"Who's there?" one of the guards with a pork-shaped nose and thick black hair asked grimly.
At his words, the swirling dust slowly began to settle. From within the clearing, Aleron calmly stepped forward, his footsteps steady and measured.
The guards squinted, struggling to catch a glimpse of the approaching figure.
Moments later, the last of the dust drifted to the ground, revealing Aleron in his normal human form. His clothes were torn and ragged, hanging off his frame like loose threads. His expression was calm, yet his eyes glinted with hidden strength.
Seeing this, the guard exhaled deeply in relief, his hand loosening slightly from the hilt of his blade.
Aleron scanned the three guards stationed behind the glowing barrier.
They were tall, muscular men, each radiating a powerful pressure that rippled through the air like a heatwave.
Sensing their aura—so eerily similar to the assassin he had faced before—Aleron felt his heart begin to race.
But he quickly steadied himself.
'I am not the same as before,' Aleron thought with unwavering calm.
The dragon still lingered behind him, hidden in his soul, and at any moment they could fuse again. There was no reason to panic.
"After traveling endlessly through the wastelands, I have finally found a place safe from these abominations," Aleron said, his voice carrying a faint sigh of exhaustion and relief.
The guards narrowed their eyes, exchanging glances, then spoke slowly.
"Traveling through this world overrun by monstrous creatures? That means you must be strong. But your strength is only at the Origin Apprentice realm?"
Their voices were laced with doubt, clearly skeptical of his survival.
They didn't believe him. Not for a moment.
To them, Aleron was just another lucky survivor who had somehow slipped through without facing real danger.
One of the guards took a step forward, eyeing him coldly.
"Do you have a token?"
"A token?" Aleron was puzzled. He had never heard of that before.
Seeing the confusion on his face, the guard elaborated.
"To enter the city, you must possess a token. Without one, there is no chance of being granted access."
Another guard added, noticing the change in Aleron's expression.
"You can also be allowed inside if you possess an Origin ability."
After those words, both guards fell silent, their gazes fixed on him with unreadable expressions.
Aleron's mind went blank for a moment.
'I have no Origin ability,' he thought, his temples beginning to throb with a dull ache.
But he didn't have the luxury of time to brood.
From behind, he could still feel the pressing heat and oppressive aura. The tier 4 abominations were gathering near the portal. He sensed them—massive, ravenous creatures piling up like waves preparing to crash through the forest.
There was no time.
Aleron's eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing within them.
He steadied his tone and said, "I just want to enter the city. It shouldn't be that difficult."
Hearing this, the guards immediately understood what he was implying.
Aleron had no token. No ability. He was useless to the city.
And thus, expendable.
The more muscular guard turned to his partner.
"Deal with him. Be swift."
At his command, the leaner guard nodded. A crack split the air beside him.
From within the rift, a fiery red salamander emerged. Flames flickered off its scales, its entire body radiating intense heat that warped the air around it.
Its aura was stronger than the demon ape Aleron had battled before.
Seeing this, Aleron's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't flinch.
If he wanted to get into the city, how could he allow two guards to block his path?
'Ashkar, fuse,' Aleron called silently to the dragon within him.
At once, a wave of fire surged from behind, engulfing his entire body.
Flames danced along his skin as his body expanded rapidly. His height soared to nearly three meters. His frame was now covered in gleaming crimson scales.
A single horn jutted from his forehead, glinting sharply under the sun.
Dark red wings spread from his back with a sudden snap, casting a long shadow over the earth.
Without hesitation, Aleron flapped them once and vanished from view, reappearing in front of the startled guards in a blink.
Their eyes widened.
"What is that thing? Another creature?"
For the first time, they realized their decision to block Aleron's entry had been the right one.
"Hold him off. I will alert the higher-ups," the muscular guard barked, pulling a sleek, stone-like device from his pocket. He began tapping quickly, a series of soft beeps echoing into the air.
The lean guard stepped forward and cracked his knuckles with a smile.
"It's been a while since I stretched my limbs. Since you creatures are trying to infiltrate the human world, don't expect us to hold back."
Before his sentence ended, the man vanished.
Aleron's eyes widened.
'That speed... how?'
He had assumed summoned creatures and their abilities were separate. Yet this man's hand now blazed with flame, his body glowing red as if he himself was the embodiment of his summon's power.
Aleron would have to revise everything he thought he understood.
The guard didn't give him time to reflect.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of Aleron, who was charging straight toward him.
The salamander also moved, its limbs pushing powerfully off the ground as it closed the distance.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion erupted as all three collided mid-air.
Aleron felt his arms crack under the sheer force. Pain shot through him, and he coughed up blood.
His body was hurled backward, twice as fast as the speed he had rushed forward.
'So strong... What kind of strength is this?'
His thoughts churned wildly. He had no answers. He didn't even have time to call upon the system.
The guard and the salamander were already rushing toward him again.
In the next breath, the salamander swung its tail.
Aleron, still in fusion form, had begun regenerating. His wounds were closing rapidly, but even so, it was far from enough.
Bang!
The tail struck him in the abdomen, but Aleron managed to block it at the last moment with his arm, slightly deflecting the force.
Still, he felt the bones in his arm shatter.
A chill crawled up his spine.
The guard had reappeared behind him, attacking again. This time with brutal timing.
"You're quite strong for someone in the Origin Initiate realm," the guard growled. "But you're still not strong enough to handle me. You need more time, kid."
His flaming hand crashed into Aleron's back.
It felt like a hammer forged from burning iron had caved in his spine.
Aleron's mouth filled with the taste of blood and metal.
'I can't stay here…'
At that moment, faint voices echoed from nearby.
"That's the creature you mentioned?"
"Since he's alone, why don't we catch him? He'll make a fine experiment."
"Fascinating. Wings. Regeneration. Just like the abominations… How interesting."