Chapter 136 - 131: Homeward Bound
The golden portal rippled quietly.
John stepped through first.
A warm sensation washed over his body as space folded around him.
For a brief moment, everything disappeared into light.
Then—
The ground returned beneath his feet.
Fresh air filled his lungs.
Birds chirped somewhere overhead.
The scent of pine trees and damp earth replaced the ancient fragrance of the Hidden Realm.
John slowly opened his eyes.
They had returned.
---
Behind him, Lythriel stumbled out of the portal and stretched her arms.
"I never thought ordinary air would smell this good."
Aerion walked through next, taking a slow look around.
"The forest..."
"It feels smaller."
Sylvara nodded in agreement.
"After seeing the World Tree..."
"Everything else does."
Even the Soul Raven emerged quietly.
Unlike before, its immense body had shrunk considerably.
Golden light surrounded it for several moments before fading.
Where an enormous guardian had once stood...
Now stood a majestic bird only slightly larger than a horse.
Its silver feathers shimmered beneath the sunlight, while faint traces of gold ran along the edges of its wings.
John looked surprised.
"You can change your size?"
The guardian nodded.
"My true form would attract unnecessary attention."
Lythriel laughed.
"I’d say a giant bird flying across the continent would attract a little attention."
"A fair observation."
Even after thousands of years...
The Soul Raven was still learning humor.
---
Caelis stepped through last.
The portal remained open for several seconds before slowly dissolving into countless motes of golden light.
The entrance to the Hidden Realm disappeared without leaving a trace.
Only a single golden leaf drifted gently to the ground.
John picked it up.
Before he could examine it—
The leaf dissolved into mana.
Returning to nature.
---
A notification quietly appeared.
---
**"SYSTEM NOTICE"**
Location Updated
**Verdant Frontier**
Danger Level: Moderate
Distance from nearest settlement: 31 kilometers
---
John blinked.
"We’re not where we entered."
Caelis shook his head.
"The Hidden Realm never returns visitors to the same place."
"It chooses a safe location."
John looked around.
Towering ancient trees surrounded them.
Unlike the forest where John had spent much of his early life...
This place felt older.
Healthier.
Mana flowed naturally through every tree and stream.
Even the monsters hiding in the distance felt different.
---
Using **Dragon King’s Instinct**, John sensed dozens of lifeforms.
None were hostile.
Most immediately retreated the moment they noticed his presence.
Lythriel raised an eyebrow.
"...They’re running away."
Aerion noticed as well.
"Animals usually don’t flee before seeing us."
John quietly smiled.
"They’re reacting to my bloodline."
Not because he was the strongest.
But because dragons stood near the top of the natural order.
After everything he had experienced...
Even his presence had subtly changed.
---
The group began walking along a narrow forest trail.
No one seemed in a hurry.
After weeks spent fighting corruption and uncovering ancient secrets...
The peaceful silence felt welcome.
Occasionally, birds flew overhead.
Small creatures peeked from bushes before disappearing again.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating shifting patches of gold across the ground.
For the first time in a long while...
There was nothing trying to kill them.
---
Lythriel eventually broke the silence.
"So..."
John glanced at her.
"So?"
"What exactly happened inside?"
Aerion looked over as well.
"I’ve been wondering the same thing."
Even Sylvara’s curiosity was obvious.
John scratched the back of his neck.
"...It’s complicated."
Lythriel groaned dramatically.
"Everything with you is complicated."
John laughed.
"I met the First Dragon King."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Lythriel stopped walking.
Aerion froze.
Sylvara nearly dropped her staff.
Caelis merely smiled.
"I suspected as much."
---
Lythriel pointed at John.
"You..."
"...met the First Dragon King?"
John nodded.
"A fragment of his will."
"Not the real him."
Aerion slowly exhaled.
"That doesn’t make it any less unbelievable."
John briefly explained everything he had learned.
The trial.
The Hall of Remembered Kings.
The Dragon King’s Legacy.
The truth that Aurelius had left only fragments of his will scattered across countless realities.
He intentionally left out the higher realities and the incomprehensible beings beyond them.
Not because he distrusted his companions.
But because Aurelius and the World Tree had made one thing clear:
Some knowledge was dangerous when learned too early.
---
When he finished...
Sylvara remained thoughtful.
"So the Legacy isn’t simply inherited..."
"It evaluates the person."
John nodded.
"Character before power."
Caelis smiled approvingly.
"A lesson many rulers never learn."
---
Lythriel folded her arms.
"So..."
"You’ve become wiser."
John shrugged.
"I hope so."
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then suddenly smiled.
"...Good."
John blinked.
"That’s all?"
"What?"
"I thought you’d tease me."
She grinned.
"Oh, I will."
She leaned closer.
"But after everything you’ve gone through..."
"I figured I’d let you enjoy one peaceful afternoon."
Aerion looked genuinely shocked.
"You?"
"Showing restraint?"
Lythriel frowned.
"...Don’t make me regret it."
Everyone laughed.
---
Several hours later...
The forest began thinning.
A gentle breeze carried unfamiliar scents.
Smoke.
Cooked food.
Fresh bread.
John looked toward the horizon.
A small town sat nestled between rolling hills.
Stone walls surrounded wooden homes, while farmers worked nearby fields.
Children ran along dirt roads.
Merchants guided wagons through the gates.
Life.
Simple.
Peaceful.
John smiled.
After everything they had witnessed...
The sight somehow felt extraordinary.
---
The Soul Raven observed the settlement quietly.
"So small."
John nodded.
"It is."
"...And yet..."
"It feels precious."
The guardian understood.
Places like these...
Were exactly why heroes fought.
Not for glory.
Not for legends.
But so ordinary people could continue living ordinary lives.
---
As they approached the town...
Several guards noticed them.
One immediately stepped forward.
"Halt!"
The man looked cautiously at the group.
Travelers armed with enchanted weapons weren’t uncommon.
But a silver bird the size of a horse certainly was.
John stepped forward politely.
"We’re travelers looking for food and a place to rest."
The guard studied them carefully.
His eyes briefly stopped on John’s black horns.
Then widened slightly.
"...Dragonkin?"
John hesitated for only a moment.
"...Something like that."
The guard scratched his head.
"Well..."
"We don’t get many of your kind around here."
He stepped aside.
"Welcome to Greenhollow."
Lythriel quietly whispered.
"That was easier than expected."
Aerion smiled.
"Most people judge actions before appearances."
John hoped that would continue to be true.
Because the world beyond this peaceful town was beginning to change.
Ancient mana had started flowing once more.
Sleeping legends would eventually awaken.
Powerful enemies waited beyond distant horizons.
But not today.
Today...
John wanted nothing more than a warm meal, a comfortable bed, and a chance to enjoy the company of those who had become his family.
As the gates of Greenhollow opened before them, none of them noticed an old traveler sitting beneath a tree outside the walls.
The elderly man watched John pass with quiet interest.
For a brief instant...
His ordinary brown eyes shimmered with ancient golden light.
Then the light vanished.
The old traveler smiled to himself.
"So..."
"The heir has finally stepped back into the world."
He picked up his worn walking stick and continued down the road in the opposite direction.
No one noticed his departure.
Not even John.
Yet fate had quietly begun weaving the threads of the next Chapter in their journey.
---
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