Asher's eyes fluttered open as he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. "Where is this?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse. He tried to move his body but winced as pain shot through him. Gritting his teeth, he swiftly accessed his inventory and retrieved a healing potion, gulping it down in one motion. The warm sensation of the potion spread through his body, easing some of the pain.
"I'm in a house," he muttered, glancing around the room. Sunlight streamed through a small window, casting soft shadows on the wooden walls. As he tried to assess his situation, he suddenly heard the click of a door opening. His instincts took over immediately. In a flash, his Blood Scythe materialized in his hands, his grip firm as he prepared to retaliate against any potential threat.
"You're awake!" A gentle voice called out.
Asher turned sharply to see a young woman standing at the doorway, completely unfazed by the crimson scythe in his hands. She smiled sweetly, her golden eyes filled with relief rather than fear.
"Who are you?" Asher asked, his tone sharp as he kept the weapon pointed at her.
"My name is Serena. And don't worry, you're safe here for now," she replied calmly.
Asher scrutinized her carefully. She was weak—not even at the Awakening Rank, merely at the Diamond Realm of the Foundation Rank. He saw no threat in her, which was the only reason he lowered his scythe, though he remained on guard.
"Where is this?" he asked, his voice steadier now.
"You're in Mint Leaf Village," Serena answered. She then added, "My father found you in the nearby river when he was hunting a predator that had been harassing the villagers. After he killed it, he dove in to retrieve its body from the lake's depths—and that's when he found you as well."
Asher listened silently as she continued.
"My father said you were lucky. If he hadn't found you, who knows how much longer you would've remained at the bottom of the lake… or if you'd have survived at all."
Asher processed her words carefully. "What continent is this?" he asked. Google search Novel~Fire. (n)et
"This is the Myrian Continent," she replied.
Asher frowned. "Which one?"
Serena blinked in confusion. "Myrian," she repeated, as if he should already know.
Ignoring her, Asher placed his hand on the ground and activated Absolute Appraisal.
- Current Location: Village Hunter's House
- Region: Northeast of Pallax Kingdom
- Pallax Kingdom is located in the southern region of the Myrian Continent
- Myrian Continent is part of the world of Grihayan
"…Fuck," Asher cursed inwardly, his eyes narrowing at the results from Absolute Appraisal.
This wasn't just some remote part of his world. He was in an entirely different world altogether.
Serena, on the other hand, was immediately distracted by the strong aroma that hit her nose the moment she stepped through the door. Her keen senses quickly located the source—a small potion bottle placed beside Asher's bed.
She picked it up and took a deep sniff. Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"What is this!?" she gasped.
She turned to Asher with an expression of pure disbelief. Holding up the bottle, she examined it closely. "Such purity… such a perfect combination… such an incredible potion!" she mumbled in awe.
Asher, noticing her reaction, instinctively raised his guard, but before he could fully process what was happening, Serena had already rushed to his bedside. Her bright, puppy-like eyes stared at him in excitement, her face mere inches from his own.
Asher unconsciously took a step back, but she quickly grabbed his arm, pressing further. "Can you tell me where you got this!?" she asked, holding up the now-empty potion bottle he had just used.
"It's mine," Asher replied calmly.
This potion wasn't something ordinary—it was something he himself had created using his Black Assimilation and Blood Elixir skills. By combining those two abilities, he had produced a Supreme-Quality Health Potion, capable of healing not only physical wounds but also mana depletion, speed fatigue, and even neutralizing poisons.
Serena's eyes sparkled with even more excitement. "You made it!?" she asked, leaning in even closer. "So you're an Alchemist!?"
Asher now found himself backed against the wall, while Serena's eager face inched closer and closer to his.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed, he placed a hand on her forehead and pushed her back slightly. "Shouldn't you at least introduce yourself properly before asking me so many questions?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Serena blinked in realization before straightening up. "Oh! Right! I forgot!" She quickly stepped back and placed her hands on her hips.
"My name is Serena, the best healer in this village!" she declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
Asher's gaze instinctively flickered downward.
Serena immediately noticed where his eyes had gone. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly shielded herself with her arms. "W-What are you looking at!?" she stammered.
Asher rolled his eyes. "Weren't you the one who puffed out your chest in the first place?" he replied, crossing his arms.
Serena's face burned even redder. "N-Now… Y-You—You're fine! I-I'll go tell Mom!" she blurted out, stumbling over her words before spinning around and dashing out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Asher sighed, shaking his head. "Damn it…" he muttered.
Turning his attention back to himself, he clenched his fist, testing his body's condition. His wounds had mostly healed, though he could still feel some residual pain. But what concerned him more was the information he had just learned.
"No wonder they sent a General after that Trojan Core…" he mumbled, his eyes darkening.
That artifact had led him to an entirely different world.
And he had never heard of any place called Grihayan.
"I have to find a way to go back," Asher mumbled as he sat on the bed.
His first instinct was to use Absolute Appraisal, hoping to find any clue about how to leave this world. However, no answers appeared. Frustrated, he shifted his focus to the Legacy Hall, searching for any recorded method to travel from one world to another.
But once again, he found nothing.
"Damn it…" he muttered, clutching his head. His thoughts raced before he finally called out, "System, can you help?"
"System?" he called again, but there was still no response.
Just as he was about to give up, a message finally appeared before him.
[Host has only one choice now: to grow stronger and travel back to the host's original world.]
Asher's eyes lit up. "Really? I can do that?" he asked, finally seeing a possible way home.
[Yes. After reaching the peak of the Awakening Realm—also known as the Mortal Rank—one can step into the Transcendent Rank. At the third level of this rank, known as the Void Stage, it becomes possible to travel between worlds without any danger.]
Asher absorbed the information, his mind working quickly. "A realm above the Awakening Rank, huh?" he muttered. "So this means… this world is much stronger than Volarisa, isn't it?"
[Here, the peak of the Transcendent Realm has seven stages in total.]
Asher clenched his fists. This world was far beyond what he had imagined. If he wanted to return, he had no choice but to climb higher than ever before.
Asher exhaled deeply, his mind settling on a single thought—he needed to grow stronger.
His current injuries made it impossible to train, so for now, all he could do was gather as much information as possible.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Serena peeked inside, her face still slightly flushed from their earlier interaction. Seeing Asher awake, she smiled and walked in.
"You seem lost in thought," she said, placing a small wooden tray on the bedside table. The tray held a bowl of steaming soup, a few herbal leaves, and a clay cup filled with what smelled like medicinal tea. "Eat up. Mom said you need to regain your strength."
Asher nodded, picking up the spoon. He didn't particularly need normal food—his Assimilation skill allowed him to sustain himself through mana-rich substances—but refusing would only make them suspicious. He took a sip of the soup, and to his surprise, it wasn't bad.
"This world… the mana density here is insane," he muttered. Even the food had traces of pure energy in it, something unheard of back in Volrisa.
Serena, who had keen hearing, caught his words. "Of course! The Myrian Continent is one of the richest lands when it comes to mana!" she said proudly. "Our village may be small, but even we have mana-infused herbs growing naturally!"
Asher took another sip, his mind processing the implications. If even a small village had access to mana-rich materials, then what kind of powerhouses existed in this world's major kingdoms?
As he finished his meal, Serena sat down beside his bed, watching him curiously.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she said, resting her chin on her hand.
Asher simply shrugged.
Serena giggled. "You're really different from the boys here. Most of them won't shut up, especially when they see a pretty girl like me!" She smirked, flipping her hair dramatically.