Unlike what one might imagine, a city surrounded by high walls due to the presence of monsters and other dangers in the outside world, Buka was not a city locked behind towering defenses.
It was a normal city, with no enclosing walls or anything that restricted its openness.
The reason there were no walls or barriers was because, even without them, Buka City was capable of protecting itself from external threats.
The technological level in Primordia was not low, and there were many advanced systems that could significantly enhance a city's safety.
For example, Energy Cannons were installed throughout the city that could repel even Rank Five monsters.
There were also energy barriers that could be activated at any time to shield the city, along with many other defensive measures.
Stepping out of Buka City through the gate, what came into Ryan's view was a vast stretch of flat terrain extending all the way to the horizon.
In the distance, mountain ranges could be vaguely seen, partially hidden behind mist.
He could even spot flying creatures much larger than ordinary birds, clearly not normal animals.
There were many people moving in and out through the gate, almost all of them carrying some kind of weapon.
Some had spears or swords, others carried shields, while a few even possessed small-caliber energy guns, which were far from cheap.
Ryan observed them for a moment before shifting his attention toward the distance, where he could see a stretch of green trees.
That was the Misty Pine Forest, located about ten kilometers away from Buka City.
Ryan began moving toward the forest, and as he did, he gradually picked up speed.
Ever since awakening his Bloodline Aspect, Ryan had been holding back his strength.
Inside the city, apart from using daily-life or auxiliary skills, it was forbidden to use abilities that could endanger public safety.
Because of this, despite the strong urge to unleash his full strength even once, Ryan had restrained himself.
He feared that if he caused trouble, he might be sent back to the slums again.
But now that he was outside the city, the feeling of no longer needing to hold back intensified to the extreme.
As he moved forward, his pace increased rapidly, and soon he was running at full speed.
A blur swept across the growing weeds, causing them to sway violently as if they might be uprooted by the sheer pressure of the wind.
With every passing second, Ryan covered nearly twenty meters, his messy black hair streaming wildly behind him.
A feeling he had never experienced before began to grow in his heart, and without realizing it, a wide smile spread across his face.
While running, he pushed off the ground with force and leaped into the air.
"Woohhhh!!!"
He couldn't help but shout midair, feeling as if this was the most exhilarating thing he had ever done in his entire life.
With a single jump, he soared nearly five meters high and landed about fifteen meters away, rolling slightly on the ground to cushion the impact.
Because it was his first time doing something like this, some sand entered his mouth as he rolled, his lips still stretched in a wide grin.
*Cough! Cough!
He coughed violently after coming to a stop, spitting out saliva mixed with sand.
His heart was pounding faster than ever before, but even after swallowing some sand, he didn't care.
He stood up again and resumed running wildly.
This was the first time Ryan had ever experienced the taste of freedom.
For the first time in his life, there was nothing holding him back. No hunger, no fear, no eyes watching from the shadows of the slums.
Just open sky.
Just distance.
Just him.
At this moment, he could finally let himself go and do whatever he wanted.
As this feeling of freedom intensified, he began to feel a strange sense of familiarity with it.
It was as if this was the way he was meant to live.
Not constantly suppressing himself, not burying all his desires out of fear of consequences.
Ryan found this feeling strange, and when he tried to trace its origin, he realized it was coming from his… bloodline.
He couldn't help but think of his Bloodline Aspect, Infernal War Ape and wondered if it was connected to this sensation.
As he identified the source, Ryan also felt that something within his bloodline wanted to break free, something that longed to emerge and revel in this freedom.
But it was missing something… something that made it difficult for it to fully break free.
Ryan could tell that if he truly wanted to, he could suppress this feeling.
However, he chose not to.
Although it was his first time experiencing such freedom, he instinctively knew that this was what he wanted.
He was tired of living in an environment where he constantly had to suppress his desires.
And in that moment, he realized what he needed to preserve this feeling of freedom for the rest of his life.
'Strength… enough strength so that I won't have to fear anything.'
Ryan understood that the reason he could feel this freedom and run without restraint was because he was stronger than he had been in the slums.
But—
'It's not enough.'
Primordia was a vast world filled with countless powerful beings.
For those at the top, they could erase someone like Ryan from existence without even needing to lift a finger.
Ryan was fully aware of this.
So even though he allowed himself to immerse in this feeling of freedom, he was not blinded by it.
In about six minutes, Ryan covered nearly ten kilometers and stopped just outside the Misty Pine Forest.
Although he had only been running for a short time, he was drenched in sweat. His clothes clung tightly to his body as he panted heavily.
Running at such high speed without holding back even slightly was not an easy task.
Especially since Ryan had not yet begun cultivating and did not possess even a trace of Primal Energy.
His lungs felt as if they were burning, but the pain only made him feel more alive.
After resting for about three minutes to catch his breath, Ryan finally looked at the forest before him.
The Misty Pine Forest, as its name suggested, was filled with tall pine trees and remained shrouded in fog throughout the year.
The outer region had relatively little fog and posed no issue.
However, the deeper one ventured, the thicker the fog became.
Ryan carefully observed the forest for a moment.
Then, after a brief pause, he stepped forward and finally entered it.