Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: The Shepherd

The silver grass of the Origin plains whispered against Aegis's boots as he pressed forward, his body a map of mounting exhaustion. Every muscle in his legs felt like it was being threaded with hot wire. In his previous existence, distance was a matter of intent, a mere adjustment of coordinates in a digital sea. Here, every mile was a physical toll paid in sweat and the dull thud of his heart against his ribs. The wound on his arm had stopped bleeding, leaving a stiff, dark crust against his sleeve that pulled at his skin with every movement. He was discovering that mortality was not just the absence of power; it was a constant, grueling awareness of the physical self.