Being stared at so intently made Reid feel a little uncomfortable.
Instinctively, he tried to look away.
When people get awkward, they tend to get busy.
Reid glanced up at the sky, then down at the ground, scratching his head. He was clearly running out of options. With one arm holding the girl and the other steadying her so she wouldn't fall, he cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.
"Ahem… uh… look over there. That foreman… doesn't it look like he has wings or something?"
The girl didn't even blink.
Her gaze stayed locked on his face.
Then, quietly, she spread her small wings and lightly brushed against him, as if to say:
Look. I have wings too. It's nothing special.
Reid pointed somewhere else.
"Wow! That rock over there… it's really unique…"
Still, she kept staring at him.
Then she spoke.
"You used the wrong word order. I can teach you."
Reid froze.
"…Hey. Why are you being so serious?"
After several failed attempts to escape, he gave up.
Sometimes, when you don't know what to do, you just surrender to the moment.
"Alright, alright!"
"I admit it!"
"I haven't been in this era for very long! A lot of what I said earlier was just guesswork!"
He lowered his head and looked at her.
"But I guarantee you… what I told you is close to the truth."
"You can trust me."
"I'm pretty confident about that."
His tone carried a hint of reckless arrogance.
The girl looked at him.
Very seriously.
Then she nodded.
"Mm."
Her expression barely changed, but it was clear she had quietly accepted his words.
Reid chuckled and pointed down at the oppressed kingdom below.
"Believe it or not, if I attack this place right now, they won't hate me."
"They'll kneel."
"They'll thank me."
"They might even worship me like a god."
"As long as I take this country down, I'll become their new god."
The girl shook her head slightly.
Her words came out haltingly, fragments of what she had been taught.
"Attacking… a country… brings hatred… revenge…"
To her, assaulting a nation was an unforgivable sin.
Something that would inevitably lead to retaliation.
Reid watched her confused expression, and the killing intent in his heart grew sharper.
He had never claimed to be invincible.
Not in this world.
Not before witnessing the true power of the ancient weapons.
There were forces out there he still couldn't fully comprehend.
He clicked his tongue.
"I figured you'd say that."
Instead of getting annoyed, he seemed more interested.
"Then let's make a bet."
"Let's prove it ourselves."
Before she could respond, Reid vanished.
They didn't land in the quarry.
Instead, they appeared directly on the so-called "prosperous" main street of the island.
Compared to the quarry, this place looked more decent.
But only on the surface.
The air was still heavy.
Oppressive.
Something rotten lingered beneath the appearance of order.
Reid glanced around.
This was better.
If she wanted to understand this world, she had to see all of it.
Not just the surface.
History could erase entire centuries.
Truth could be rewritten.
But reality?
Reality always leaked through the cracks.
They had barely stood there for a moment when a commotion broke out nearby.
A group of vicious-looking guards dragged a crying young woman out of a house.
Her family knelt on the ground, begging desperately.
They were kicked aside without mercy.
"What are you making a fuss about!"
The captain barked impatiently.
"Being chosen to serve our noble lord is an honor!"
So this was their version of "conscription."
Reid let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
The captain's gaze swept across the street.
Then it stopped.
On the girl in Reid's arms.
Even though she wore plain clothes, her delicate features and the strange, refined aura around her made her stand out instantly.
Greed filled the man's eyes.
"Hey! You!"
He pointed at Reid.
"That girl! We're requisitioning her! Hand her over!"
Reid looked down at the girl.
Her body tensed instantly.
He smiled.
A look that clearly said:
See?
The bet has begun.
The guards closed in, surrounding them.
One of them grinned crudely.
"Your little wife is quite pretty."
"Our lord happens to need someone to serve tea."
"Come with us."
The girl's fingers tightened on Reid's clothes.
Her body trembled slightly.
Reid didn't attack.
Instead, he lowered his head and spoke softly, just loud enough for her to hear.
"What's your answer?"
She looked up at him.
Her eyes were filled with the same confusion as always.
The same silent plea for guidance.
But this time, Reid gave her nothing.
No hint.
No direction.
His crimson eyes were calm.
Empty.
Waiting.
The guards were getting closer.
Their footsteps echoed.
Their filthy words grew clearer.
"It's a blessing from our lord!"
"Be grateful! Your future will be bright!"
"With that face, our lord will definitely like her…"
"Maybe we'll even get promoted, hahaha!"
The girl trembled.
Her breathing grew uneven.
Her fingers clutched tighter.
She looked at Reid again.
This time, her eyes were clearer.
But filled with fear.
And helplessness.
As if silently begging him to fix everything like he always did.
But Reid remained still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Patient.
Cruel.
He wanted her answer.
Her own answer.
The guards were close enough to reach her now.
Their presence pressed in from all sides.
Her heart pounded.
Something surged inside her chest.
Then, just as a hand reached toward her
She shut her eyes tightly.
And forced out a single word.
"No."
Reid smiled instantly.
"Very good."
The world changed.
Crimson mist exploded outward from his body.
Thick.
Violent.
It swallowed the light in an instant.
From within the churning blood fog, nine massive dragons surged forth.
Formed entirely from condensed crimson energy.
They raised their grotesque heads, unleashing silent roars that shook the air itself.
Cold, merciless eyes locked onto the guards below.
Everything froze.
"M… monster!"
"Demonic power!"
"How can something like this even exist?!"
Their arrogance shattered instantly.
Replaced by pure terror.
They screamed.
Tried to run.
The captain's body twisted, transforming into a spotted hound-like beast.
An animal-type ability.
But it didn't matter.
"Don't panic! Kill him!"
Reid spoke a single word.
"Slaughter."
The nine blood dragons descended.
And the massacre began.