"Please sign here."
The attendant pulled out a slip of paper from a stack in the corner of the counter, along with a pen, handing it to Shaevohn.
Shaevohn signed with a few quick strokes, then passed the slip to me.
"Just put your name here. We'll handle everything else for you."
"My name?"
"Yes, your name. Just write it down."
As I looked at the blank space for the signature, a vague sense of unease rose in me. I rarely revealed my name to others, wary of sharing any details about my identity.
Once, I had shared my address with a friend, inviting him to visit my estate. That invitation, however, had led to a nighttime ambush by a group of masked assassins. Of course, I had dealt with them easily enough, but when I examined the faces of each attacker, I found that very friend among them.
Since that day, I had never revealed anything about myself to anyone. The name "Dazny Enoch" had not been uttered to another soul since.
Even so, this was a world far different from my former one, so giving my name now seemed safe.
After a moment's thought, I signed.
"Dazny Enoch, huh? Perfect. Head down to the courtyard at the base of the tower and wait there."
The registration desk was on the top floor of a high tower. I wasn't sure why it was set up in such a remote spot, but that hardly mattered. Following Shaevohn's gesture, I exited, glancing over the circular outdoor walkway to locate the courtyard among the oddly shaped buildings below.
Looking down from here, with the breeze cooling my face and the city's scenic splendor stretching below, felt strangely pleasant.
Before I knew it, I'd already reached the teleportation array, the tower's only way up or down.
According to Shaevohn's description, the array connected the various floors, and it was how I'd reached the top earlier.
As my vision brightened momentarily and colors came back into focus, I found myself standing on a bridge leading to the courtyard.
"Was this a coincidence…? How did the device know my destination?"
My thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the bushes to my left.
"Did she call you over here too?"
A man leaped from the bushes, dressed in clothing still carrying bits of foliage and a sharp, pungent smell. His sickly pale skin, lanky frame, and messy black-and-green hair made him look almost like a living corpse.
"My name is Avik Banarji. I'm from a hidden village east of Changlong. I'll be one of your teammates for this mission."
"What mission?"
An assignment already? When had this been issued? They hadn't mentioned anything about a task at registration.
"It was assigned recently by Lord Chris, to investigate a suspicious cave far from the city."
Shaevohn approached us, her gaze serious as she looked at both of us. My attention, however, was entirely on the crimson longsword she was holding.
I hadn't seen her carry that weapon before, and it seemed too large for her small frame.
"Is that… meant for me?"
She tossed the sword in my direction, and I barely managed to catch it. The moment my hand gripped the hilt, an invisible warmth surged into my body, energizing every nerve and vein.
It was an unprecedented feeling, as if my physical capabilities were being magnified. I could feel a tremendous energy coursing through me—more than I had ever known.
"Feeling stronger, aren't you? That's the sword's effect. You should thank Lord Chris for his generosity."
Shaevohn said with a proud smile.
"Now, let's move. Lord Chris doesn't appreciate delays."
With that, the small-statured woman grabbed both our arms, tugging us toward the unknown path.
***
At that moment, the world trembled.
An ominous energy radiated from the northernmost ravine of the Celestial Empire. Across the land, all beings with any undead nature turned to stare in the direction of the foreboding light.
From lowly skeletons to towering ogres, a sense of wrath and malice filled their eyes.
Atop the city's tallest tower, the **Black Zimor Tower**, two commanding figures naturally sensed this disturbance.
"Have you noticed, Chris?"
"Are you referring to that?"
The green-haired man chuckled as he looked out over the distant sky. From the top of the highest tower, every view was clear, with a vast, dark mist slowly gathering in the sky.
It was unnatural. Such a phenomenon hadn't been seen since the founding of the empire.
"I've already sent people to investigate."
"With those three? If I remember right, there's even a rookie among them."
The figure speaking with Chris had no physical form; even Chris saw only a shadow standing beside him.
"A rookie, a frail figure, and an unreliable subordinate—do you think they're truly suited for this mission?"
Chris smiled slightly in response to the mysterious figure's skepticism.
He gazed at the roiling, murky clouds and replied,
"Don't worry… that rookie, at least, isn't as ordinary as he seems."