Chapter 1
Chapter 1: My Return from Another World
Xien’s consciousness gradually emerged from chaos.
Intermittent sobbing reached his ears, as if coming from far away, yet seeming right beside him.
He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and what met his gaze was a gray, overcast sky. Thick dark clouds hung low, as if they might press down at any moment.
The air was filled with the scent of scorched earth and blood, suffocating.
“Brother… brother… please… don’t leave me…”
The sobbing grew clearer, filled with despair and helplessness.
Xien turned his head with difficulty and saw a familiar face—his sister Luphia.
Her face was streaked with tears, her long black hair disheveled over her shoulders. Her hands clutched tightly at his collar, as if letting go would make him disappear.
“Luphia…”
Xien’s voice was hoarse, his throat burning as if scorched by fire.
He wanted to lift his hand to wipe away his sister’s tears, but found his arm heavy as lead.
“Brother! You’re awake! You… you’re really awake!”
Luphia’s crying stopped abruptly, replaced by incredulous joy.
Her eyes were red and swollen, but tears kept flowing, as if she needed to release all her fear and sorrow.
“What happened to me…”
Xien’s mind was in chaos, memories flooding back like a tide.
He remembered dying once before, under the claws of magical beasts, on a battlefield where he died protecting Luphia.
He also remembered living a complete life in another world—a world without magic or magical beasts, where people lived ordinary but peaceful lives.
And now, he had returned here, back to this world filled with magic and danger.
“Luphia, don’t cry… brother is back…”
Xien struggled to sit up and pulled his sister into his arms.
Her body was trembling like a withered leaf swaying in the wind.
Xien could feel her spiritual power collapsing, negative emotions surging like a black tide, threatening to consume her.
Just then, a strange power flowed from his body, like a warm current passing from his palm into Luphia’s body.
Those negative emotions seemed drawn by some force and gradually dissipated.
Luphia’s breathing slowly steadied, and the madness and despair in her eyes faded.
“Brother… I’m so tired…”
Luphia’s voice was weak, as if it might disappear at any moment.
“Sleep, everything’s fine now.”
Xien gently stroked his sister’s hair.
“Mm…”
Luphia’s eyelids closed heavily, her body softly falling into Xien’s embrace as she drifted into sleep.
Xien looked at his sister in his arms, complex emotions rising in his heart.
He knew he had to do something.
He couldn’t let Luphia fall into such despair again, nor could he let her face that tragic future.
Xien carried Luphia on his back and headed toward the government-established safety relief point.
The once-bustling streets now lay in ruins, the charred remains of buildings standing like the broken skeletons of giant beasts.
The air was thick with heavy smoke and the smell of blood, with distant rumbles of collapsing buildings echoing intermittently.
Beneath his feet was a cracked stone road, dark red bloodstains seeping through the cracks.
A mutilated corpse lay not far away—from the uniform, it appeared to be a patrol guard. His upper body had vanished, leaving only the lower half.
The shops lining the street were unrecognizable, their display windows shattered across the ground, signs hanging crookedly from walls.
A bakery’s sign still smoked, the burnt smell of bread mixing with blood to create a nauseating odor.
Further away, the iconic clock tower of the Ninth District had half-collapsed, its massive copper bell crashed to the ground and split in two.
Dried blood still remained on the clock face, with several crows perched on it, making harsh cries.
Everywhere were traces of magical beast rampage—deep claw marks on the ground, blackened burn marks on walls, and craters left by magical explosions scattered throughout.
A cold wind blew, stirring up paper scraps and ashes from the ground.
Xien saw a torn poster flutter past his eyes, with “Celebrate Harvest Festival” still faintly visible—now only an ironic remnant.
Xien’s steps were firm, but his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness.
This world, this world ruled by magic and nobility—how many more lives would it claim?
After settling Luphia safely, Xien ignored the medical staff’s advice and left the relief point.
His goal was clear—the main battlefield.
He knew there was an opportunity there, a chance to get close to the center of power.
The battlefield was even more horrific than Xien had imagined.
The roars of magical beasts were deafening, flames and magical light intertwining, illuminating the dark sky.
Xien carefully made his way through the ruins, searching for that figure.
A pillar of fire shot skyward from a nearby district.
Seeing this, he immediately ran toward it.
Finally, Xien spotted her in the ruins.
Cynthia’s red hair fluttered in the wind, her sword burning with intense flames.
Around her were countless magical beasts, and her magic power was clearly near exhaustion, her spiritual power on the verge of collapse.
Her body swayed unsteadily, and she had to thrust her sword into the ground to maintain balance.
Ahead were newly gathered magical beasts—the charred corpses of their companions hadn’t stopped their advance.
“Damn… where’s the backup those bastards promised?”
Cynthia’s breathing was rapid and heavy, her chest heaving violently. The sword in her hand still burned with intense flames, but her arm had begun to tremble slightly.
Her spiritual power had been pushed to its absolute limit. The scene before her eyes began to blur, leaving only her own rapid heartbeat and the low growls of magical beasts in her ears.
“Tch…”
She gritted her teeth, trying to raise her sword again, only to find her body no longer obeyed her.
Her legs felt like lead, making it difficult even to stand steady, let alone swing her sword in battle.
In her vision, a massive magical beast slowly approached, its crimson eyes fixed on her, sharp claws gleaming coldly in the dim light.
A sense of powerlessness welled up in Cynthia’s heart.
She had never imagined she would fall in such a manner.
She was the genius of the Celeste family, the Saint of the Ninth District, someone countless people looked up to—yet now, she couldn’t even manage basic defense.
The magical beast let out a low roar and suddenly lunged at her.
Cynthia’s pupils contracted sharply. She could clearly see those sharp claws heading for her throat, but she couldn’t react at all.
Her body felt bound by invisible chains, unable to move even a finger.
“Is this… how it ends?”
This thought flashed through her mind, filled with unwillingness and anger.
At this critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.
Cynthia only felt a force slam into her, then her body was pushed aside and hit the ground hard.
“Bang!”
The magical beast’s claws scraped past her shoulder, bringing sharp pain, but Cynthia knew that without that sudden impact, her throat would have been torn open.
She struggled to lift her head and saw an unfamiliar young man standing protectively in front of her.
Xien panted heavily, his gaze quickly scanning the surroundings as magical beasts began converging on their location.
“My lady, we need to get out of here now!”
Xien got up from the ground and extended his hand to Cynthia, his tone urgent but firm.
Cynthia lifted her head, her gaze somewhat unfocused.
Her spiritual power was on the verge of collapse, her physical strength long exhausted—she didn’t even have the strength to stand.
She looked at Xien’s outstretched hand, hesitation flashing in her heart.
As a noble Saint, she had never thought she would need help from a commoner, let alone be touched by one.
However, the current situation left no time for such considerations.
She bit her lip and finally reached out, grasping Xien’s hand.
The moment their skin touched, Cynthia’s pupils contracted sharply.
A warm power flowed from Xien’s palm, like a clear spring flowing into a dried riverbed, quickly soothing the turbulent spiritual power within her.
The oppressive feeling of impending collapse disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease and freedom.
“What… what is this?”
Cynthia murmured softly, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She felt her spiritual power was no longer restricted, as if connected to some greater force.
As long as she wished, she could release magic at will without worrying about spiritual power exhaustion or collapse.
This feeling was completely new to her.
Xien watched Cynthia’s changes from the corner of his eye, his heart tightening slightly.
He knew his special constitution had been detected by her, and this was exactly what he wanted.
“We should go.”
Xien gripped Cynthia’s hand tightly, about to pull her up from the ground.
But Cynthia didn’t respond.
Her gaze gradually sharpened, a confident smile playing at her lips.
She slowly stood up, her sword once again igniting with intense flames—flames deeper in color than before, as if they could devour everything.
“Leave? No, that’s no longer necessary.”
Cynthia’s voice carried a hint of coldness, yet was full of power.
She held her sword upright with one hand and began chanting a complex incantation.
This was her strongest magic, usually sealed due to fears of spiritual power collapse—”Blazing Divine Punishment.”
Once released, this magic could turn all enemies within hundreds of meters to ash, but the cost was complete spiritual power collapse, possibly even becoming a witch.
However, at this moment, Cynthia felt no burden whatsoever.
Her spiritual power was linked to Xien’s constitution, seeming infinite.
She no longer hesitated. The moment her incantation finished, the sky suddenly turned crimson, and countless flaming meteors descended from above with her as the center, instantly devouring the surrounding magical beasts.
“BOOM—!”
The massive explosion was deafening, flames sweeping across the entire battlefield.
Xien was pushed back several steps by the intense shockwave, but he still gripped Cynthia’s hand tightly, never letting go.
When the flames gradually dissipated, the surrounding magical beasts had turned to ash, the air filled with the smell of burnt corpses.
Cynthia stood in place, her sword still burning with flames, but her face showed no fatigue—instead, it held an unprecedented satisfaction.
She turned her head, looking at Xien with complex emotions.
“You… what exactly are you?”
“Huh? I’m just a commoner.”
Xien first looked stunned, then answered stammering.
“A commoner?”
Cynthia frowned. Would a commoner have this kind of special power?
She carefully examined the young man before her, discovering no trace of magic power within him—meaning his constitution was special?
Speaking of constitutions, Cynthia suddenly remembered a legend that had long circulated within the Temple of Light.
Thinking of this, her lips slowly curved upward.
“What’s your name?”
“Xien.”
Xien answered honestly. He noticed he was still holding Cynthia’s hand and instinctively tried to pull away, but not only did he fail, he was pulled closer by her gentle force.
“Xien… very good.”
Cynthia grasped Xien’s chin, slightly lifting his refined Eastern features, a satisfied smile on her face.
“From now on, I, Cynthia Celeste, the Crimson Saint, declare that you are conscripted by the Ninth District Holy Knights.”
“Conscripted?”
Xien blinked, as if still not grasping the situation.
“That’s right. From now on, you’re a member of the Crimson Knights.”
Cynthia nodded.
“My lady, this is my honor.”
Xien lowered his head, his tone respectful and flattered.
“You know what’s good for you. Now follow me back. Don’t worry about identity verification procedures—I’ll handle everything.”
Cynthia patted Xien’s cheek satisfactorily, turned and walked forward, raising her slender finger to list the knights’ rules one by one.
Xien watched Cynthia’s retreating figure, his gaze shifting from humble to profound.
He thought of that faceless deity, of her compassion.
Having died once before, his infinite attachment and unwillingness regarding his sister had moved the divine. The goddess bestowed grace, reincarnating him into another timeline.
There, technology was advanced, with no such thing as magic.
He lived as an ordinary person with a happy family, studying peacefully, rather than worrying about treating his sister’s illness as he did now.
There, even commoners could live safely, with equality for all, rather than living in constant fear of nobles’ whims as they did here.
He was happy and content, even forgetting this world’s existence at times.
Until his natural death, when in his final moments he saw the future of his original world.
Luphia, whose spiritual power collapsed after her brother’s death, lost her sanity and became the most powerful witch. She searched frantically through the devastated city for her brother, crying, until she was killed by the twelve Saints working together, seeing her as a threat.
Even as Luphia died, she called out her brother’s name.
She had been waiting for someone who never returned.
Only then did Xien remember—he had immersed himself in an ideal world, abandoning all responsibilities he should have carried as a brother.
Against the goddess’s advice, he resolutely returned to this world.
With only one purpose: to create an ideal nation where his sister could live happily.
“Hey, Xien, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and follow.”
“Coming, Lady Cynthia.”
Xien smiled slightly and quickly followed behind Cynthia.
To achieve his goal, he would use any means necessary, utilizing everything around him.
Even a Saint was no exception.