# Chapter 53: A Scene from Another World
A gloomy, overcast sky.
Heavy clouds hung low, a fine drizzle fell, and the slightly cold air was mixed with thin mist, shrouding the dim mountain forest.
A long wind carrying the scent of blood passed through the woods, causing the branches and leaves to sway, revealing a narrow path trampled out by wild beasts.
The path was difficult to traverse. The rain-soaked earth was like a swamp, firmly gripping the soles of anyone who passed through. Combined with the rugged terrain and the possibility of wild beasts appearing, even the most experienced woodcutters and hunters would not want to pass through here at this time.
But there were always some people who, due to unavoidable circumstances, had no choice but to proceed along this road.
A weary girl with red hair, pointed ears, and a pair of dragon wings on her back was stumbling forward along this animal trail, trudging with difficulty toward the front.
There was a gash on her right arm so deep it exposed the bone, the wound burned by high temperature, now a mixture of scabs and charred flesh. Her abdomen had a large hole nearly penetrating through, with wriggling internal organs visible. Her back wings were covered in arrow wounds, the wing membranes completely torn, and one or two arrowheads that hadn't been removed could still be seen embedded in the flesh.
For a girl to suffer such severe injuries, it wouldn't be strange even if she died immediately. Yet she still gritted her teeth and pressed forward desperately along this path. Not only that, as time passed, the girl's injuries seemed to grow lighter. In just over ten minutes, most of the lighter wounds had already healed.
After a while longer, the dragon-winged girl stopped. She felt some itching and numbness in her wings, so she frowned and reached out to pull out the arrowheads embedded in her flesh. Black stagnant blood spurted out—the wounds on her wings had already healed more than halfway, and the regenerating muscles were squeezing the arrowheads, causing the itching sensation.
"Again, it's thanks to you that I managed to escape with my life..."
The girl touched the robe on her body with a complicated expression. This ancient white robe was now emitting a faint glow, pure and holy. It gently brushed over the girl's entire body, visibly healing all her wounds.
As her injuries gradually improved, the girl began trekking through the mountain forest again, heading deeper. The rain-soaked dense forest was oppressive. The tall trees and their branches and leaves were like heavy umbrellas, completely blocking the flowing wind, leaving only the damp, stuffy rain. The soft mud beneath her feet, like a swamp, clung to her soles, making every step require more effort. From the dark depths of the forest came rustling sounds, as if some creature was moving, causing unease and fear.
But the dragon-winged girl was not afraid of these things. She looked toward the direction of the noise and made what she thought was a fierce expression. If shown outside, it probably wouldn't even scare a five-year-old child. But at the same time, a draconic pressure also pressed toward that direction.
Instantly, the oppressive mountain forest erupted, like a calm lake surface rippling after a stone was thrown. Countless strangely shaped black birds with three legs flew out from the branches and leaves, and the sound of wild beasts hurriedly trampling fallen leaves as they fled into the distance could also be heard.
Although it wasn't the dragon might of a pure-blooded dragon, the pressure from the top of the food chain was enough to make the magical beasts in the forest flee in panic. The girl nodded in satisfaction, then continued walking forward.
After walking for another half hour, the surroundings gradually became brighter. The oppressive feeling of the forest lessened, and the rain also stopped. The girl finally arrived at a clearing in the forest.
In the center of this clearing stood a massive tree. Its trunk was so thick that dozens of people joining hands couldn't encircle it, and its canopy was like a green cloud covering the sky. Countless roots coiled and twisted, deeply embedded in the earth. This was a giant tree that had lived for at least a thousand years.
And now, this giant tree was slowly moving.
The ancient tree's roots twisted, and its trunk slowly rose. Countless branches intertwined, forming a face. The giant tree looked down at the girl who had arrived before it and spoke in a low, rumbling voice: "Intruder, state your purpose."
"I am Siria, a descendant of the Radcliffe Family. Pursued by the undead army, I seek refuge here."
The dragon-winged girl, Siria, bowed respectfully to the giant tree and said, "I request to stay in the Dark River Forest for twenty days. After that, I will leave on my own."
"Radcliffe... I remember that name."
The giant tree's voice was like rolling thunder. It slowly said, "The descendants of the Saint who once saved this world. Your ancestor once planted a seed here, which grew into my child. For this reason, I grant you permission to stay."
"Thank you, Lord Urban Denny."
Hearing the other party agree, Siria immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Her body went limp, and she leaned against the large tree behind her.
The girl was extremely exhausted. The enemy's pursuit over many days had already drained her completely. But now, she had arrived at the Dark River Forest, one of the few neutral refuges in this dark world. For the next twenty days, her safety would be at least minimally guaranteed.
Just as this red-haired, dragon-winged girl seemed about to fall asleep, the voice of the massive tree echoed through the forest again.
"A word of advice, dragon-blooded girl."
Urban Denny's tone had softened considerably: "In this era of resurrecting undead shadows and rampant demons, one person alone is useless. Why don't you go to the survivor settlements in the west and fight against those monsters together with them?"
But Siria did not reply. Something unexpected had suddenly happened.
She looked at the robe on her body with some confusion, her expression full of bewilderment.
On the pure white, ancient-style robe, for some unknown reason, conspicuous silver light patterns suddenly lit up. These patterns were extremely complex, overlapping with each other, finally converging into several simple runic lines containing infinite mystery. These lines emerged layer by layer in four different colors—white, silver, cyan, and colorless—finally converging into a mass of holy white light.
"What are you doing? Stop immediately!"
Urban Denny seemed to sense something. Countless roots intertwined, and the massive tree condensed from the earth again. It reached out, seemingly wanting to stop the strange activity of the robe on the girl's body.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
"Whoosh——————"
Accompanied by a roar like a long wind sweeping over mountains, rivers, and swamps, the entire mountain forest shook. A dazzling pillar of light, centered on the dragon-winged girl, shot straight into the sky. In an instant, it pierced through the heavy clouds, reaching the end of the world.
"Again... another one?"
Siria pressed her forehead, looking helplessly at her spontaneously activated robe. She had encountered something similar about a year ago. That time, the suddenly active robe had spontaneously used nearly endless magic, annihilating the pursuing undead army, causing the enraged enemy to send several times the number of pursuers, forcing her to flee for her life until now.
But now... Siria looked up at the holy pillar of light centered on herself. She had a vague premonition in her heart.
If last time was some kind of miraculous resonance.
Then this time, it was this mysterious robe passed down through her ancestors, actively calling out.
"I am pursued because of you, and I am saved time and again because of you."
The girl, who had been constantly fleeing for her life since the great catastrophe, murmured to herself in a tone that was either hatred or confusion: "But to this day, I still don't know why..."
"What secrets lie behind you..."
And the massive tree, gazing at this pillar of light, withdrew its hand and whispered softly in a tone containing unknown emotions: "...Saint's Light."
---
Another world, several days after this scene.
The black-haired warrior let his weapons clean themselves, tending to the black dragon beside him, while he stood to the side, looking at the urgent message the communications officer had brought earlier.
"What matter requires a special urgent communication?"
Joshua opened the envelope with some curiosity, his eyes scanning the few short lines on it.
— Target world, the inheritance of the Fourth Saint has resonated and actively sent coordinates.
After verification, the authenticity of the coordinates can be confirmed one hundred percent.
Casually igniting the letter paper, turning it into a wisp of green smoke, Joshua stood thoughtfully in place.
"What's wrong?"
Number 3 floated down in front of the warrior. She looked at the naturally curling corners of this black-haired man's mouth and asked curiously, "Why do you look so happy?"
"Nothing."
Joshua replied casually, looking up at the rare clear sky over the Moldavia Territory.
The sun in the northern region was not scorching, but it was very dazzling. Yet the warrior stared directly at the sun. The blazing flames burning in his eyes could not be suppressed even by the brilliant sunlight.
"I'm just a little excited about the upcoming adventure."