An Addition To The Family

Thirty minutes was all it took to get Asher and Sinnett finally registered in the organization. They had been taken around the building for a while due to Yumiko's surprising sluggishness.

Afterward, they exchanged contacts with her and Veylan before boarding a cab back to the academy. Sinnett planned to drop off before the academy to attend to a few things.

Asher still had to meet with Tay and Emma. That aside, he lowered his gaze to his phone and the documents he had taken out of his bag.

A bunch of papers rested on his thigh—five handbooks and other standalone documents.

Most were from the academy, while three of the handbooks were from the organization, along with the file he had signed there.

He quickly skimmed through them, checking the academy's timetable, rules, and activities.

Every recess, the academy required students to leave the school to meet their respective guild masters at the designated locations sent to them.

The most common reasons for this were mission assignments and, occasionally, investigating mines where the city obtained its crystals and other minerals.

Asher didn't have a problem with that. If anything, it would serve as an opportunity for him to grow stronger since there was a chance he would encounter beasts.

Satisfied, he flipped the page again and landed on a hand-drawn sketch of the tower back at the organization.

He had seen the same thing before, on his phone, among the files Tay had sent him. Without hesitation, he picked up his phone and pulled up the image.

Then, he flipped open the organization's documents, where the same tower was depicted.

Placing all three side by side, he analyzed them.

On his phone was a hand-drawn image of the tower with directions and labels.

In the academy's files, there was just a rough sketch with the top and bottom labeled, indicating what was at those locations.

Meanwhile, the organization's file contained a well-detailed photograph of the tower, which resembled a skull at the top—right where the blue light he had seen earlier was positioned.

Reading through the details, he learned that the skull belonged to the last surviving dragon before it was killed.

However, the reasons behind its demise were not stated, meaning he would have to ask Tay or maybe Sinnett for more information.

Just as he flipped the page to read further, his phone vibrated in his hands.

He scoffed and shifted his gaze to the screen.

His brows furrowed at the sender's name Long-legged porcupine , It was weird and somewhat cringeworthy.

He already had a good idea of who it was, so without thinking twice, he tapped on the message.

Big Bro, Mom wants you to get some eggs and milk on your way back.

"Tch," he scoffed and tapped the call icon at the top right of his screen. He raised the phone to his ear, while he flipped through the files with his free hand.

"Have you gotten them?" Alya asked immediately after picking up.

Her tone was low, as if she were trying not to be overheard, but he could still sense the annoyance in her voice.

Asher exhaled heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you get it yourself?"

"You're already outside, and besides, I'm busy preparing dinner."

"There's a store close to the building, Brat. Go there and pick them up. It wouldn't take you ten minutes."

Alya scoffed in irritation. "Idiot, if you hadn't lost your memory, you'd know Ria was discharged from the hospital today."

"You'd better pick up what Mom asked for and get home as fast as you can."

Asher didn't respond immediately. He stayed silent, trying to remember where he had heard that name before.

Then, a memory crossed his mind.

He saw a little girl, between four or five years old, with white hair, amber eyes, and abnormally shaped irises.

He quickly shoved the files into his bag and dialed Tay's number instantly.

Without waiting for a hello or even a greeting, he said, "Meet me by the store near my apartment with Emma. Thank you."

"Ehh, wait, we were supposed to meet on the roof of your apartment building. Didn't you see Emma's text?"

"Emma? I don't think I did. I didn't really go through my messages because some unknown brat keeps sending me annoying pictures of cats and flowers."

Tay facepalmed on the other end. "You dense idiot," he exhaled. "Just head to the apartment then," Tay said and cut the call without hesitating.

Luckily enough, the car had passed by the apartment building at that exact moment. He hurriedly asked the driver to stop, stepped out of the car, and hurried off, ignoring Sinnett's farewell.

Asher stopped before the apartment building. He raised his head to where their floor was and groaned.

"So many stairs, and the elevator will be too slow," he muttered, glancing at the white bag in his hands containing the eggs and milk, just as Alya had asked.

He didn't even have to go into a store to get them, he had just stopped by a stall.

"Can I jump that high?" he asked no one in particular, calculating the height between him and their apartment.

"It's better to take the risk," he uttered and moved his bag to his front. He placed the milk and eggs carefully inside before repositioning it.

Asher exhaled and took a few steps back, his gaze locked onto the balcony of his apartment.

"This is a terrible idea," he muttered as he shifted his weight.

There was a slight possibility he wouldn't be able to jump that high, over ten floors. But he had faith in his new upgrade, and he cared less about the damages.

His main goal was to get home as fast as possible and meet Ria.

With a deep breath, he bent his knees and launched himself upward.

His body shot through the air, wind whipping past his face as he reached for the railing.

His fingers barely caught the edge, and for a brief moment, he dangled several stories above the ground.

"Haha!" he exclaimed. Staring down, he let out a grunt and pulled himself over, landing smoothly on the balcony.

He adjusted his bag, strode toward the door, and pushed it a little too hard, causing a bang when the door collided with the wall

The moment he stepped inside, a shrill, excited voice pierced the air.

"ASHER!"

He caught if glimpse of white hair and small limbs launched toward him before he could even see her face.

He barely had time to drop his bag before the girl slammed into his chest, nearly knocking him off balance if he hadn't steadied himself.

"Ria?" He blinked. He recognized the tiny figure in his arms, even though he was meeting her for the first time.

Her white hair framed her bright amber eyes, her strangely shaped irises glowing faintly in the dim light.

She clung to him tightly, her tiny fingers gripping his shirt as if he'd disappear again. "You're finally back!"

Asher's arms instinctively wrapped around her, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.

He had seen her in his memories… an image of the past… but now she was real, warm, and clinging to him like he was her world.

The girl in his dreams.

She might have been a little kid, but as Alexander, he had always been excited to go to sleep, knowing full well he would meet that strange kid who kept him company.

When he had woken up in this body, something told him he was forgetting something. No, someone. Maybe it was her, but he wasn't certain.

Before he could say anything, a loud ding echoed in his head, and a red holographic screen materialized before him.

[System Notification]

[You have encountered an Infant Dragon.]

[Do you wish to Attack or Tame?]

Asher's body stiffened.

His gaze moved to the glowing screen hovering I before him, the words alone sent a chill down his spine.

An Infant Dragon? How?!