The journey north was long.
Far longer than most noble heirs would ever willingly tolerate.
But Azriah preferred it that way.
Distance brought silence.
And silence—
gave him room to think.
The black carriage of House Antioch moved steadily across frost-laced roads, its enchanted frame enduring harsh winds with practiced ease.
Dark forests had long since vanished.
Now—
the world was changing.
The further north they traveled, the harsher the land became.
Snow-covered plains stretched endlessly.
Jagged cliffs rose in the distance.
The air itself felt colder.
Sharper.
Ancient.
This was the Northern Shore—
the dominion of the Antioch bloodline.
A region feared by many.
Ruled by few.
And at its edge—
stood the Tyber Mountain Range.
A land of frost, monsters, fractures—
and forgotten power.
Azriah sat quietly inside the carriage, his gaze resting against the frost-touched glass.
'Two years…'
A pause.
Then—
'Only two years until it begins.'
Sham stirred lazily.
'The academy?'
'Yes.'
Azriah's gaze sharpened slightly.
'The official beginning of the game timeline.'
A pause.
Then—
'When Emryn Lionheart begins his rise.'
Sham hummed.
'Ah yes. The golden protagonist.'
Azriah's expression darkened slightly.
'Unfortunately.'
Sham immediately noticed.
'…You don't like him.'
Azriah almost scoffed.
'Like him?'
A pause.
Then—
'I tolerated him as a game mechanic.'
Another pause.
'As a person?'
His expression cooled.
'He's insufferable.'
Sham sounded intrigued.
'Elaborate.'
Azriah exhaled slowly.
'Emryn Lionheart is powerful, fortunate, absurdly charismatic…'
A pause.
Then—
'And an irredeemable womanizer.'
Sham paused.
Then—
'Ah.'
Azriah continued.
'He collects women like achievements.'
A pause.
Then—
'Every major heroine somehow bends around him.'
Another pause.
'It was exhausting to watch.'
Sham let out a sharp laugh.
'So your issue is moral outrage?'
Azriah's gaze remained forward.
'No.'
A pause.
Then—
'My issue is that he's a shameless pervert with protagonist immunity.'
Silence.
Then—
Sham laughed harder.
'That somehow sounds worse.'
Azriah's expression didn't shift.
'Because it is.'
A pause.
Then—
Sham's tone shifted.
'So… if he's truly that unbearable…'
Another pause.
'Will you kill him?'
Silence settled briefly.
Azriah didn't answer immediately.
Then—
'Not yet.'
Sham quieted.
Azriah's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Emryn is useful.'
A pause.
Then—
'The academy arc contains too many large-scale threats.'
Another pause.
'Corrupt nobles. Hidden cultists. Divine interference. Political upheaval.'
His tone remained calm.
'He can clear obstacles.'
A pause.
Then—
'After that…'
Silence lingered.
Cold.
Measured.
'…I'll decide whether he remains useful.'
Sham went silent.
Then—
'Remind me never to become expendable.'
Azriah almost smirked.
'Too late.'
'Rude.'
A brief silence passed before Sham spoke again.
'So then… your blessings.'
Azriah's gaze remained steady.
'You've mentioned three.'
A pause.
'How bad is it?'
Azriah exhaled slowly.
'Complicated.'
A pause.
Then—
'My primary blessing…'
His voice lowered slightly.
'Usurper's law.'
Sham immediately reacted.
'That sounds deeply concerning.'
'It is.'
A pause.
Then—
'Its full capabilities were never revealed in the game.'
Another pause.
'Azriah's true main blessing was intentionally hidden.'
Sham paused.
'Meaning even you don't know what your most important power fully does?'
'Correct.'
Silence.
Then—
'That feels unsafe.'
Azriah ignored him.
'Second—'
A pause.
Then—
'Blessing of Negation.'
Sham quieted immediately.
Azriah's tone remained calm.
'Likely the reason divine entities will instinctively despise me. And the blessing of my second life that seems to pass through'
A pause.
Then—
'Negation inherently opposes authority.'
Another pause.
'Including divine systems.'
Sham groaned.
'Of course you'd somehow awaken anti-god traits.'
Azriah smirked faintly.
'Apparently.'
Then—
'Third…'
A pause.
'Blessing of Qerakh .which basically means ice'
Sham paused.
Then—
'That one sounds refreshingly normal.'
Azriah nodded slightly.
'For now.'
Silence.
Then—
'You are a prophetic anti-divine usurper with ice powers.'
A pause.
Then—
'You genuinely sound like a final boss.'
Azriah almost smiled.
'That remains to be seen.'
Hours later—
the carriage began to slow.
The driver's voice finally broke the silence.
"My lord."
Azriah's gaze shifted.
"We have arrived at Frostveil Village."
A pause.
Then—
"The nearest settlement to Tyber's ascent."
Another pause.
"The carriage can proceed no further."
Azriah nodded once.
"Understood."
The carriage door opened.
And the moment Azriah stepped outside—
cold struck him immediately.
Sharp.
Pure.
Ancient.
Before him—
the Mountains of Tyber rose like frozen titans piercing the heavens.
Massive icy peaks stretched endlessly into cloud-covered skies.
Snowstorms curled through distant ridges.
Ancient forests clung to lower slopes.
And somewhere within—
monsters older than kingdoms roamed freely.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Majestic.
Azriah's breath slowed.
'…Lore accurate.'
Sham's voice softened slightly.
'You say that like you're admiring architecture.'
Azriah's gaze remained fixed ahead.
'The game never exaggerated Tyber.'
A pause.
Then—
'It's exactly as I remember.'
The frozen mountain range shimmered beneath pale northern light.
Breathtaking.
Deadly.
A kingdom of ice and ancient ruin.
And hidden somewhere within its merciless depths—
lay Codex Arboris.
The system.
The Imaginary Tree.
Blindness.
And the first irreversible turning point of his new existence.
Azriah adjusted his coat slightly.
His eyes remained fixed on the towering mountains.
'Let's begin.'
Sham sighed dramatically.
'I hate how calm you are about this.'
Azriah took his first step toward Tyber.
'You'll survive.'
'That confidence feels misplaced.'
And beneath the shadow of frozen giants—
Azriah Antioch began his ascent.
Toward prophecy.
Toward sacrifice.
Toward power.
And toward a future—
even fate itself had not fully prepared for.