Unrivaled in another world

[: 3rd POV :]

At some point, Riven step closer, his expression shifting from duty-bound sharpness to something more thoughtful—more personal.

The hustle and murmur of the bustling border outpost faded for a moment as his gaze settled on Daniel.

"Daniel..." he began, his voice steady, but laced with something deeper.

"As you know, everything you've done—every action, every rescue—will be reported. From the very beginning, it'll all go into the records."

Daniel nodded, already expecting those words.

But what followed wasn't what he anticipated.

Riven's brow furrowed slightly, and for the first time, there was no trace of formal protocol in his tone.

"But at this point," Riven continued, his eyes narrowing in thought, "I just can't help but be curious... Which mother gave birth to you?"

Daniel blinked, taken off guard by the question.

"I'm sure," Riven said with a soft, sincere smile, "that she would be proud."

There was a beat of silence.

The kind that lingered with warmth and meaning.

Daniel's lips parted slightly, unsure of how to respond.

But then a slow, quiet smile crept onto his face.

"I'm sure she would," he replied, his voice low, almost wistful.

Riven gave a small nod, the moment shared between two warriors—two men who had seen more than they should have.

"By right," Riven added after a pause, the seriousness returning to his voice, "the proper protocol would be for you to follow me, give a full report in person."

Daniel's brow twitched slightly, already preparing himself for the red tape and time wasted.

But Riven held up a hand, stopping that thought.

"...But I'm sure it's not something you want," he said quietly, "and I can sense it—there are more important matters on your plate right now."

Daniel glanced to the side, where Erina and the others waited patiently under the watchful eyes of several guards.

His heart settled. "Yeah… you're right."

Riven took a step back, posture straightening once more.

"Then you can rest assured. I'll be taking over from here."

Daniel met his gaze and offered a simple, trusting nod.

"I'll leave it to you."

And with that exchange, something unspoken passed between them—respect, understanding, and perhaps the faint recognition that Daniel's path was never meant to follow the usual roads.

The sun had begun its slow descent, casting a golden hue across the checkpoint city where the teleportation station towered in the distance.

With the gates finally open and the authorities now taking over the process, Daniel had quietly begun to step away—his presence slowly retreating from the group like a fading shadow.

He didn't say goodbye to everyone.

He didn't want to.

It was better that way, he thought.

No need for emotional farewells.

They were safe now.

They would return to their homes.

That was enough.

But for one small heart, it wasn't.

From among the crowd of survivors, Erina's eyes caught sight of Daniel's retreating figure.

Her chest tightened, and her breath hitched.

She didn't understand the feeling at first, but it gripped her like a storm.

Her heartbeat quickened. It hurt.

And then, panic.

She bolted past the guards who were gently ushering her and the other hatchlings toward the next checkpoint.

The world blurred as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Big brother Daniel!!" she cried, her voice raw and trembling. "Don't leave me!!"

Daniel froze mid-step.

He turned, only to see a flash of silver-white hair and teary eyes barreling toward him. "Erina?!"

Before he could react, she crashed into him, her small arms wrapping tightly around his waist as if afraid he'd disappear if she let go.

Her tiny body trembled, and her face buried into his chest as warm tears soaked his shirt.

"Why are you leaving Erina?" she whimpered, voice cracked and broken.

"You said you'd be with us…you said you'd never abandon me...''

Daniel stood there, stunned for a moment.

He slowly placed a hand on her back, feeling the delicate tremors in her form.

She had been so strong the past few days, holding herself together for the others, acting like a leader even among children of noble bloodlines.

But now, in this quiet moment, she was just a little girl—scared of being abandoned again.

"I…" Daniel's voice caught in his throat. His expression softened.

"I never meant to leave you like this."

Erina looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Please… I don't want this to be the last time I see you."

He knelt down and gently cupped her face with his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs. "You're safe now, Erina. You and the others—this is your chance to go home, to be free again''

"But I don't want you to go…" she said, clutching tighter.

Daniel gave her a warm, patient smile. "I promise you, this isn't goodbye. Not forever. One day, we'll see each other again."

"You promise?"

"I swear."

She sniffled, hesitant… then finally gave a small nod, still not letting go.

Daniel wrapped his arms around her gently, giving her the kind of embrace he wished he'd had when he was younger—one that told her she wasn't alone.

"Be strong," he whispered, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes. "And watch over the others. I trust you."

Though still teary, Erina nodded again. Her wings trembled lightly behind her, but she didn't cry anymore.

''This won't be our last farewell, one day, we will meet again, until then, this is something, a present that I want to give to you for being strong'' Daniel took out a book.

To be accurate, it was called, Empty Skill Book.

It was an ancient, rare item that Daniel had found on the forbidden continent, which allowed him to copy any skill and absorb it.

However, the Empty Skill Book could only copy one skill, but Daniel had given her 2.

He had copied his own skill, Kingbreaker and Thronefall.

''This is for me...?'' Erina accepted the books and hugged them tightly.

''That's right, that's for you, and one day when we meet again, I'll be expecting you to be strong'' Daniel chuckled and carressed her hair softly.

''That's a promise!''

At this moment, Daniel had no idea what kind of events he had created by giving 2 of his skills to a dragon whose potential was already world-ending.

The guards approached slowly, giving Daniel space and time. Finally, Erina let go—reluctantly, step by step.

As Daniel turned to leave once more, she stood there, watching his silhouette slowly fade into the distance. And though her heart ached, it also felt warm… because now she had someone to look forward to.

Someone she would chase after.

Someone she would wait for.

As Daniel stepped beyond the checkpoint, leaving the warmth of Erina's embrace and the weight of parting behind, a quiet stillness wrapped around him.

The hum of teleportation gates and murmurs of guards faded into the background.

What lay ahead was something altogether different—new, unfamiliar, yet strangely captivating.

The city beyond the border was unlike anything Daniel had seen before.

Its skyline was a bizarre harmony of contradictions—tall crystalline spires pierced the heavens like magical towers, glowing with arcane energy, while just beside them stood concrete skyscrapers with blinking neon signs, billboards, and floating holographic ads.

Narrow cobblestone roads intertwined with sleek, paved streets lined with arcane lampposts and floating surveillance drones.

Magic circles pulsed faintly on the ground in some places, guiding foot traffic like enchanted walkways, while runic buses hovered above rails beside public magi-trams.

It was a place where the old world and the new world didn't collide—they merged.

An armoured paladin in steel plate walked beside a man in a business suit, both casually chatting as a magical construct swept the streets clean behind them.

Steam vents hissed softly from beneath bronze-plated drainage covers, while high above, mechanical gryphons flapped past hovering drones, both delivering packages from tower to tower.

Daniel's eyes wandered.

Market stalls built of enchanted wood and old cloth tents bustled with hawkers shouting prices for dragon fruits, spirit wine, enchanted herbs, and even tech-infused accessories—spell-linked phones, mana batteries, charm-pendants with embedded chips.

One stall sold enchanted weaponry, ranging from laser-tipped spears to runeblade greatswords.

The shopkeeper was a dwarf with one cybernetic eye and glowing glyph tattoos crawling across his forearms.

"Hybrid Forge Specials! Guaranteed to cut through A-rank shields and firewall barriers!"

A crowd passed him—adventurers from all walks of life.

Some wore sleek, high-tech armour with mana reactors pulsing in their chest plates.

Others bore the traditional robes of mages, staff in hand and spellbooks hovering beside them.

A few even wore nothing but mercenary gear—grimy, worn leather, and wild eyes—likely guild freelancers from the outer regions.

Daniel paused as a massive holographic screen activated above the plaza.

A broadcast.

"Attention to all registered factions and representatives—The Gate has shown movement. All guilds, syndicates, and freelancers are advised to send scouts or risk being outclassed. The Royal Court has yet to respond."

Below the message, dozens of guild emblems flashed across the screen—The Crimson Thorn, Nova Sky Order, Mercenarius Umbra, even the dreaded emblem of the Soul Syndicate.

Another screen flickered beside it—news reports of border raids, missing ruins, and talk of "The Return of Guilds."

He let out a soft exhale.

"This place really is a crossroads of everything…"

And in many ways, it was.

This city, known as Velaria Nexus, was the capital of the Central Continent.

It was the birthplace of neutral commerce, cross-guild diplomacy, artefact trading, and even black-market exchanges.

Still, he couldn't shake the surreal beauty of the city.

He passed an open-air courtyard where elemental spirits danced in the air, their bodies woven from wind, fire, and light, playing around a magical fountain that pulsed with ambient mana.

Children—both human and demi-human—laughed and chased them, some wearing academy uniforms and carrying spell-rifles or alchemy packs.

He crossed a bridge that spanned over a glowing leyline stream—pulsing with energy like a living river of magic—and saw a young woman floating above it in lotus position, meditating as her mana flared outward in gentle ripples.

To his right, a cybernetic bard played a harp infused with crystalline amplifiers, singing a song that had both electronic bass and ancient hymns laced together.

The mixture of soul and sound was hauntingly beautiful.

Everywhere he turned, the city buzzed with life.

As he walked, he smiled as he appreciated the beauty of the city.

But at some point, he stepped forward, vanishing into the crowd, his cloak trailing behind him.

It was time to move.

The next chapter of his journey had just begun.