A World Without Chains
Golden Savanna – Far Eastern Continent
The wind here didn't whisper—it sang.
Long, sweeping notes drifted across the golden grasslands, carrying scents Raygen didn't have names for. Crisp ozone, warm fruit, the faint musk of unfamiliar beasts. Everything was vibrant. Sharp. Awake. Like Valdris had been a dream with muted colors, and this place was reality painted in impossible hues.
Raygen breathed deep, letting the heat sink into his bones.
Asa didn't breathe—she vibrated.
"Raygen."
"Yeah?"
"We're in an isekai training arc."
"We're still on the same planet."
"Training. Arc."
"…fine."
Asa punched the air triumphantly.
First Steps Into the Wild
They trudged forward, boots crunching through sun-baked sand that shifted into patches of tough grass. Every few steps Raygen glanced behind them, half-expecting the savanna to blink back to Valdris.
But it stayed. Solid. Real.
"Alac really threw us," Raygen murmured.
"He threw us," Asa agreed, "but not randomly. Look."
She pointed at the distant city.
White stone walls rose from the grasslands in sweeping curves, decorated with banners of red, teal, and copper. Tall figures walked its ramparts—beastkin with fox ears, bird wings, leonine manes. Even from kilometers away, Raygen could feel the pulse of activity, the hum of mana, the scent of spices drifting from the outer gates.
"No humans," he said softly.
"No humans for months of walking, if the stories are true." Asa's grin widened. "Perfect. Exactly what we needed."
Raygen scanned the sky. Two moons. Two suns—one bright, one faint, like a ghost sun hovering behind the other. New rules. New ecosystem. New threats.
"So what's the plan?" he asked.
"Simple," Asa said. "We survive. We train. We hunt. We level every stat that isn't nailed down. For thirty days we act like the world is a giant XP farm."
Raygen blinked. "You're serious."
She pointed at a herd of zebra-antelope hybrids grazing calmly near a massive baobab tree. "Those things are probably higher level than the strongest things near Valdris. This whole continent is insane. And that"—she jabbed her thumb toward the white city—"is the Beastkin capital of Urrakar. It's neutral. Adventurers don't operate here. Humans almost never visit. No Raft spies, no guild trackers, no one to hold us back."
Raygen let out a slow breath.
"Then… we start now."
Enemy Sighted
Their moment of quiet was shattered by a snarling chorus from the tall grass ahead.
Raygen drew his sword. Asa flicked her wrists and summoned her star-etched daggers. The sound that followed was unmistakable—grass being shredded as something fast approached.
Three shapes burst from the wild in a blur of motion.
Crystalis panthers.
The same panther-like lizards they'd seen earlier chasing prey, but up close their crystalline manes glowed with refracted sunlight. Each creature was the size of a large dog, sleek scales shimmering like stained glass.
Their eyes locked on Raygen and Asa with predatory curiosity.
Asa whispered, "What do you think? C-rank?"
Raygen shook his head. "B-rank."
"Perfect."
The largest panther lunged.
Raygen moved on instinct. The crimson-iron gauntlets absorbed the shock as he deflected its claws, the force sending a tremor up his arm. He stumbled back a step, boots digging into the sand.
"Asa—!"
But she was already in motion.
A blur of shadow-scale armor. A flash of star-etched steel.
Her daggers danced across the panther's flank, leaving thin glowing trails where she cut. The beast twisted, snarling, crystalline mane flaring bright pink as it lashed out with its tail. Asa ducked under the swipe, rolled, and slashed again.
The second and third panthers circled Raygen.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
Then… he smiled.
This he could handle.
One panther lunged low while the other leapt high. Raygen stepped forward instead of back, letting the first pass under his arm as he drove his blade upward in a red arc. The crimson-iron edge caught the airborne panther mid-pounce, sending it crashing to the ground with a yelp and a shower of shining shards.
The second panther circled back, hackles raised.
Raygen didn't wait.
He charged.
Sword met crystalline mane with a clash that echoed across the savanna. The beast screeched. Raygen pressed forward, feeling the exhilaration of a real battle—no nobles, no guild restrictions, no Lyle Raft breathing down his neck.
Just challenge.
Just danger.
Just him.
When the final panther fell, it dissolved into shimmering particulate mana—like monsters from the deepest dungeons.
Raygen wiped sweat from his brow. "That… wasn't terrible."
Asa nudged the shimmering dust with her boot. "If this is the entry-level wildlife, I can't wait to see what lives closer to the mountains."
Raygen stared at her. "You're actually insane."
"Correct."
A New Problem
They were still catching their breath when a shadow passed overhead.
Raygen slowly lifted his gaze.
A massive avian creature circled high above—wings broad enough to blot out the sun for a heartbeat, feathers lined with jagged metal-like edges. Its screech rolled across the plains like thunder.
"…Asa?" Raygen asked softly.
"Yes?"
"Is that—?"
"Yup."
"Should we run?"
"As fast as physically possible."
They ran.
The bird—if it could be called a bird—swooped once, twice, then lost interest and glided back toward the mountains in the far distance.
Raygen collapsed onto the sand, panting. "I hate this continent."
Asa flopped beside him with a grin. "I love it."
He shot her a look. She batted her lashes innocently.
"We're going to die," he said.
"We're going to get strong," she corrected.
Raygen scrubbed his hands over his face. "Both is also possible."
Arrival at Urrakar
By the time they reached the outer gates of the beastkin city, the sky had shifted to a dusky orange. Long shadows stretched across the savanna. Strange firefly-like insects pulsed in the grass, glowing soft green.
The walls of Urrakar loomed above them—carved from white stone with swirling patterns that almost looked like moving wind. Beastkin guards stood at the entrance, each one at least half a head taller than Raygen.
A fox-kin guard stepped forward.
Her ears twitched as she studied them.
"Humans," she said in a melodic accent.
Raygen swallowed. "Um… yes?"
"Rare to see your kind this far east." The guard's golden eyes narrowed. "Are you here to trade, seek refuge, or cause trouble?"
Asa nudged Raygen. "Not trouble. We're too tired."
He cleared his throat. "We're… travelers. We're here to train."
The guard's ear flicked once, twice—amusement or confusion.
"Training? Here?"
"Is that a problem?" Asa asked.
"No." The guard stepped aside. "It is simply unusual for humans to willingly enter a place where everything is stronger than them."
Raygen winced. "You're not wrong."
"Stay to marked paths," the guard added. "Do not wander after sundown. And do not challenge anyone to a duel unless you are prepared to lose limbs."
Raygen paled. Asa brightened.
"We'll try not to die," Raygen promised.
"Good. Enjoy your stay in Urrakar."
Night in a Foreign World
The streets inside were bustling even at dusk—stalls selling spiced meats, bright fabrics, and glowing minerals; children chasing winged lizard pets; beastkin musicians playing strange flute-like instruments.
Everywhere Raygen looked, something surprised him.
Asa absorbed it all like oxygen.
"This place is incredible," she whispered. "No humans. No guild. No one looking at us like trash."
Raygen nodded slowly.
For the first time in months… maybe years…
He felt free.
Asa turned to him, eyes gleaming with anticipation and danger and excitement.
"Tomorrow," she said, "we start real training. No guild limitations. No noble interference. No restrictions. Just grind."
Raygen felt the fire ignite inside him.
"Yeah," he said. "Tomorrow."
High above the city, hidden from all mortal eyes, a faint crackle of lightning danced and faded.
Alac still watched.
The thirty days had just begun.
-End of Chapter 11-