Alix arrives at the inn. The sign above the entrance gleams in the morning light: The Serpent's Rest — Premier Lodging of Sona.

Inside, the scent of polished wood and sweet incense fills the air. A tall receptionist—a lizardkin woman with emerald scales and elegant posture—greets him with a practiced smile. "Welcome to the Serpent's Rest, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

"No," Alix replies calmly. "But I'd like a room. The best one available."

Her eyes flicker with subtle interest as she scans him from head to toe, noting his calm presence, the faint energy that hums beneath his skin, and the crest of the Adventurer's Guild hanging from his belt. "Of course, sir," she says smoothly, tapping a rune crystal on the counter. "Our top suite is available. It includes a private mana bath, aerial view balcony, and full meal service."

"How much?"

"Twenty-five gold a night."

Alix slides a bag of gold coins across the counter without hesitation. "For a week."

The lizardkin blinks, caught off guard by the casual overpayment. "O-of course, sir. Right away." She takes the coin, hands steady but her tail flicking once in surprise. With a polite bow, she retrieves a crystal key shaped like a serpent coiled around a sun. "Room 7A. Top floor. Please enjoy your stay."

Alix nods and takes the key. "Thank you."

Alix ascends the stairs in silence. The corridor above is lined with ornate lamps glowing faintly with magic. When he reaches his room, he pushes open the door, and a wave of tranquil mana air greets him.

The suite is spacious—soft golden light from enchanted orbs fills the room, illuminating plush furniture, a wide bed draped in dark silks, and a balcony overlooking the glittering city below.

Mero beside him, his form faintly shimmering with shadow. His voice carries a rare note of confidence. "I'll be on that side, master. Give me a month, and I'll be back at my prime. Then I can finally help you properly."

Alix, still gazing out the window toward the glowing skyline, doesn't turn. "Good. I'll hold you to that."

Mero smirks faintly, then shifts his gaze toward Zevran, lounging near the corner of the room with his arms crossed. "And you, lizard—don't you dare try something."

Zevran raises an eyebrow, his tail flicking lazily. "Relax, ghost. I have better things to do." He straightens, his tone turning more serious as he looks to Alix. "Master, about the other day… when you spoke about the laws of wind and earth—could you teach me more?"

Alix finally turns his head, his expression calm. "Why?"

Zevran's eyes narrow slightly. "Just listening to you that day… it deepened my understanding. I can feel I'm close to something—something that could push me past this bottleneck."

Alix studies him for a moment, then shakes his head. "What you need right now isn't more understanding. Your grasp of both laws is already enough to break through to Tier 7."

Zevran's wings twitch faintly, frustration in his tone. "But I've been stuck in quasi–Tier 7 for years, master. I've tried everything, but nothing works."

Alix raises his hand slightly. A small vial materializes between his fingers, glowing faintly crimson. The mana around it ripples, heavy and ancient.

"Drink this," Alix says evenly. "It's the blood of a true dragon. If your body can endure it, you'll break through in one or two months."

The air stills.

Zevran's eyes widen, the calm composure vanishes from his face. His instincts, buried deep in his bloodline, roar in recognition. Even sealed, the vial emanates a terrifying, divine presence.

"T-true dragon blood…?" His voice trembles slightly, disbelief warring with awe. "Master… do you realize how rare, how impossible—it is to even find a drop of this?"

Even Mero's concentration fades. His eyes narrow, sensing the overwhelming power radiating from that single vial. "That's… the real thing." His tone is quiet, almost reverent. "Not diluted, not alchemical mimicry… that's the blood of an ancient dragon itself."

Alix simply holds it out, expression calm as ever. "If you trust me, take it."

Zevran stares at it for a long moment, his hands shaking before he steadies them. Slowly, he takes the vial, bowing his head low. "I will not waste this, master."

Alix nods once. "Good. Don't rush the process. You'll either ascend… or your body will burn from the inside out. Prepare carefully."

Mero crosses his arms, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he glances at Alix. "You really are full of surprises, master. Dragon blood, huh? So… what about me? Got anything that'll help me?"

Alix glances over his shoulder, his expression steady and unreadable. "I don't have anything that can help a ghost-type creature like you."

Mero's smirk fades slightly. For a moment, he looks genuinely disappointed, his form dimming a little. "Heh… figures," he mutters, forcing a crooked grin. "Guess I'll just keep doing what I've been doing, then."

He drifts toward the far end of the balcony, arms crossed, eyes turning toward the darkening horizon. "I'll be fine, master. Just takes time."

Zevran, who's been quietly examining the vial of dragon blood, glances up. "What are you doing tomorrow, master?"

Alix closes his eyes briefly, the light from the enchanted lamps reflecting faintly off his face. "We're waiting."

Zevran tilts his head. "Waiting?"

"The city lord should know who cleared the dungeon soon," Alix says quietly, opening his eyes. "I'm curious to see whether they'll come to me… or pretend I don't exist."

Mero chuckles lowly from the balcony. "So we're fishing, huh?"

Alix gives a faint, knowing smile. "Something like that."

Zevran exhales deeply, then moves toward a quiet corner of the suite. "Then I'll start absorbing the true blood here. Even if it takes a year, I'll master it."

"Do it slowly," Alix says simply. "No rush."

Zevran nods once, setting the vial before him. His wings fold in tightly as he begins circulating mana through his body, a low hum filling the air as the crimson glow pulses faintly in rhythm with his breathing.

Seeing the two of them occupied—Zevran immersed in his refinement, and Mero silently brooding. Alix turns his gaze back toward the night sky. With a calm motion, he raises his hand, and a transparent screen flickers into existence before him.

[ALIX]

Level: 600

Population: 110,261,030

Need to level up: 500,000,000

Gold Coins: 58,876,134

Erevaris Kingdom

Capital City: Noctaris City

Cities: 40

Soldiers: 10,000,000

Alix studies the glowing screen in silence, the faint reflection flickering across his eyes.

My cities jumped from twenty to forty, he thinks, a small crease forming between his brows. But my gold coins dropped—from seventy million to fifty-eight.

He exhales quietly, crossing his arms as the screen's numbers shift faintly in the air. That means the kingdom's spending faster than it earns. With the war still raging, it's no surprise… troop movement, supplies, siege repair, portals—it all drains gold.

Alix lets out a low sigh, the faint light from the screen reflecting off his calm expression. War always eats through coin faster than it fills the vault.

His eyes linger on the numbers for a few seconds longer before he mutters softly, "At least the population's still growing… that's something."

He closes the screen with a flick of his fingers, the light dissolving into the air like mist.

From the corner of the room, the faint hum of Zevran's mana deepens—the rhythm of his breathing perfectly in tune with the pulsing dragon blood before him. Mero, meanwhile, hovers near the balcony rail, absorbing strands of mana from the night breeze, his spectral body flickering faintly in the dim light.

Alix turns his gaze back toward the city beyond the window, the skyline shimmering with magical lights. 'I need to go back soon, he thinks. But without a portal, that's impossible.'

His hand tightens slightly against the glass. 'The only way… is to build a territory here first. And build a portal strong enough to connect it to Erevaris.'

He exhales through his nose, his tone low and deliberate. "Hundreds of millions of gold…"

Alix's voice trails off into the quiet room, the words barely above a whisper. He leans back slightly, eyes half-lidded as the glow of Sona's city lights flickers across the glass. 'I guess I can only wait for them to find me,' he thinks.