Forbidden zone

"Seraphina, can you stick with Elynn for now?" Ethan said, looking down at Seraphina beneath him.

"Roar… roar…" Seraphina let out a low growl, sounding both reluctant and a little aggrieved.

"Don't worry, I just have some other things to take care of. I'll be back tonight," Ethan reassured her.

"Roar… roar…" Seraphina finally gave a reluctant nod of agreement.

"Elynn, I'm leaving things to you. Take down all the resource points we've identified nearby. If there aren't any left to conquer, then take Seraphina out for some leveling," Ethan instructed Elynn.

"Understood, my esteemed master," Elynn nodded quickly, though she looked a little nervous. With her being just a Silver Pegasus Knight, the thought of leading a mighty Green Dragon hero was overwhelming. The pressure was immense!

"Relax, Elynn. Seraphina is easy to get along with, and besides, we're all on the same side… Right?" Ethan noticed Elynn's anxiety and tried to reassure her while giving Seraphina a playful wink.

"Grumble… grumble…"

Seraphina let out a sound that was both sulky and resigned before shifting back to her usual form. Then, with a confident stride, she walked toward Elynn, letting out a cute yet commanding roar—

As if to say, "Follow me!"

"So… so adorable!"

Elynn's eyes sparkled with excitement, but she quickly realized her reaction was inappropriate and shut her mouth. She then straightened up and gave Seraphina a respectful knight's salute. "Honorable Lady Seraphina, I look forward to learning from you."

With that, she swung onto her Silver Pegasus and followed closely behind Seraphina.

Meanwhile, Ethan had already taken off his VR headset.

Years of self-sufficiency had made the Ethan of this parallel world an excellent cook. And as it happened, the Ethan who had transmigrated here was also skilled in the kitchen. The combination of both skills made cooking second nature to him—effortless and instinctive.

So, in just an hour or two, the small dining table was completely covered with a feast of delicious dishes. Each one was visually stunning, aromatic, and mouthwatering enough to make anyone's appetite go wild.

"Bro, I'm home!"

Right on cue, Emily burst through the door, her voice full of excitement.

"Whoa! So much food! And it smells amazing… Wait, is that fried chicken? And mac and cheese? These are my favorites! You actually remembered!"

Seeing the table full of her childhood favorites, Emily practically squealed with joy, bouncing up and down.

By the end, her eyes even turned a little red, as if she was about to tear up.

These were all the dishes she had loved as a kid…

And this annoying brother of hers—he hadn't forgotten a single one.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Emily sprang to her feet and jumped in front of Ethan, her face deadly serious. "Bro, I've made up my mind!"

"Huh? About what?"

"I'm gonna find you a new girlfriend! A super, super gorgeous one! That way, Sophie will totally regret it! Hmph! So, tell me—what's your type? I promise, whatever you want, I can find—ah!"

Before she could finish, a sharp yelp escaped her lips.

She clutched her smooth, fair forehead, looking pitifully at Ethan with teary eyes.

"Bro, you hit me again!"

"Eat."

"I won't! Not until I find you a girlfriend—"

Emily's face was full of stubborn determination, as if she were ready to sacrifice everything for this cause.

"Are you eating or not?"

Ethan remained expressionless, raising his hand again.

"Ah! No hitting!" Instantly, Emily jumped back like she'd been electrocuted, retreating several feet away. She shivered slightly, looking at Ethan with a pitiful expression. "Fine, fine! I'll eat!"

"I restarted my account."

As Emily sat down, Ethan casually mentioned it while scooping rice into her bowl.

Emily froze for a moment, then suddenly lit up with excitement. "For real?"

"Did you start in Winterkeep? Where are you? Log in later and come find me! I'll help you with quests and leveling—"

"No… I'm not in Winterkeep." Ethan shook his head.

"You're not?" Emily's face fell, disappointment flashing across her eyes.

"Don't overthink it." Ethan placed the bowl in front of her and said slowly, "Something went wrong when I created my new character… Have you ever heard of Sylvanwood?"

"Huh? Sylvanwood? Bro, don't tell me you spawned in that cursed place?!" Emily's eyes widened in shock, and for a brief moment, there was even a flicker of fear in them.

"Uh… is there a problem?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, curious.

"A problem? No, it's a huge problem! You seriously don't know? Sylvanwood is an absolute no-go zone in the Unicorn Duchy!" Emily suddenly smacked her forehead.

Right—she just remembered.

It made sense that Ethan wouldn't know about this. He had spent all these years in Griffonhold, deep in the Eldoria Duchy. News from the Unicorn Duchy was practically another world to him.

"Bro, you need to delete your account and restart again! Sylvanwood is completely unlivable—wait, no, that won't work. You just restarted, which means you have to wait three months before you can create a new character again! Ugh, this is so unlucky! Now you're stuck wasting another three months!" The more Emily spoke, the more frustrated she became, as if she was the one trapped in this mess.

"Alright, alright. Just tell me exactly what's wrong with Sylvanwood." Ethan leaned forward, intrigued.

"Listen to me, bro, I'm not joking. Sylvanwood is a total death zone in the Unicorn Duchy, and it's not just dangerous for players—it's dangerous for NPC factions too! Rumor has it that even the Unicorn Duchy's elite legions, their top NPC heroes, all avoid that place like the plague!" Emily's brows furrowed so tightly they could probably squeeze out water.

"That bad?"

Ethan was genuinely surprised, a serious look flashing in his eyes.

He knew very well that there was a huge difference between a danger zone meant for players and one that even NPC factions feared.

A so-called "forbidden zone" for players usually meant running into high-tier enemies—maybe Tier 10 or Tier 11 units at worst.

But a forbidden zone feared by NPC factions?

There was only one possibility—

Mythic Units.

Tier 14 Mythic Units.

And not just one.