I had always imagined being awakened by the sound of birds singing and warm sunlight spilling through the window.
Unfortunately, reality was far less pleasant.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
“Sir, it’s time to wake up.”
A soft, hesitant voice accompanied the knocking.
I let out a groan and rolled over in bed before reluctantly opening my eyes.
Looking toward the window, I saw that the sun had not even fully risen yet.
“Come in, Maya.”
The door slowly opened.
“Your bath will be ready shortly, sir. I have also prepared your clothes.”
I nodded in response and glanced toward the sky outside.
The darkness of night was slowly fading into pale shades of blue.
With a sigh, I pushed myself out of bed.
Soon, after bathing and getting dressed with Maya’s assistance, we headed downstairs for breakfast.
Because it was still so early, very few people occupied the dining hall.
The meal was quiet and simple, and before long, everyone began gathering their luggage for departure.
Just as we were preparing to leave, a familiar voice called out.
“Your Highness!”
I turned and saw the innkeeper hurrying toward us while carrying a half-asleep Niko in his arms.
The innkeeper smiled apologetically.
“Sorry, Your Highness. He insisted on saying goodbye before you left.”
A small smile appeared on my face.
“That’s alright.”
Niko rubbed his eyes sleepily before looking at me.
“Are you really leaving?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“I’m sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be.”
His expression immediately fell.
“Does that mean I’ll never see you again?”
The question caught me off guard.
“No,” I said after a moment.
“We’ll definitely meet again someday. I promise.”
I gently patted his head.
Niko’s eyes brightened instantly.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Before he could say anything else, one of the guards stepped forward.
“Your Highness, if we wish to arrive on time, we should leave now.”
I nodded in understanding.
Giving everyone one final farewell, I climbed back into the carriage and we resumed our journey.
Fortunately, the trip to the capital was much shorter than the journey to Boran.
Only two hours passed before the scenery around us began to change.
The buildings grew larger and more elegant.
Wide stone roads replaced dirt paths, while expensive shops lined the streets.
Jewelry stores displayed precious gemstones in crystal windows.
Bakeries sold pastries so beautifully decorated they almost seemed too expensive to eat.
The wealth of the capital practically radiated from every street.
It was almost comical.
Almost.
As our royal carriage traveled through the city, it naturally attracted attention.
People turned to look.
Whispers followed.
Curious gazes lingered.
I rolled my eyes.
“Nobles really do love to gossip.”
Maya laughed softly.
“It’s only natural that people would be curious about you, Your Highness.”
“Hmph.”
Before long, the carriage finally arrived at our destination.
The Tower of Invocation.
To call it a tower almost felt insulting.
The structure rose so high into the sky that it seemed to touch the clouds themselves.
Its exterior was built from pale blue stone accented with gold, while ancient magical symbols glowed softly across its surface.
Even after seeing it several times throughout my life, it remained breathtaking.
As our carriage came to a stop, a figure dressed in long blue robes stood waiting outside as though he had known exactly when we would arrive.
Then again…
He probably did.
Stepping out of the carriage alongside Maya, I watched as the man approached.
His long white hair was tied neatly behind him, and despite appearing no older than thirty, his eyes held the wisdom of someone far older.
He bowed.
“Your Highness Li Qiang. The Tower of Invocation is honored by your presence.”
I returned a polite nod.
“Rise, Lord Son. Thank you for welcoming us.”
His blue eyes met mine.
Many people would be fooled by his youthful appearance.
I was not one of them.
Son Dian was the Master of the Tower of Invocation and had already lived for one hundred and thirty-five years.
“Shall we head inside?” he asked with a smile.
“Any later and you’ll miss the first-year entrance ceremony.”
“Then let’s not waste time.”
The inside of the tower was somehow even more impressive than the exterior.
Young and elderly mages dressed in blue robes walked through the halls carrying books and scrolls while discussing magical theories that were undoubtedly far beyond my understanding.
After traveling through several hallways, we eventually stopped before a massive pair of double doors engraved with ancient runes.
Lord Son pushed them open.
The room beyond appeared almost empty.
At the center stood a circular pedestal surrounded by five towering pillars.
Each pillar bore a different symbol.
The Kingdom of Eiskalt.
The Kingdom of Shenguang.
The Kingdom of Panta Rhei.
The Kingdom of Kamau.
And finally…
Synergos.
The neutral land of unity.
At first glance, the room looked simple.
In reality, it housed one of the most valuable magical inventions in the world.
The Transportal Network.
Transportals were extraordinarily expensive to construct and even more expensive to maintain.
Only five existed on the entire continent.
One in each kingdom.
And one in Synergos.
Even nobles rarely used them.
Most were reserved for emergencies, diplomatic matters, or royal affairs.
“Please step onto the platform, Your Highness,” Lord Son instructed.
Everyone followed him up the stairs.
At the center of the pedestal was an enormous magic circle glowing with pale blue light.
Although I had visited the tower before, this would be my first time actually using a Transportal.
Lord Son moved toward a nearby control device covered in runes.
“Everything is prepared.”
Then he suddenly paused.
“Oh, right.”
I looked up.
“When you arrive in Synergos, a carriage will already be waiting for you.”
I blinked.
“A carriage?”
“Ordered by His Majesty.”
For a moment, I simply stared at him.
Father arranged that?
“Well… thank you. That saves me quite a bit of trouble.”
“Just doing my job.”
Lord Son smiled.
“Now then, you may experience some slight dizziness.”
He paused thoughtfully.
“Unless you suffer from motion sickness. In that case you’ll probably spend the next ten minutes vomiting your guts out.”
I stared at him.
“…”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
Before I could respond, he activated the circle.
“Alright. Three.”
The runes began glowing brighter.
“Two.”
Mana surged through the room.
“One.”
A brilliant light swallowed everything.
And then—
The world disappeared.
it is something that will be continuously be mentioned but I just wanted to give a heads up on the aging system of this world- humans can live up to 300 years sometimes even longer like people like our Mc who is mixed with something, elves and beast man naturaly live longer 500/600 years.
just a little info hope you guys enjoy this chapter cause I did❤️