside — not in a world full of monsters and arrogant mages."
Inside Aunt Mary's House ,Zayn sat at a simple wooden table, steam rising from a bowl of hot soup before him.
Aunt Mary moved quickly around the kitchen, speaking faster than anyone could normally follow.
"The world's gone mad, Zayn. My daughter — Lina — remember her? She used to chase you around pulling your shirt? She's in her final year at the Royal Magic Academy in the capital! They say her mana is incredibly pure. She'll be an A-Rank mage soon!"
Zayn nodded while swallowing a large spoonful.
"A-Rank… that's good."
"Good? It's amazing!" Aunt Mary exclaimed proudly. "Adventurers these days are like emperors. But you, Zayn — what will you do? You can't stay like this. Even porters at the Guild need minor magic skills to lighten their loads."
Zayn looked at his hands.
He didn't possess mana — because his body had surpassed the concept of borrowing energy from the planet.
He was the energy itself.
But he stayed silent.
"I'll register at the Guild tomorrow," he said calmly. "Maybe I'll find some simple quests to earn money and rebuild my cottage."
Aunt Mary laughed sympathetically. "The Guild exams are harsh, my boy. But go ahead and try your luck."
Zayn leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
"Any quiet job that doesn't involve strength or saving the world… I'm fine with that."