I Received System to Become Dragonborn

The Dragonborn was most likely in the eastern mountains. And if Mathiu’s memories were correct then the Dragonborn was probably guarding the other pool of artificial Magic energy that had caused the disaster thousands of years ago.

"Better not waste any more time on this." Erend subtly nodded to himself.

"What you told me was very helpful. I have to go now," Erend said as he stood from his chair. A small smile appeared on his face, but his eyes shone with determination. He had already decided what he needed to do next.

Mathiu looked at him. "Are you going to the eastern mountains?"

"Of course. That’s the only destination I can think of right now."

"I want to tell you to be careful, but it seems unnecessary," Mathiu said with another sigh. "I’m certain that everything you’ve done until now hasn’t even required you to use your full strength."

Erend gave him a small smile. "You’re right. Don’t worry about me. And... I’m sorry. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can do for you."

Mathiu gave a small chuckle. "I don’t want anything anymore. Just tell everyone not to enter this forest. And if they somehow find that liquid, tell them not to touch it."

"Right." Erend nodded thoughtfully. "I think I need to do something about that."

Erend understood human curiosity better than most. People always wanted to explore things they did not understand. Sometimes they searched for new discoveries because they hoped to improve their lives. Other times they simply wanted to satisfy their curiosity and uncover something nobody else had seen before.

Eventually, someone would discover the facility. Eventually, someone would find the pool. And if nobody warned them about what was inside, there was always a possibility that history could repeat itself.

Erend needed to do something about it.

But that would have to wait.

Right now, he needed to find the Dragonborn.

Erend said goodbye to Mathiu and headed toward the entrance. He did not know whether he would ever meet the mutated human again.

Mathiu accompanied him through the hidden passage and eventually opened the metal door. He lifted the bushes aside and allowed Erend to step outside.

Erend gave him one final glance before turning away.

Mathiu lowered the bushes again and closed the metal door behind him.

Erend immediately began walking back toward the settlement. He deliberately kept his pace slower than he normally would, but he still needed to reach the settlement as soon as possible. The sooner he could tell Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven what he had discovered, the sooner they could begin their journey toward the eastern mountains.

As for explaining how he had returned so quickly, Erend decided not to think about it too much. He would simply tell Darius that some kind of spatial anomaly had occurred and transported him much closer to the settlement.

It was a strange explanation, but it was probably better than revealing what he was actually capable of.

Erend finally reached the settlement the following morning, just as the first light of dawn began creeping across the wasteland.

He had barely spent any time there before Darius approached him.

"Come with me."

Darius led Erend into a closed room where they could speak privately. Once the door shut behind them, only the two of them remained inside.

Darius sat across from Erend and studied him with a suspicious expression.

"You returned much faster than I expected," Darius said. "Tell me how."

Erend remained calm and explained, "There was some kind of spatial anomaly. I was traveling back when the space around me suddenly distorted. The next thing I knew, I was thrown onto the road much closer to the settlement."

Darius stared at him. He clearly did not believe the explanation completely. However, after several seconds, he simply released a tired sigh.

"I suppose there is no point questioning something we don’t understand." He leaned forward slightly. "So what did you find?"

Erend explained that the facility was still extremely dangerous and that the guardians around it were still active. He also told Darius that the facility was not currently suitable for ordinary people to enter. Of course, it was a lie.

Darius’s expression immediately darkened. He grimaced and lowered his gaze as he thought about the situation.

"That isn’t good news," Darius muttered. He was silent for a moment before looking back at Erend. "Still, you did a great job. You’ve confirmed that the facility exists and that the guards were still active. We just need more time before we can safely enter the building, right?"

Erend just nodded. That was fine with him for now.

He hoped that Darius would take the danger of the facility seriously and then conclude that sending anyone there was not worth the risk. As long as the settlement stayed away from the place, the artificial Magic would remain sealed and undisturbed. The problem of the strange pool could be dealt with later, once Erend had finished what he came to Valthoria to accomplish.

For now, there was no reason to draw more attention to it.

Darius eventually leaned back in his chair and gave Erend a tired nod.

"That will be all for now. You should get some rest."

Erend nodded and stood.

Darius dismissed him with a small gesture, and Erend left the room.

Once he stepped outside, he immediately headed toward the house where Eccar, Aesa, and Sylven were staying.

When Erend arrived, he found the three of them already waiting for him. They had apparently been expecting his return. The moment Erend entered, all three turned toward him.

Eccar was the first to speak. "So what did you find?"

Erend walked over and sat down with them. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before looking at the three Dragonborn.

"I think I found the Dragonborn."

Eccar’s expression became serious while Aesa and Sylven looked at Erend with clear interest. None of them needed further explanation to understand the importance of those words.

After everything they had searched through in Valthoria, they had finally found a trail that could lead directly to the Dragonborn.

"Where?" Eccar asked.

"In the eastern mountains," Erend answered.

The three exchanged glances.

There was no hesitation in their expressions now. They had a destination. They were ready to leave at any moment.

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