[Congratulations to the 114,876,879 Aurelions who survived the migration.]
.
.
[Welcome to the Grand Continent of Eldelon.]
.
.
[Protection Period: One Eldelon Month has been activated.]
Iris stared at the floating words. For a moment— her mind didn't react.
Then it calculated. One hundred and fourteen million. At first glance, it seemed like a lot. But compared to the billions who had survived long enough to reach the migration… It wasn't even one percent.
For every hundred people— only one remained.
Her fingers tightened slightly. Then loosened.
Beside her— her family was still here. Alive. Together. That alone felt unreal. But the question lingered.
Protection period?
Protection from what?
The thought barely settled— before another screen appeared.
[STATS :
Name: Iris Hale
Age: 20
Level: 3 (324/ 400)
Life : (200/400)
Spirit : (350/ 400)
Physical : 42
Agility : 39
Defense : 33
Mana : 300
Physical Potential: B
Mental Potential: SS+
Skills:
Active: None
Passive: None
Elemental Affinity: Wood, Water, Earth
Titles: None
Overall Rank: S
Status: Fatigued | Weakened ]
[Wealth: 10,000 Gold | 89,267 Silver | 14,336 Copper]
[Equipment:
Head: None
Body: Leather Jacket | Cotton Undergarments (+2 Defense) | Synthetic Vest (+3 Defense)
Arms: Arm Brace (+1 Defense)
Legs: Leather Pants (+2 Defense)
Hands: Leather Gloves (+1 Defense)
Feet: Leather Boots (+2 Defense | +0 Agility) ]
The panel shifted.
[You possess over 1,000 Gold and a potential above Grade B.]
[You are eligible to receive a Lord Token.]
A new prompt appeared.
[The Lord Token is an enchanted artifact that grants its holder the authority to establish and govern a designated territory.]
[Upon activation, the token will integrate with the user.]
[Would you like to accept the Lord Token?
YES | NO.]
Iris didn't hesitate.
YES.
[Lord Token acquired.]
[Would you like to activate it now? YES | NO.]
This time— she paused. Her gaze lifted.
The forest stretched endlessly around them. Dense. Silent. Watching.
"…No."
[Activation deferred.]
[Please establish your territory within 7 days.]
The screen faded. Relief didn't come. If anything— her thoughts sharpened.
A Lord Token.
That meant others would have it too. But not many.
Gold wasn't easy to obtain. Not even in chaos.
The only reason she had this much— was because of what they had done before everything collapsed. The Bank, the vaults. The preparation that had been taken to the extreme. (The Hoarding of gold and precious stones )
Which meant— anyone else with this level of wealth… Wouldn't be ordinary.
Her gaze darkened slightly. Not civilians. Not lucky survivors. People with power. Influence. Control. Or worse…
If those kinds of people became Lords— What kind of territories would they build And what kind of people would end up living under them?
Her fingers curled slightly. Capability mattered more than morality in a world like this. And that thought— didn't sit well with her.
"What is it?" Veronica's voice pulled her back. "You were zoning out."
Iris blinked once. "…Nothing." But her mind didn't settle.
Because the truth was—
She couldn't trust anyone. Not completely. Not even here. Not even the people who were supposed to be her family in this life. The realization came quietly. Firm. Unavoidable. Only one person had ever held that kind of trust.
For a brief moment— a memory surfaced. Sharp eyes. Always watching. Always knowing. Slightly ruffled hair, like they never cared enough to fix it properly.
And that smile.
That infuriating, knowing smile— like they were always one step ahead. She used to want to punch it off their face.
"…Tch." The image disappeared. Gone—
just like everything else from that world.
"…Is something wrong with your status panel?" Benjamin asked.
That shifted the moment.
One by one— they each checked their stats panel.
"No issues," Marcus said.
" I'm Level three," Victor added.
"Level three," Priscilla muttered.
Evelina gave a small nod. "Three."
"Three," Jin Taejin confirmed.
Li Wei didn't look up. "Same."
Benjamin exhaled. "Level three."
"…Level two. Almost three," Henry said.
"Two," Caleb added quietly.
A pause.
Then Veronica spoke next. "…Level one."
Claire lowered her gaze. "…Level one."
No one needed an explanation. Daniel leaned weakly against her. Still recovering. Still alive— but barely.
Iris spoke last. "…Level three. Close to four."
That alone— defined everything.
The current balance. The silence stretched. until Iris noticed movement.
A short distance away, two figures stumbled out of the bushes they had been hiding behind, shivering.
Veronica followed her gaze— and stiffened.
"…There's someone there."
"Y-You… hi…" One of them spoke, voice trembling.
The two ladies were young. And looking disheveled. Their clothes—
wrong for survival.
Silk. Torn. Stained with blood. Party clothes.
They must have hidden. Not fought. Iris wasn't judging just… assessing
Their eyes moved across the group. Relief. Fear. Something calculating beneath it.
Relief, because there were women.
Fear— because of the men.
Men who looked armed. Capable. Dangerous.
Iris didn't step forward.
She didn't respond.
Instead— she reached into her space.
A helmet appeared in her hand. She placed it on Veronica's head. Adjusting it slightly.
Veronica blinked. "…Where did you get this?"
Iris didn't look at her. "…I think it was part of what I had stored." Vague.
Veronica's gaze lingered— but she didn't press.
Snow nudged lightly against Iris' leg. Iris looked down. Her hand moved instinctively resting against soft white fur.
"In the end…" she murmured quietly, "…you made it." She ruffled snow's head gently.
Elias stood nearby, his second dog alert beside him, while Snow remained at Iris' side. Everyone who mattered— was still here. For now.
The moment didn't last. A sound cut through the air. Rustling. Fast. Then—
A low growl. Not human. Not anything familiar.
Marcus' expression hardened instantly. "Stay close." He gave an order to the other bodyguards
The bushes ahead— shook violently.
Then— they burst open.
Four creatures lunged out.
Over a meter tall. Muscle coiled beneath thick, rough hide. Their jaws opened— revealing long, saber-like fangs. Their eyes locked onto them. Hungry. Not curious. Hungry.
No system notification appeared. No name. No level. No warning. Nothing.
For the first time—
they knew nothing about what stood before them.
The creatures lowered their bodies. Ready to spring.
Iris' breath stilled— just for a second.
Then—
"RUN!"