A series of what Alex could only describe as memories of someone else had appeared to him, not just once but twice. Initially, he dismissed them as strange dreams. However, dreaming about the same thing twice, with the second dream picking up exactly where the first left off, was beyond ordinary. It was this peculiarity that led him to conclude they were memories.
Yet, this realization did not answer the questions swirling in his mind. Who were the Pendragons, and was he supposed to be aware of the memories he shared?
"Maybe the latter is something I need to know since I am now part of their faction," Alex thought, "but to be on the safer side, I won't ask questions about it. At least not yet." He was fully aware that such topics might be sensitive for Stan and the others.
Another question plagued Alex: Why were they being pursued, and who were the Nine Realms they kept mentioning?
So many questions, yet he had no answers to any of them. Before Alex could ponder further, the door to the room opened, and as usual, Stan, Peter, and Elder Rooney entered.
"How do you guys always know when I'm awake?" Alex asked, puzzled by how they always seemed to enter when he regained consciousness.
"We are so advanced in magic that we've integrated it into our modern-day technology," Elder Rooney replied as he walked by.
"So, what now? Am I going to face another test?" Alex inquired.
"Not at all. You're good to go. Your training starts tomorrow, and Stan will guide you through what you need to know about your path," Elder Rooney explained.
"Finally, my mother must be worried sick by now," Alex said aloud.
"Is there anything you need at the moment? We can help you out," Peter offered, sounding more polite than ever.
Alex paused, contemplating what to ask for. For a brief moment, the idea of inquiring about the strange memories crossed his mind, but he decided against it.
"I want to know more about this faction. It would be best if I got some documentation on what this faction is like," Alex demanded.
Hearing this, the three exchanged brief glances before Stan approached Alex and gently placed his hand on Alex's head. The touch was gentle, so Alex didn't resist, but he wondered what was happening until a message flashed before his eyes:
[A knowledge has been shared with the host]
[This knowledge is stored in the library]
[Name: History of the Dragon Roar Faction]
Alex's eyes widened slightly as he read the message.
"You are right; as a member of this faction, you deserve to know its history. So, in your free time, look through what I sent you," Stan said.
"Someone will be sent to lead you back home. If you wish to return here, you can do so the same way you arrived. Remember, no one but you should know about this place, no matter what," Elder Rooney added, his tone serious, which made Alex gulp slightly.
The three soon left the room, and just as Elder Rooney had mentioned, a man entered shortly after to lead Alex out into the hallway.
While walking, Alex couldn't help but reflect on everything he had learned. Starting with the confrontation with his cousins, the strange couple in the park, the robbers, and then Stan, who had come to save him only to drag him deeper into a world he hadn't known existed—or at least wasn't sure existed.
All this in one day. Although he hadn't realized it before, he now felt the need to go home and take a break from it all.
Meanwhile, Stan, Elder Rooney, and Peter were in Peter's office.
"What did you give him back there?" Peter asked, sounding a bit uneasy.
"You have nothing to worry about. I didn't give him anything beyond what he should know," Stan replied.
"You know, at some point, we will have to tell them everything. After all, they are fighting for us with their lives, and they deserve to know," Elder Rooney said.
"I'm aware, but we need to be sure we can defeat those damn Nine Realms before considering anything else," Peter said. As he spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted, and everyone fell silent.
"I'm sure you haven't found a way yet?" Elder Rooney asked.
"I'm trying, but I can't feel it at all, and I can't even remember what happened that day," Stan replied.
"The new generation isn't showing signs either," Peter added.
The room fell silent once more until Elder Rooney broke it.
"I know you might not want to do this, but one way or another, Stan, you might have to use Alex's power," Elder Rooney said.
Hearing this, Stan's expression changed, and in the next few seconds, he started walking towards the door.
Seeing this, Peter sighed, but Elder Rooney had a smile on his lips.
"Why are you smiling now, of all times?" Peter asked.
"Stan is going to be Alex's teacher, right? Well, I guess I didn't tell you that peace energy is contagious. If Stan stays beside Alex, one way or another, the energy will be passed over to Stan," Elder Rooney explained.
"Wait... Is that why you suggested he should be put with the others? What about Stan's influence?" Peter asked, feeling a bit concerned amidst the happiness that was rising within him.
"You guys don't even know how this influence command thing works properly, do you? Just like Stan said, placing Alex with the direct descendants is still the best for him; this will just, in a way, benefit us too," Elder Rooney said.
"But how can the peace energy even help us?" Peter inquired.
"When the time comes, we will look into that," Elder Rooney replied as he left the office, leaving Peter dazed.
---
Meanwhile, Alex had just been brought back to the café where Stan had initially taken him before they ventured into the strange toilet system. The process was just like before; teleportation was achieved by entering a toilet system. This made Alex wonder why such an unusual method would be constructed in a place like this.
With nothing else to do, Alex opened his system map to explore it. Upon opening the map, he saw several green dots nearby, each with a name attached. The map didn't display a 3D image of the surroundings, just a white background with green dots scattered around. While examining it, Alex noticed something peculiar: none of the others were nearby.
Alex had discovered a few functions of the map, including a search bar where one could search for another member's name to find their location. He entered Stan's name and searched, but strangely, a message popped up:
[System unable to locate Stan. The system can only show the location information of those on Earth.]
"Those on Earth? Does this mean their base is located outside of Earth? On another planet?" Alex was perplexed. At this point, he felt that getting surprised by the things he was learning was just a waste of energy.
It had been proven to him that this world hid many secrets from the average human. This only fueled Alex's desire to uncover more.
Soon, Alex arrived at his house. It was already dark, and as he looked at his home, he saw no sign of his mother.
'I guess she stayed at the main house. Well, that means I can do this since I'm home alone,' Alex thought, and soon the system interface appeared before him.
[library]
[Book: History of the Dragon Roar Faction]
It was time for Alex to learn more about the Pendragons.