"Emma really does take care of me best."
Orson let out a relaxed grin. He pulled three packs of instant noodles from his storage, set up a pot over the campfire, and began tossing in ingredients with little care for order.
Soon, the fragrant smell of noodles, bacon, and eggs filled the air. He ladled out a bowl and handed it to Aeloria, who was standing with her back to him, keeping watch.
"If you're going to be a proper little lady of dragonkind, it starts with accepting civilized indulgences." Orson smirked, clearly up to no good.
Aeloria sniffed, turned her head slightly, and gave him a look of disdain.
"My lord, magical creatures sustain themselves by devouring elemental energy."
"Oh really? Must be nice—drinking in the wind and calling it a delicacy. Truly elegant!"
Orson couldn't help but laugh. He tried to offer her some noodles, just to see if he'd be the first person ever to hand-feed a dragon.
"There's the scent of that human on it. I don't like it."
Aeloria wrinkled her nose and turned away with haughty defiance.
"Yeah? Then why are you drooling like that?"
Orson raised an eyebrow. Despite her stern expression, two clear trails of drool glistened at the corners of her mouth, dripping steadily onto the ground.
"Stop pretending. I know you're hungry. Been too long since you've had giant dragon meat, huh? I'll hunt a few for you later—let you gorge yourself."
Aeloria gulped hard, her greed all too apparent.
Under Orson's relentless coaxing, she finally surrendered, awkwardly mimicking his movements as she clumsily picked up the noodles and shoved them into her mouth.
"Mine! All mine! So good!"
Meanwhile, Orson rolled his eyes. He flicked his chopsticks just in time to pluck Berenice out of the pot—saving the foolish egg from boiling itself alive.
Once they were both full, Orson let out a contented yawn. He sat by the campfire, eyes closed, resting in silence.
"There's something watching us," Aeloria said coldly. The ground around her was littered with empty noodle containers—she'd eaten through half of what he'd planned to last two weeks.
"I know. Let it be for now. We keep moving."
Orson cracked a sly smile, glancing toward the skeletal forest.
Camping out under the stars stirred memories of his past life, making him oddly nostalgic.
By the next day, Orson was slumped over Aeloria's back, dozing while she trudged onward.
There wasn't a single living thing in sight. As they crossed rolling dunes, the scatter of bones became less frequent.
They stopped at the ruins of an old temple. Most of its pillars had collapsed, the statues weathered beyond recognition.
The place was utterly still. A biting cold crept in.
Outside the broken walls, Orson could see frost blanketing the endless dunes—a sight both magnificent and eerie under the dim light.
"Don't eat me… please, someone help… help me!"
Suddenly, a desperate voice echoed closer.
Along with it came the low growls of some kind of beast.
Hearing a plea for help in a dead world didn't offer comfort—it sent a chill crawling up his spine.
"Finally losing patience?" Orson's lips curled up in a dark smile.
"Stay back. I sense danger," Aeloria growled, stepping in front of him with her bone sword drawn.
For once, there was a hint of tension on her cold, proud face.
A moment later, a tiny girl stumbled over the hill above them. Massive black shapes lurked just behind her.
Low-tier Heaven Demon
Skills: Piercing Burst, Burrow, External Carapace
Orson's eyes hardened. He'd seen these beasts in his previous life—wolf-like with pale gray hides, but their bones grew outside their skin in grotesque patterns.
Their HP might not seem impressive, but their defenses and attack power were monstrous.
They could burrow and hide beneath sand or soil, ambushing anything that got too close.
The little girl collapsed in terror, crawling backward.
Four of the creatures bared rows of spiraled teeth and lunged, stopping less than ten meters from her.
"Don't worry, I've got you," Orson called out, striding from the temple with a calm, confident smile.
He raised his Supreme Arcane Blade. A Chaos Magic Ball launched forward, illuminating the night.
The devourers shrieked. Their ghostly pale bones flared up, erupting with jagged spikes to clash against his attack.
The chaotic flames set the monsters ablaze, filling the air with a foul stench—but it wasn't nearly enough to finish them off.
Orson frowned. Just as he remembered, these things were hard to handle. When they raised their bony spikes, they blocked most physical attacks.
If you didn't know their habits, it'd be easy to panic and slip up.
The devourers let out chilling cries and turned away from the girl, charging straight for him and Aeloria.
His face was serene. A swirl of wind lifted him briefly, carrying him over their bull-like charge.
Suspended in the air, he brought his hands together, voice cold. "Earthquake."
A colossal stone dragon burst from the sand, smashing into the beasts and tossing them like ragdolls.
Orson landed and began his savage barrage.
Each Chaos Magic Ball streaked out like a shooting star, striking the thinly armored undersides of their bellies.
With 61x critical damage stacking, the four creatures were ripped apart, left in smoking heaps of black gore.
"You killed a low-tier Heaven Demon. +47,000 XP."
"Now that's the kind of XP I like."
Orson sighed contentedly. In his past life, Heaven-tier adventurers couldn't be bothered fighting normal monsters—because Heaven Demons like these gave five to ten times the experience.
It made sense. Most Infinite Dimensions monsters were just watered-down copies of Heaven Demons. The real deal was far stronger.
"You've earned +10 adventurer merit."
Unlike Infinite Dimensions mobs, Heaven Demons didn't drop loot. Instead, you gained merit points based on how tough or numerous they were.
Merit could be exchanged for equipment materials, enchantments, or even converted directly to gold.
It was also essential for advancing your adventurer rank.
Reach King rank, and you'd gain your own unique domain power, just like an Infinite Dimensions ruler.
"Thank you, big brother! I'm Mia," the girl sobbed in relief, rubbing tears from her eyes.
"I'm Orgod. No need to thank me."
Orson smiled kindly, stepping closer to help her up.
But Aeloria swung her bone sword sideways, blocking him. A voice echoed in his mind, tense with warning.
"She is not your kin, my lord. Kill it."
Orson just laughed, pushing the blade aside like it was nothing. With a gentle, reassuring smile, he walked forward.
Aeloria frowned deeply, confused by his reaction, but didn't stop him again.
He looked every bit the caring older brother, reaching down to help the girl stand.
"You're so strong, big brother! How come I've never seen you around before?" Mia asked with wide, innocent eyes.
His smile froze. That face—he knew it too well.
It was Sienna's face. Exactly as he remembered her when she was little.
His eyes chilled for a heartbeat, then returned to calm.
Mia tilted her head, lips pouting. "Did Mia say something wrong? If big brother can't say, Mia won't pry."
After a little gentle questioning, he learned her story. Her family had been scattered by a Heaven Demon attack. She'd wandered alone into this desert, called the God-Burial Grounds.
"Little one, do you know how to reach Godfall Cliff?" he asked.
Mia hesitated, then looked curious.
"There are lots of monsters there, very dangerous. Why would you want to go, big brother?"
Orson couldn't hold back a smile. "To slay evil, obviously."
"Wow! That's amazing!"
Her eyes sparkled with awe, her playful grin adorable.
"If you keep heading north for about a hundred miles, then over two hills and along a river, you'll reach it. I can take you!"
"Alright. But before that—being lost here all alone, your parents must be worried sick, right?"
Orson's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Mia paused, then nodded.
"How about I take you back to your village first, let you reunite with your family? Then I'll go to Godfall Cliff."
As he spoke, he flashed a smile that was all teeth—sharp, white, and chilling.