chapter 5

We walked for two hours through parts of the forest that became denser and more mysterious with every step. The trees here were giants, their trunks as wide as small houses, their leaves forming a thick canopy that blocked most of the sunlight. The air was filled with magical energy, making the hairs on my arms stand up.

"This place gives me the chills," Elyana whispered, walking cautiously between Draken and me.

"The magical energy here is extremely concentrated," Draken agreed. "I can feel it in the air."

I could feel it too, but in a different way. The **Dragon's Tear** in my bag was gradually warming up, absorbing the surrounding energy and strengthening itself. My **Holy Spirit Eye** skill was also reacting—I could see threads of magical energy flowing through the trees like rivers of colored light.

"Stop," I suddenly said, raising my hand.

"What?" Draken asked, his hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of his sword.

"There's something ahead." I focused my eye skill and stared through the trees. "Something big. And very powerful."

In the distance, about a hundred meters away, I saw a strong golden glow of magical energy. The level was... terrifying.

"Level 45," I whispered.

"What did you say?" Elyana asked.

"Nothing. Just... we need to be very careful."

We moved forward slowly, sneaking from tree to tree, until we reached the edge of a large clearing. In the center of the clearing, we saw a sight both breathtaking and terrifying.

There was a beautiful magical spring surrounded by glowing gemstones and rare flowers. The water itself shimmered with a soft blue light, and pure magical energy rose from it like steam. Around the spring, the Silver Moonflowers Elyana was searching for grew abundantly.

But the guardian of this beautiful place was far less beautiful.

A baby dragon—only relatively speaking—was sleeping beside the spring. It was about the size of a large horse, covered in golden scales that gleamed in the magical light. Its wings were folded at its sides, and its long tail coiled around it. Even while asleep, its presence was majestic and intimidating.

"This... this is a real dragon," Elyana whispered in awe and fear.

"A young golden dragon," Draken corrected. "A very rare species. That explains why the magical energy here is so strong."

I carefully looked around the clearing, searching for the spot I remembered from the game. Behind the spring, in a large rock, there was a small cave. That was where Ember should be.

"Okay," I whispered. "I have a plan."

"Listen," Draken said.

"The dragon is asleep, which is good. Golden dragons sleep deeply for many hours, but they wake quickly if they sense any threat."

"So we approach carefully?" Elyana asked.

"No, that won't work. Its senses are too sharp—it will sense our presence even if we're completely silent."

"Then what do we do?" Draken asked.

I smiled mischievously. "We wake it up, but in a clever way."

Both of them looked at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"Explain," Draken said cautiously.

"Golden dragons are very arrogant, but also curious. If we introduce ourselves the right way, we can convince it we're not a threat—but interesting visitors."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Elyana asked.

"With politeness and respect. And most importantly, by offering something that sparks its curiosity."

I pulled out the **Dragon's Tear** from my bag. The blue gemstone was glowing strongly in this environment full of magical energy.

"This is a rare gemstone," I said. "Dragons love gemstones, especially those containing magical energy."

"You want to trade with the dragon?" Draken asked in shock.

"Not exactly. I want to spark its curiosity enough that it allows us to get close and talk to it."

"This is crazy," Elyana said. "But... I kind of like it."

"Things will go badly if it doesn't work," Draken warned.

"Then we'll need Plan B," I admitted. "Which involves a lot of running and screaming."

I took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing, holding the **Dragon's Tear** high in my hand where it could clearly be seen.

"O noble dragon!" I called in a clear, respectful voice. "I ask permission to enter your sacred domain!"

For several seconds, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the dragon opened one huge golden eye and stared at me.

"Tiny human," it said in a deep, echoing voice, but not an unfriendly one. "How dare you disturb my sleep?"

"I sincerely apologize for the disturbance, great one," I said, trying to remember the correct way to speak to dragons from the game. "But I carry something I thought might interest you."

I raised the **Dragon's Tear** higher, and the gem shined brighter with blue light.

The dragon opened both eyes now and sat up more attentively. "This... this is a true dragon gem."

"Yes," I said proudly. "An inheritance from my father."

"Fascinating." The dragon lifted its massive head and sniffed the air. "I smell the Shadowind power on you. That is a name I haven't heard in years."

That was unexpected. How did the dragon know about the Shadowind family?

"My father was Count Mark Shadowind," I said.

"Ahh, yes. I met him once, many years ago. A respectable man, by human standards." The dragon looked behind me at Draken and Elyana. "And who are these companions of yours?"

"My friends and travel companions. Draken Ironfist and Elyana Monlet."

"Ironfist?" The dragon sounded pleased. "A family of honorable warriors. And Monlet... a trustworthy merchant family. Good choices for friends, young Shadowind."

I took one step forward. "Great one, we are on an important mission. My friend Elyana needs the Silver Moonflower to cure her sick mother."

"A noble cause," the dragon nodded. "And yours?"

"I seek something that will help me grow stronger, to avenge my father."

"Vengeance? Also a noble goal, if it is just." The dragon thought for a moment. "Very well, young Shadowind. I will allow you to take the flowers. But what you seek is not here."

"Not here?" I managed to hide my surprise. In the game, Ember was definitely in the cave behind the spring.

"The thing you seek is in the cave behind me, yes. But it is not something you can simply take."

"What do you mean?"

"The little fire spirit hiding there for months. She is frightened and injured. She will not contract with anyone unless she trusts them completely."

The spirit is injured? That wasn't in the game.

"What hurt her?"

"Soul hunters," the dragon said with obvious anger. "Evil humans who hunt spirits and sell them. They attacked the cave three months ago. They killed her mother's spirit and tried to capture her. She escaped here, and since then has refused to appear except rarely."

A wave of anger surged through me. Soul hunters were among the worst criminals in this world, enslaving magical creatures and selling them on the black market.

"How can I help her?"

"With patience and kindness. And perhaps..." He looked at the **Dragon's Tear** in my hand. "With the healing energy from your stone."

That made sense. The **Dragon's Tear** contained strong healing energy.

"I will do everything I can," I said sincerely.

"Good. Go to the cave, but move slowly. Do not try to force anything. Spirits are sensitive creatures, especially after trauma."

I nodded and headed toward the cave, while Draken and Elyana went to gather the Silver Moonflowers.

The cave was small and dark, but I could see a faint red glow deep inside. I moved slowly, step by step.

"Hello," I said softly. "My name is Lian. I'm not here to hurt you."

The red glow disappeared, as if the spirit had hidden again.

"I know you're scared," I continued. "The dragon told me what happened to you. I'm very sorry for what those evil men did to you and your mother."

The red glow appeared again, slightly closer this time.

I sat on the ground and took out the **Dragon's Tear**. "I have something that can help you heal. Would you like to see it?"

Slowly, a small glowing figure emerged from the shadows. It was a fire spirit, about the size of a small ball, radiating warm red light. But I could see part of its glow was dim, a sign of deep spiritual injury.

"Hello, Ember," I whispered. "That's your name, isn't it?"

The tiny spirit fluttered in the air, flying cautiously closer to me. When it saw the **Dragon's Tear**, it made a soft musical ringing sound.

"This is a healing stone. It can help you." I slowly raised the gem. "But first, I want to make you a promise. I won't force anything on you. If you want to remain alone, I will respect that."

Ember came closer, until it was only a few meters away. I could see sadness in its light, fear, but also a bit of curiosity.

"But if you want a companion, someone who cares for you and protects you, I offer myself," I continued sincerely. "I'm not the strongest warrior, but I promise I will do everything I can to protect you."

For several minutes, Ember hovered in the air, thinking. Then, very slowly, it approached the **Dragon's Tear**.

When it touched the stone, both burst with bright light. I felt a wave of warm energy flow through the cave, and Ember began to shine brighter and more vibrant.

Its spiritual wounds began to heal, and the sadness in its light started to fade. For the first time since entering the cave, I heard Ember make happy musical sounds.

Then, in a magical moment, Ember flew toward me and stopped in front of my heart. I felt a gentle warmth spread across my chest, and an invisible bond formed between us.

**[Congratulations! You have contracted with Ember, a rare fire spirit!]** 

**[Ember's Level: 5]** 

**[Abilities: Fire Ball, Fire Protection, Warm Healing]** 

**[Growth Potential: Legendary]**

I exited the cave with Ember happily flying around my head like a small portable sun. Draken and Elyana were waiting anxiously.

"Lian! Are you okay? There was a bright light from the cave!" Elyana said.

"I'm more than okay," I smiled, pointing to Ember. "I want you two to meet my new friend."

"Oh wow, she's beautiful!" Elyana clapped. "A fire spirit! I've never seen one before!"

Ember flew around Elyana, making happy musical sounds. Then she did the same with Draken, who gave a rare smile.

"She's friendly," Draken said in surprise. "Most fire spirits are very cautious around strangers."

"Ember is special," I said, feeling a wave of pride and warmth through our bond.

"Well, this is amazing!" Elyana said. "Two missions completed successfully! And we have a friendly dragon who doesn't want to eat us!"

We all turned toward the dragon, who watched us with a pleased expression.

"You have succeeded in your missions, young ones," he said in a satisfied voice. "But before you leave, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" I asked curiously.

"A valuable piece of advice," the dragon said with sudden seriousness. "The soul hunters who attacked Ember are still in the area. I saw them setting up camp about a day south from here."

A wave of anger rose in me, and Ember glowed with hotter red flames, sharing my feelings.

"These criminals must be stopped," Draken said sharply.

"Yes, but not by you," the dragon warned. "They are strong and dangerous. Their leader is a third-tier soul controller."

"What do we do then?" Elyana asked.

"Return to civilization. Report to the authorities. Let stronger warriors deal with them."

It was wise advice, but part of me wanted to confront the soul hunters myself. Still, I knew I wasn't strong enough yet.

"We will do that," I promised. "Thank you for your advice... and excuse me, what is your name?"

"Oriolus," the dragon said proudly. "And our meeting was enjoyable. Return to visit when you grow stronger."

"We certainly will," Elyana said enthusiastically.

We began our journey back through the forest, but this time the atmosphere was completely different. We had Ember lighting our path and warming our souls, the Silver Moonflowers for Elyana's mother, and most importantly, a strong new friendship between the three of us.

"So," Draken said as we walked. "What will you two do after we return?"

"I'll go back to my father and give him the flowers," Elyana said. "And then... I'm not sure. Maybe I'll join the Sorcerer Academy."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," I said. "The entrance exams are in two weeks."

"The Sorcerer Academy?" Draken seemed interested. "I've thought about it too, but... my situation with my family is complicated."

"That doesn't matter," I said enthusiastically. "The academy values ability, not social status. And you're very strong."

"And if we all enroll, we can stay together!" Elyana added.

Draken thought for a moment, then smiled. "You know what? I think that's a good idea."

Ember flew between our heads, making musical sounds of agreement. Even she was excited about the idea of going to the academy.

As we walked under the starlight, I realized that my new life in this world had truly begun. I had real friends, a powerful spirit as a partner, and a clear purpose.

The Imperial Sorcerer Academy awaited us, along with all the adventures and challenges it would bring.

But first, we needed to find a safe place to sleep. Because even legendary adventurers needed a good night's rest.

"Does anyone know how to start a campfire without burning down the whole forest?" Elyana asked nervously, looking at Ember.

Ember giggled—yes, giggled—and created a small, perfectly controlled fireball.

"I think that won't be a problem," I said with a smile.

And in that moment, I felt real happiness for the first time since waking up in this new world.