Roman was a prodigy in his youth. He developed both a western knight/magic system and an eastern immortal system, making him stand out among his peers. However, he later faced challenges due to the conflicting power systems he learned. This led to a bottleneck in his abilities, and he shifted from prodigy status to an ordinary person. With his mother's support, he promised to become her butler and protect the family for life.
He reflected on these thoughts when a sudden jolt interrupted the silence in the carriage. As it stopped, he tried to speak to Roman, who entered through the front door. "Young master, there's an ambush ahead. Please come close to me; they're targeting you," Roman warned.
Just then, a huge impact hit the carriage, launching it into the air. Roman was ready; he lifted him onto his shoulder and got them both out. The guards also managed to escape, though not as smoothly as Roman. They fled just before the carriage crashed off the road.
Once on the ground, he quickly scanned his surroundings. A total of twelve people surrounded him, but his focus was on one of them—he recognized him. "Lu Zhang, why are you here? What's going on? Why are you trying to ambush me?" he asked. Lu Zhang responded, "My dear cousin, I just wanted to see you. Instead of living as a cripple, wouldn't it be better to die by my hand?"
He wasn't surprised by Lu Zhang's hatred. He had known about it for a while, stemming from his own success as the family's heir. What surprised him was the strength of Lu Zhang's companions. Each pair among them was in the Golden Core realm, and the rest were in the late Foundation Establishment realm. They were outsiders, not part of his family.
As he absorbed this information, one of the Golden Core realm fighters approached him. Roman reacted swiftly, stepping in front of him and delivering a powerful punch to the man's chest. The impact sent the man flying into a tree on the roadside, breaking branches as he crashed into them.
The man was seriously injured, and this was just from one punch. The others hesitated as they processed Roman's display of strength. Suddenly, they heard clapping. A thirteenth figure appeared, riding a giant wolf. He clapped his hands and said, "As expected from a prodigy—these goons couldn't even scratch you. Maybe it's because you're a peak Golden Core and Third Circle mage at the same time, right Roman?"
Upon hearing the newcomer, Roman adjusted his stance. He sensed this person was stronger. Before he could react, Lu Xiaoran taunted him, "Lin Chen, you came to kill me—a cripple—with this many men. I always knew you were a coward, but you've made me rethink that. You're just a coward who can't act on his own."
Lin Chen's expression darkened. "Yes, I'm a coward. A coward who crippled you at the city's annual competition and made you live like a dog. It wasn't just your life that mattered, but the atrocities you committed against my Xia Yan. You deserve to die."
At the mention of Xia Yan, Lu Xiaoran observed that she sat beside Lin Chen as his lover, and he felt a pang of anger.
Not wanting to waste words, Roman decided to eliminate the remaining Golden Core realm fighter first. Taking care of small obstacles would make his fight with Lin Chen easier. However, Lin Chen charged at him on the wolf, aiming to keep Roman away from Lu Xiaoran. He collided with Roman, who noticed a group of goons nearby. Roman raised his hand, but it was too late. A magic circle formed at their feet, freezing everything around them in ice crystals.
This magic attack incapacitated most of the group, but Lu Zhang and some Foundation Establishment realm fighters escaped in time and rushed toward Lu Xiaoran. Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoran's guards set up a formation to protect her.
Now assured of her safety, Roman focused back on his fight with Lin Chen. To his surprise, Lin Chen fought him evenly despite his youth. No one was gaining an upper hand. Roman, being more experienced, conjured a shadow spike beneath Lin Chen's feet, which struck him and restricted his movement. But Lin Chen blew a whistle, and a large shadow crashed into him. After a moment, a dragon with silver scales, wings, and dark horns appeared in front of him. Roman was astonished; dragons were mythical creatures known for their pride and reluctance to aid humans.
Seeing Roman's shocked expression, Lin Chen smirked. "Surprised? I even tamed a baby dragon. Dragons recognize my talent and chose to join me because I'm destined to reach the pinnacle of this world. Roman, you didn't need to protect a villain like him. Join me on the right side. I can also help you solve the bottleneck you've faced for years. Don't fight me; step aside, and let me deliver justice to Lu Xiaoran."
Everyone halted their fighting, knowing Roman's decision would determine the battle's outcome. He asked, "Can you really solve my bottleneck?"
Lin Chen replied, "Yes, if you join me."
Roman approached Lin Chen, making him smile. Lu Xiaoran, surrounded by guards, felt anxious. However, instead of extending a hand, Roman revealed a hidden dagger to attack. Lin Chen countered by drawing a sword from his waist. Facing him, Roman stated, "Thanks for the offer, but I don't sell myself."
The dragon moved to support Lin Chen, putting Roman in a difficult position as he faced both of them.
On Lu Xiaoran's side, the guards were managing to fend off the goons. Then Lu Zhang stepped forward and ordered them to execute plan B. Suddenly, one guard attacked another from behind, stabbing him in the back. The formation quickly fell apart as guards began to turn on each other. Lu Zhang then approached Lu Xiaoran and stabbed a sword into his shoulder.
Roman noticed the chaos and sprinted toward Lu Xiaoran. But Lin Chen and the dragon attacked him, injuring him in the process. Flames from the dragon's mouth struck his right hand, crippling it.
Despite this, he reached Lu Xiaoran and fought off the surrounding goons, who avoided him. Without time to deal with them, he grabbed Lu Xiaoran's injured body and took to the sky, casting a wind spell to hasten their escape. However, Lin Chen, riding the dragon, followed closely.
They soon caught up. The dragon unleashed a column of flames toward Roman. He attempted to block it, but Lin Chen quickly moved in front of him, stabbing his sword into Lu Xiaoran's body at the same moment he was also struck.
Facing this dire situation, Roman invoked a teleportation spell, channeling all his energy into it. Suddenly, they vanished from their location. But an attack from the dragon struck them, creating a chaotic spatial disturbance. Their teleportation went awry, sending them toward the Great Fire Wall boundary. They crossed it and plunged into the Great Fire Forest, a place deemed forbidden for most residents of this world.