Morning sunlight illuminated Silverbrook Town.
Noah walked through the streets, holding a small list of things he wanted to investigate.
Yesterday, he had learned about the Adventurers Guild, local currency, and the various races living in the kingdom.
Today, he wanted to learn more about the world itself.
A bookstore seemed like a good place to start.
After asking for directions, he found a respectable establishment near the central marketplace.
A small bell rang when he entered.
"Welcome!"
An elderly shopkeeper greeted him.
The old man looked up, then noticed Noah's horns and golden eyes.
His expression changed slightly.
"Dragon characteristics..."
Noah nodded.
"Do you have books about geography and the history of this kingdom?"
"Certainly. We have several."
The shopkeeper guided him toward a collection of shelves.
Noah selected three books:
1. A Complete Atlas of the Kingdom of Valtherion.
2. The Races and Civilizations of Aetherion.
3. A Beginner's Guide to Magic and Mana.
The total cost was seven silver coins.
Noah paid and left the bookstore.
He found a quiet place to sit and began reading.
...
The Kingdom of Valtherion
According to the atlas, Silverbrook Town belonged to the Kingdom of Valtherion.
It was a hereditary monarchy ruled by King Edric Valtherion.
The kingdom had an estimated population of approximately thirty-eight million people.
Its capital was Aurelion, a magnificent city located in the central territory.
The kingdom was divided into seven major administrative territories
- Royal Territory
- Northern Territory
- Southern Territory
- Eastern Territory
- Western Territory
- Silverbrook Territory
- Frontier Territory
Each territory contained cities, towns, villages, noble estates, and smaller settlements.
Noah continued reading.
Valtherion wasn't the only major power in the region.
Several neighboring countries were also mentioned.
Elven Kingdom of Elaria: A powerful elven nation known for ancient forests, magic, and long-lived inhabitants.
Dwarven Mountain Federation: A collection of mountain civilizations famous for blacksmithing, mining, and magical equipment.
Beastkin Kingdom of Grimhaven: A nation inhabited by numerous beastkin tribes and clans.
Sacred Empire of Solaria: A powerful religious empire with influence over several human kingdoms.
Demon Dominion of Varkhaz: A vast territory ruled by powerful demon lords and their respective factions.
Noah closed the atlas for a moment.
This world is considerably bigger than I expected.
And these were only the major powers surrounding one kingdom.
...
The Races of Aetherion
The second book contained information about the world's many races.
Humans were widespread and possessed numerous kingdoms and empires.
High elves were known for their exceptional magical abilities and long lifespans.
Wood elves maintained close relationships with nature and forest spirits.
Dark elves possessed distinct magical traditions and civilizations.
Dwarves were renowned craftsmen.
Beastkin possessed various animal characteristics and physical advantages.
Vampires and werewolves maintained their own bloodlines and societies.
Demons lived in numerous territories and kingdoms.
Angels and fallen angels were also recorded, although reliable information about their civilizations was limited.
The book additionally mentioned giants, merfolk, spirits, elementals, phoenixes, and other magical creatures.
Then Noah reached a section titled:
Dragons — The Legendary Supreme Race
He read carefully.
Dragons were described as one of the strongest natural races in Aetherion.
They possessed extraordinary physical bodies, powerful magic, immense lifespans, and valuable bloodlines.
Their civilizations were believed to exist in hidden territories inaccessible to ordinary races.
The last officially documented appearance of a dragon in the mortal world had occurred approximately six hundred years ago.
Since then, dragons had become figures of legends and historical records.
However, the book made one thing clear.
Dragons had never been considered extinct.
Their territories, ancient clans, and civilizations were simply beyond the reach of ordinary kingdoms.
Noah leaned back.
"So dragons really are that important here."
He continued reading.
Even a single drop of dragon blood could be worth millions of gold coins.
Depending on its purity, it could strengthen the body, increase magical capacity, improve bloodline potential, and potentially extend lifespan.
Some nobles and powerful families had spent entire fortunes attempting to acquire genuine dragon blood.
Noah glanced at his hand.
He possessed something far more extraordinary than ordinary dragon blood.
His Primordial Dragon Blood Essence was not something he would casually distribute.
He returned to the book.
...
Magic and Mana
The final book explained the fundamentals of magic.
Mana existed throughout the world.
Most living beings possessed some degree of magical potential, although their capacity varied significantly.
The common magical ranks were:
1. Apprentice
2. Intermediate
3. Advanced
4. Expert
5. Master
6. Grandmaster
7. Saint
8. Legendary
9. Divine
The ten commonly recognized elemental affinities were:
- Fire
- Water
- Wind
- Earth
- Lightning
- Ice
- Light
- Darkness
- Nature
- Metal
Rarer magical disciplines included time, gravity, soul, life, and death magic.
Noah examined the information.
He possessed affinity for every element.
However, the system had already explained that affinity did not equal mastery.
He would still need to practice.
To test his understanding, he raised his hand.
A small flame appeared.
Then it transformed into a sphere of water.
Next came wind, lightning, and ice.
He examined each element carefully.
The process was surprisingly smooth.
...
Mission Completed
A golden interface appeared.
[SUPREME DRAGON SYSTEM]
[Daily Exploration Mission Completed!]
Rewards:
- Evolution Points ×3,000
- System Gold Coins ×100,000
- Random Treasure Chest ×1
[Rewards successfully claimed.]
Noah checked his updated resources.
Evolution Points: 108,000.
System Gold Coins: 1,150,000.
A treasure chest appeared in his inventory.
"Let's see what this contains."
He opened it.
[DING!]
[Congratulations!]
[You have obtained: Primordial Spatial Ring ×1.]
Item Grade: Mythical
Description:
A rare spatial treasure with an infinite storage capacity.
Features:
- Infinite Storage Capacity
- Time Stopped Inside
- Can Store Living Beings With the Owner's Permission
- Bound Exclusively to Noah
- Cannot Be Destroyed by Ordinary Means
Noah summoned the ring.
It was beautifully crafted, with a dark metallic surface and subtle golden patterns.
He placed it on his right index finger.
"Very convenient."
He now possessed two separate storage functions: his original Spatial Storage and this new Primordial Spatial Ring.
...
Training in the Personal Dimension
Later that afternoon, Noah entered his personal dimension.
A new feature had become available.
[Training Area Unlocked.]
A large circular platform appeared beyond the mansion.
It was surrounded by reinforced barriers and positioned among the mountains.
Noah stepped onto the platform.
"Perfect."
He raised his hand.
A fireball appeared above his palm.
He launched it toward the training barrier.
BOOM!
The barrier absorbed the impact.
Noah experimented with lightning next.
A bolt of golden electricity shot forward.
Then came wind, water, and ice.
He practiced changing the size, direction, and intensity of each spell.
The system displayed a brief report.
[Elemental Dominion — Training Assessment]
Fire: Beginner
Water: Beginner
Wind: Beginner
Lightning: Beginner
Ice: Beginner
[Continued practice will improve control and mastery.]
Noah nodded.
He still had much to learn.
...
As evening arrived, Noah returned to the mansion.
He stood near one of the enormous windows and looked toward the distant mountains.
For a moment, he remembered Earth.
His old life.
The people he had known.
He didn't know whether returning was possible, and he wasn't going to spend his new life worrying about something he couldn't change.
He had been given another opportunity.
A new world.
A new body.
An extraordinary bloodline.
And an infinite evolution system.
Noah smiled faintly.
"Let's see what this world has to offer."
He closed the window and prepared to rest.
Tomorrow, he planned to explore more of Silverbrook and investigate the monsters living nearby.
Aetherion was waiting.
End of Chapter 4