Previously on Watcher of the Infinite...
"My name is Banji. A great war is coming—a hunger from the skies that threatens to wipe out every mortal soul. To stop it, I must find the Scepter and reclaim my true power.
Early this morning, Sarah woke up and we set out on our journey. In the quiet of the dawn, I did something I never thought I'd do: I trusted her. I told her the secrets of my past, of the Dragon Realm, and why I have fallen to this earth. I never saw her as a threat; I saw her as my guide. Now, our path leads us deep into the Mongolian Kingdom.
On our way, she taught me the ways of the soil—herbs, wild fruits, and the survival tactics of the dirt. We reached a village eatery to refresh ourselves, a place of rest that felt like a trap. I saw men with axes and eyes full of malice. When one of them threw his steel at Sarah, I didn't think; I acted. My eyes filled with the anger of an ancient king. These fools don't realize I am bound to this woman. A war erupted in that small room. I have chained giant dragons to my will; fighting these mortals was like tying a rope to a spoon. They were no match for me."
The air in the village eatery was thick, a suffocating mixture of roasted goat meat, stale fermented ale, and the sudden, sharp scent of impending violence. It reminded me of the crowded vibanda back in the city, where the tension can snap like a dry twig during the midday heat. I stood in the dead center of the room, my fingers clamped around the handle of the throwing axe I had plucked from the air. The wood was rough, smelling of pine and old sweat, and the iron head was chipped—pathetic compared to the dragon-glass blades of my brothers. Yet, in this realm, it was a tool of death.
Sarah stood behind me, her breath hitching in ragged gasps. Through our blood-bond, I felt her heart rate spiking, a frantic dub-dub that echoed in my own chest. It was a mechanical reminder that her safety was now my primary directive. If she bled, my mana drained. If she died, I became a hollow shell. I looked at the men surrounding us. They were rugged, dressed in thick furs and scavenged iron plates, their faces mapped with the scars of petty border wars and drunken brawls. They thought they were predators. They had no idea they were standing in the presence of a living relic.
[ADVANCED RAW SYSTEM: COMBAT ENGAGED]
TARGETS:12 Mongolian Kingdom Marauders (Low-Tier Scum).
WEAPONRY:Battle Axes / Crude Iron Daggers.
STATUS:Adrenaline Surge / Scepter-Core Active (1.2% Output).
SYSTEM NOTE:Buda! You're moving too fast for these guys! To them, you're just a blur of violet light, like a 'Matatu' overtaking on a blind corner. Remember, you're not in the Dragon Peaks anymore. If you hit them with 100% of your 'Void-Heart' strength, you won't just kill them—you'll delete the whole village from the map! Tone it down, maze. Treat them like 'Spoons.' Use the 'Hustle' logic: minimum effort, maximum results. Also, keep Sarah behind you; if she gets even a scratch, your mana will tank faster than a bad investment!
ATMOSPHERE NOTE:The room is silent. Even the flies have stopped buzzing on the meat. The 'Vibe' is pure 254 'bus stage' scuffle—chaotic, loud, and about to get messy.
"You shouldn't have done that," I said, my voice vibrating with a low, draconic frequency that made the ale in the wooden cups ripple like a miniature stormy sea.
The man who had thrown the axe, a hulking brute with a beard matted with grease and arrogance, let out a roar that was supposed to be intimidating. "Mortal! You bleed like any other! Give us the woman and the secrets you carry, and maybe we'll make your death quick. This isn't your land, boy!"
He lunged, swinging a heavy claymore with both hands. To my eyes, he was moving through thick honey. I didn't need a weapon; I didn't even need to stand in a fighting stance. I simply stepped to the left, the air whistling as the blade passed inches from my chest, thudding into the floor where I had been standing. I didn't use a blade. I simply extended my hand and caught his wrist. The sound of his bones groaning and snapping under my grip was the only music I needed.
I didn't just throw him; I launched him with the force of a falling star. He hit the heavy timber wall with a crack that shook the entire building, dust falling from the thatched roof like gray snow. The other eleven didn't wait. They charged all at once, a chaotic swarm of steel, sweat, and bad intentions.
[ADVANCED RAW SYSTEM: FLASHBACK TRIGGERED]
MEMORY FRAGMENT:The Pit of Trials (Age 15).
ENTITY:Cruger (The Eldest Brother / The Betrayer).
SCENE:Cruger stands over a bloodied, wingless Banji, holding a heavy dragon-chain.
"You fight like a worm, Banji. You try to dodge, you try to hide. A true dragon doesn't fight the enemy; he owns the space the enemy occupies. If you cannot chain a beast, you are the beast's dinner. Remember, authority is not given; it is enforced."
SYSTEM NOTE:Buda, Cruger was a snake, but he was right about one thing—you own this room. Don't just dodge like a coward. Chain them! Use the 'Void-Strings' to tie them up. Show these 'Spoons' what happens when they mess with a son of the 254 spirit! Own the space, Man!
I centered my breathing, the violet fire in my chest expanding until I felt it in my very fingertips. I didn't need wings to dominate the sky; I had the Scepter in my blood. I raised my arms, and thin, shimmering threads of violet mana erupted from my palms. They weren't just lights; they were chains of pure, unadulterated authority.
In seconds, the eatery was a web of glowing energy. The marauders were frozen mid-swing, their axes suspended in the air, their bodies bound by the "Void-Strings." They struggled, their faces turning a deep, bruised purple as they tried to breathe, but it was like trying to break a chain made of gravity itself. To them, I was a ghost; to me, they were just obstacles on the road to survival.
I turned my back on the suspended men and looked at Sarah. She was staring at me, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and something that looked dangerously like terror. She had seen the "Bodyguard" who walked the Savannah, but now she was seeing the "Scepter" that could unmake a kingdom.
"Are you hurt?" I asked, the violet glow in my eyes slowly dimming back to a dull ember.
"No," she whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind. "But Banji... you aren't just a man, are you? No mortal can move like that. No mortal can bind the very air and turn it into iron."
"I am whatever I need to be to keep you alive," I replied, my voice cold and focused. I snapped my fingers, and the chains dissipated into violet ash. The marauders collapsed to the floor in a tangled heap of limbs and broken pride, their spirits shattered long before their bodies hit the dirt. "Eat quickly. We have the Mongolian Kingdom to cross, and the dragons won't wait for us to finish our meal. The 'Great Hunger' doesn't take breaks."
[SYSTEM INTERFACE: THREAT NEUTRALIZED]
EXP GAINED:Minimal (Too easy, Buda! These guys were 'Level 1' at best).
BOND STATUS:Sarah's Trust: +15% / Sarah's Fear: +10%. (Warning: High fear levels can cause bond instability).
SENG NOTE:Maze, that was clean! You handled them like a true 'Oga.' But listen... we need to vamoose, and fast. That axe-throw wasn't just a random act of violence. These guys are scouts for the local warlords. They're looking for 'Outlanders' with strange energy. You just lit a giant neon sign saying 'I AM HERE.' The 'Spoons' are gone, but the 'Knives'—and the dragons—are definitely coming. Tunasonga mbele!
I walked to the door, my presence alone clearing the way as the village locals scrambled to stay out of my shadow. They knew a storm had just walked through their eatery, and they didn't want to be caught in the rain. As the morning sun hit my face, illuminating the soot and grease on my skin, I knew the nightmare from last night was only the beginning. The Mother of Dragons was watching from the high peaks, and I had just declared war on the dirt.