The cold night of the Northern Border crept over the stone walls of the Auckland Family residence, candlelight in the study flickering like stars, casting wavering shadows across the yellowed books.
A middle-aged man sat quietly, cradling a book in his hands. His temples were flecked with gray, his entire being radiating a commanding aura, brimming with heroic spirit.
He was the head of the Auckland Household, Karen Auckland.
“Family Head! Bad news!”
Hurried footsteps shattered the silence as a guard stumbled in, armor clanging in a chaotic, grating clatter, cold sweat beading on his brow.
He dropped to one knee, bowing his head deeply, voice trembling, “This subordinate… this subordinate has urgent news to report!”
Karen’s gaze slowly left the pages, the crisp sound of the book closing exceptionally clear in the tranquil study.
“What has made you lose your composure like this?” His tone was even, yet carried an invisible sense of oppression. “You were supposed to escort Anya back today. Did something happen along the way?”
“Family Head, we were attacked by Dragonkin on the road. The rest of us stayed behind to cover the Miss’s escape, holding off a large group of pursuers, but there was still a small group…” The guard dared not lift his head, his teeth chattering.
Karen’s eyes narrowed sharply, a cold gleam flashing in his elongated pupils, both hands pressing on the oak desk.
“So, you lost Anya along the way?” His voice was as cold as the wind of the Northern Border. “Those Dragonkin mongrels actually dare to try to use my daughter to threaten me?”
“Y-Yes, sir. Only after stalling those Dragonkin did we realize a small group split off to chase after the Miss. The ones confronting us also retreated soon after.”
The guard was drenched in cold sweat, pressed flat to the floor, barely daring to breathe.
Karen was not only the master of the Auckland Household, but also the General of the Northern Legion—the Northern Border’s undisputed greatest force.
The feud between the Auckland Family and the Dragonkin had stretched on for three generations. As a mixed-blood group from the Land Without a Lord, the Dragonkin relied on the Dragon Empire, making their living by raiding human territory.
And for the twenty years Karen had led the family, this Blood and Fire Conflict had never ceased.
“This subordinate… has already ordered the others to search separately for the Miss’s whereabouts,” the guard forced himself to look up, not daring to meet Karen’s eyes. “I have come to report the situation to you, my lord, and humbly await your orders!”
“Prepare for the worst. These mongrels will soon bring my daughter to negotiate.”
Karen’s voice was utterly calm, his eyes as deep and still as a frozen lake.
“Continue searching for Anya’s trail, report back immediately with any news. Also, send word: the entire Northern Legion is to be on alert, reinforce the defenses of the three fortresses at the border, and no one is to slack off from their duties for personal matters.”
“Yes, sir!” The guard dared say no more, bowing low before retreating at speed.
“Anya…”
Only after the guard had left did a trace of worry flicker through Karen’s eyes, though it was quickly replaced by his usual coldness.
……
Within the System Space, Iris stared with wide eyes, her chest heaving as if she might explode.
Suspended before her was a softly glowing panel, the words “System Shop” blazing at the top.
The shop’s contents were dazzling—a full collection of comics from the previous world, all kinds of games, everything one could wish for.
And at the very bottom, the flashing “Physical Body Exchange” was the ultimate reward promised to her by the Goddess.
“Damn it! That rotten woman really had bad intentions!” Iris muttered through gritted teeth, fingers flicking rapidly across the panel, her eyes brimming with envy and grievance.
This was her exclusive shop. Whether it was comics, games, or her dream physical body, everything required System Points to redeem.
But there were only two ways to earn points: exchanging for Anya’s Fame Points, or as rewards when the Host advanced a rank.
“Only one thousand points for advancing a rank…” Iris stared at the reward rules, eyes wide, stomping her feet in frustration.
Yet her points counter displayed a pitiful hundred points.
A single comic cost ten points, a random game fifty, a Three A Masterpiece a hundred, and the lowest tier physical body required a staggering ten million points.
What a rip-off!
“I can only buy ten? This series can’t even scratch the surface!” Iris’s face drooped in gloom.
Ten comics—how many days would that last her? It was like a cup of water trying to quench a burning cart.
“No way, I have to keep a strict eye on little Anya! Or soon I won’t even have anything to pass the time!” Iris bit her lip, finally ticking off ten short comics.
After all, waiting for updates was pure torture, and who knew when Anya would next earn Fame Points or increase her strength?
“Absolutely must not let little Anya know about this!” Clenching her tiny fists, Iris’s gaze grew determined.
“If she found out, what if she slacked off even worse than me and threatened me instead…”
Just imagining Anya giving her a wicked grin: “System, you don’t want to miss out on earning points for comics and games, do you?”
At the thought of that, Iris shivered all over, a chill shooting straight to the crown of her head, and she sucked in a cold breath. “Terrifying! I absolutely can’t let that happen!”
With a wince, she pressed “Purchase”, and the panel vanished instantly.
Ten beautifully bound comics appeared before her out of thin air. Iris carefully stacked and put them away, treating them as precious treasures.
“My precious babies, I can’t enjoy you just yet～”
She pressed her palms together in a little prayer to the comics, her gaze growing fierce and resolute.
“I need to hurry and keep an eye on little Anya’s career!”
With those words, Iris’s figure vanished from the System Space.
Anya eventually made it safely back to the Northern Town, though the icicles in her hair and the heavy sword on her back drew no small amount of attention from passersby.
“Looks like you’ve made it back to safe ground, little Anya.”
A clear, sweet voice rang out as Iris appeared at her side, unnoticed.
Still the same tiny ball of white fluff, she curiously took in the low wooden houses and snow-laden eaves.
Anya glanced at her, realizing they were walking side by side down the main street, and couldn’t help but wonder: could it be that no one else saw Iris?
No sooner had the thought formed than Iris skipped over to a little girl holding a hot drink, puffing her cheeks to make a funny face.
But the girl was focused on warming her hands, showing no reaction to the fluffy white ball right in front of her.
In truth, Iris was testing this herself. Seeing the lack of response, she pouted in boredom. “So boring.”
The whole way, Anya remained silent, and it was only after Iris had seen enough of the town’s new sights that she realized they’d barely exchanged a word.
“Little Anya, this city of yours looks rather backward!”
Iris couldn’t take the silence any longer and broke the ice herself.
“The Northern Border is snowbound year-round; few choose to live here, so naturally it can’t compare to other cities. Besides, we’ve only just reached the outskirts of the Northern Town, we haven’t properly entered the Northern Border yet,” Anya explained lightly.
Iris thought about it and agreed—if she had to live at the North or South Pole all year, who could stand it?
After that, Anya fell back into silence.
Iris quietly clenched her little fists. Why is this Host like a stuffy old gourd?
No way! If she wanted little Anya to earn her endless comics and games, she’d have to fix this silent and withdrawn temperament first!
Iris felt keenly just how long and difficult her road ahead would be!
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