"System, tell me… how do I obtain shadow fragments?" Modret asked curiously.
There was a brief silence before the fairy replied.
{Try to find out.}
Her voice sounded cheeky, almost playful. Modret was stunned.
'What? Come on, tell me! This is important to both our lives!' he groaned in frustration. Of all times for the system to misbehave, it had to be now.
{There is no need to feel pressured. You will naturally find out the answer soon.}
The system advised calmly. Modret was taken aback, but his curiosity was hard to suppress.
Just as he was about to press on, he was interrupted by the sound of whispering voices coming from not too far away.
His mother paused her tune and gently stood up, turning her gaze toward the door.
"That should be your father's siblings," she said in a low voice, as though she could sense their presence.
Just as she guessed, within a few minutes, Donald stepped into the room, his monstrous form blocking the door behind him.
He glanced at Anna and the child in her arms, smiled faintly, then stepped aside to reveal a few figures standing behind him.
A man and three women.
"Son, meet your aunties and uncle," Donald introduced.
Anna rolled her eyes. "As if he can understand you."
As she spoke, she walked gracefully toward the three and bowed politely, greeting them warmly.
The four smiled in return and then turned their gaze to Modret, who was staring back at them with wide, curious eyes.
The first one to approach him was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his late thirties. He seemed relatively normal, even human, in contrast to his father's muscular and monstrous form.
His flowing black hair framed a pair of brown eyes. There was a faint trace of resemblance to Donald, Modret noticed.
'His brother, perhaps?' Modret guessed silently.
"Nephew, I am Ronald, your father's brother." He smiled warmly, looking at Modret as though he were his own son.
"This is my wife. Her name is Jarvis," he introduced, nodding toward the woman beside him—a middle-aged woman with dark blue eyes and long, flowing black hair.
Modret didn't know why, but he felt a peculiar sensation when he looked at her, as though something about her was… off.
He frowned inwardly but didn't dwell on the feeling.
Jarvis stepped forward and extended her hand toward Modret. In it was a golden ring shaped like a snake. She gently placed it in Modret's chubby hand.
"This is said to bring good luck," she said softly, clasping his little hand around the ring.
A cool sensation seeped from the ring into his palm.
'Could it really bring good luck?' he wondered, though he didn't dwell on it for long. His attention shifted to the approaching lady.
She had the same black hair and brown eyes as Ronald, and there was a familiar warmth in her gaze.
She looked down at Modret and said lightly, "I'm your father's sister, Selina. Welcome to the family, Modret."
Even though they knew Modret couldn't understand them, they still felt it necessary to introduce themselves one by one. It was a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
She touched Modret's cheek gently, smiled, and turned her attention to the woman standing not too far away.
She appeared to be the oldest among them. Faint wrinkles lined her face, and there was a soft, maternal air about her.
'Is she my grandmother?' Modret wondered.
"This is First Brother's wife. Since he's on the battlefield, she's here to represent him and welcome you," Selina explained with a small smile, stepping back as Celia moved closer.
Modret gazed into her grey eyes and felt nothing but warmth radiating from her. He didn't know why, but he subconsciously felt safe around her.
Modret was startled. He stared at her eyes as if trying to figure out what was happening but found no answer.
'An ability, perhaps?' he guessed silently.
Soon, the meeting concluded, and Modret was officially introduced to the family. As they departed, he watched Celia's fading figure, his mind filled with thoughts.
'The battlefield, huh?' he mused, curiosity flickering in his eyes. As expected of the world he had transmigrated to, danger was already everywhere. He didn't know exactly what the battlefield was, but he could tell it was extremely dangerous.
Modret sighed and pushed the thoughts away.
His mind began to drift, and he didn't know when he fell asleep.
…
This time, Modret's sleep was not only peaceful but also filled with a strangely pleasant dream.
In the dream, he was in the company of a beautiful woman. It felt like a fragment of a memory from his previous life.
Modret was so engrossed in the dream that it felt almost real.
Then, the woman let out a hissing sound.
Modret was stunned. He quickly asked what was wrong, but it seemed she couldn't speak. She let out another hiss.
Panic welled up inside him. His mind jolted, and he screamed lightly, waking up from the nightmare.
'Damn it, what terrible luck,' Modret cursed inwardly and opened his eyes wide.
At that moment, he froze.
Staring at him was a snake the size of a grown man's arm.
It was pitch black and radiated a dense, suffocating aura as it slithered toward him.
It seemed stunned to be caught.
For a moment, they both stared at each other in silence. Then, the snake lunged.
Modret's eyes widened.
Another assassination attempt? How did it even get in?
He couldn't process the thought. Danger was already upon him.
He rolled his small body to the side. Fortunately, the bed was wide enough.
The snake slammed into the bed and looked dazed for a moment before turning back toward Modret.
Hiss.
It let out a low hiss and lunged at him again.
'Not even giving me a chance to catch my breath?' Modret thought, frustrated.
Then, suddenly, something changed…