Before leaving, Is filled the hole he had dug, tamped it down with his foot, and then walked away as if nothing had happened.
After returning to his castle, he glanced through the window and saw Roz Minian chatting with the other maids.
At one moment, her posture was upright and elegant. The next, she slipped back into her more casual manner.
Clearly, she was earnestly learning from them.
And just as clearly—she had no intention of running anymore.
Is watched for a few seconds, then didn't linger. He walked straight to the door, pushed it open, and entered.
The maids immediately gathered around.
"Welcome home, Master!"
Some closed the door, while others helped him remove the cumbersome attire unique to Celestial Dragons.
Roz Minian stood to the side, momentarily stunned. Her presence felt faint, and she was visibly nervous.
She quickly stepped forward and spoke softly, "M-Master…"
The word felt awkward on her tongue, but she forced herself to say it.
"What would you like to eat?" she added.
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze.
He had just eaten not long ago…
In her nervousness, she had spoken without thinking.
Is glanced at her, slightly speechless, but didn't say much.
"No need."
With that, he headed straight upstairs.
"Minian, what were you saying? Master just had dessert not long ago."
"Sorry, sorry, sisters—I got nervous and slipped into work mode," Roz Minian quickly apologized, looking a bit embarrassed… and oddly endearing.
Her relationship with the maids had already grown closer, and they treated her kindly.
After all, in their eyes, they shared the same fate—they should support one another.
"Minian, you don't need to be so nervous. Master won't eat you. He's a very good person."
"Yeah… I once thought my life ended the moment I became a slave. But everything changed after I met Master."
When they spoke of being slaves, their expressions held neither fear nor anger—but a quiet warmth.
At that moment, Roz Minian was almost certain—
She had truly encountered a very unusual Celestial Dragon.
"Alright, let's continue going over the rules here."
"Mm!"
She nodded eagerly, listening with full attention, without the slightest impatience.
Meanwhile, Is paid no attention to what was happening downstairs.
Upon reaching the second-floor hall, he opened his virtual panel.
Host: Aurelius D. Virel Is
Excavation Level: 1 (20/200)
Excavation Attempts: 0 (1/7) — increases with level
Characters: None
Abilities: Paper-Paper Fruit (1/1000) — increasing proficiency improves quality
Excavation Location: [Insufficient attempts—unable to locate]
Storage: Character Card ×1
"Use Character Card."
"Ding. First-time usage detected. Providing explanation."
"The obtained character will be 100% loyal to the host."
"The obtained character will unlock a progression system. The higher the progress, the greater the chance the host can inherit certain abilities from that character. The character will also be able to exert greater strength. When progress reaches 100%, the character will surpass their peak strength from their original world."
"Ding. Confirm usage?"
The explanation was straightforward—just a glance was enough to understand.
"Use it."
Is didn't hesitate.
"Ding. Character Card consumed successfully."
"Ding. Congratulations, host. You have obtained a character from the Naruto world—Uchiha Madara."
"Uchiha Madara?"
Is froze for a moment.
As a long-time anime fan, the moment the system mentioned Naruto—mentioned that name—
A familiar image flashed through his mind.
At the same time, before him, particles of white light began to gather, forming a human shape.
In the next instant—
A man appeared.
Long, wild hair. Black combat attire layered with red armor. Arms crossed over his chest. His expression carried utter disdain for everything.
Uchiha Madara.
Madara stood there silently for a moment.
Then he spoke—
"The World Government, pirates, Celestial Dragons… quite an interesting world, wouldn't you say, Aurelius D. Virel Is?"
Is was still slightly shocked.
These were basic facts of this world—clearly, the system had already implanted this knowledge into him beforehand.
"It is… an interesting world," Is replied. "Madara, is there anything else you need to understand?"
Madara shook his head.
"I already know what I need to."
Is nodded.
The system had handled things well—saving him the trouble of explaining everything himself.
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