Moon Lotus City shimmered in the morning warmth. Sunlight bathed white-tiled roofs. The air was rich with the soft clinking of merchant stalls being opened and the inviting aroma of lotus buns, jasmine tea, and grilled river carp.
Laughter of early-rising children echoed along stone pathways.
Lana, wrapped in modest but refined robes of pale lavender, walked the main street with a serene smile, yet her heart stirred with unease.
Her son, Jin, had not returned.
Every blooming tree, every rustle of leaves drew her thoughts back to him.
As she turned a corner near a silk merchant's stand, her shoulder brushed another figure.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry," Lana said, bowing politely.
The young woman she'd bumped into steadied her with a gentle touch and a soft smile, her eyes calm like moonlight over still waters. Her silver hair was pinned with carved jade combs, and her elegant garments were tastefully embroidered—refined but never gaudy.
"No harm done, madam," the girl said with a grace that carried no arrogance. "I should've watched where I was going. Are you alright?"
Lana blinked. The girl was noble in bearing yet humble in presence.
"You're very kind," Lana replied. "May I ask your name?"
"I am Arielle Yvonne Mercantile, daughter of Lucian Mercantile, owner of the Eastern Gold Auction House."
Lana stiffened slightly. One of the most influential merchant families in the kingdom?
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Arielle."
Arielle laughed gently. "Just Arielle is fine. Actually… I was just heading to breakfast. Would you care to join me? I know a quiet lakefront place that serves jasmine fish soup you won't forget."
Lana paused, surprised, then nodded.
"I'd love that."
They walked side-by-side, Arielle's guards trailing at a distance with practiced vigilance. The restaurant was carved into the lakefront wall, its railings decorated with engraved lotus petals. Inside, delicate wind chimes jingled as the breeze swept through.
The food was fragrant, and the company even warmer.
They spoke of cities, sons, daughters, kingdoms, the price of tea, and the weight of memory. For nearly an hour, the two women connected across generations and class.
Before they parted, Arielle handed Lana a gold-embossed scroll.
"It's an invitation to our upcoming auction. My father will be attending personally. I thought you might find something... valuable."
Lana accepted it, her fingers trembling faintly.
She gave Arielle one last long look.
In another life, she thought, this girl might have been... a daughter-in-law.
But would Jin accept someone like her?
Lana smiled softly, tucking the thought away. Let fate decide.
Meanwhile…
Deep within the cavern, the air was still thick with blood and scorched mana. Faint drips echoed into the darkness like ticking seconds.
Jin lay still, the weight of victory carved into every bruise.
[System Notification: Recovery Progress – 82% Complete]
[Wolf King Corpse Transferred to System Inventory – Secured]
Gentle pulses of energy flowed through him, knitting muscle and restoring breath. Then—
"Ugh… my head…" groaned Sarah, stirring beside a shattered pillar. She popped a pale blue pill into her mouth. Warm healing light traveled down her arms.
"That damn wolf… is it dead?" the party leader muttered as he sat up. He scanned the cavern. "Where's the body?"
Rodney stood nearby, crouched over a wolf carcass.
"Must've crawled off to die," he grumbled, cracking a fang loose. "Coward mutt didn't even have the decency to leave its pelt."
[System Message: Incorrect. Host's actions erased all traces. Wolf King corpse secured.]
The smug tone of the System hung like incense in Jin's mind.
The rest began harvesting what spoils remained. Sarah tended wounds. Rodney stripped claws, fangs, and spirit stones from the lesser wolves. The leader issued orders without looking at Jin.
When Jin stirred, the first thing he smelled was blood. Metallic. Sharp.
Rodney shoved a heavy bundle toward him.
"Finally up, slug? Get your weak limbs moving. Carry this."
Jin reached down… and blinked. The pack was heavy—but no longer crushing.
The weight rested on his back like a training tool, not a burden.
The Tyrant Body… it's working.
What once overwhelmed now strengthened him.
The long walk back to Moon Lotus City began in silence. Their injuries had healed enough for travel, but their spirit cores remained drained. They would need days to recover before another delve.
Sarah walked beside Jin, quiet.
He noticed her gaze more than once—but each time he turned, she looked away.
And then—
[System Notification: New Trait Detected – Bloodline Scan Complete]
[Target: Sarah Elise Rainhart]
[Bloodline: Saint Maiden – (Unawakened)]
[Memory Trace: Partial Witness to Host's Combat State – Tyrant Body Activation Confirmed]
Jin frowned slightly.
She saw me fight…
And then—
[System Alert: Emotional Tracker Unlocked]
[Target: Sarah Elise Rainhart – Affection Level: 15%]
He blinked.
"What the hell is this System even doing…"
He turned his head slightly. Sarah met his gaze for the briefest second—then quickly looked away again.
A strange tension settled between them.
"This... is going to be awkward," Jin muttered under his breath.
They reached Moon Lotus's central quest hall by dusk.
The party handed over proof of the dungeon clearance. Officials weighed cores, inspected claws, and sealed wolf hides.
Each member received their payout.
Rodney counted his gold. The leader pocketed his share. Sarah accepted hers in silence.
Jin stood to the side, watching.
[Quest Complete: Dungeon Threat – Cleared]
[Reward Received: 10 Gold Coins]
No praise. No recognition.
No one saw what he did. No one cared that he was the one who had slain the Wolf King.
The team never mentioned his name—not once.
They left with laughter and light chatter, fading into the crowd.
Jin stood alone.
The silence returned, as familiar as it was cold.
He turned toward the inn.
Heavy pack on his back. Wounds still sore.
But his steps were steady.
Because now, he had power. Now, he was growing.
It was time to return to the only person who mattered.
Time to tell his mother everything.
Everything except the System, of course.
[Updated System Status]
Name: Jin
Level: 4
EXP: 0 / 600
Magic Power: 50
Stamina: 15
Speed: 2
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Agility: 3
Dexterity: 0
Bloodlines:
• Ancient Azure Dragon (Unawakened)
• Blood Demon Bloodline (Unawakened)
Cultivation Method: Paragon Heaven Manual
Technique: Tyrant Body – Bronze Form (22% Mastery)
Fragments: Wind Element Fragment ×6
Inventory:
• Blood Wolf King Core (Rank E)
• Beast Talent Fragment ×2
• Dungeon Spoils (misc.)