I Received System to Become Dragonborn

The three men advanced toward Aerchon and Sylra.

Sylra leaned to Aerchon slightly. "What do we do?" she asked in low whisper.

Aerchon kept his gaze forward with flat expression. "We can't attack yet. We're in the open. No matter what happens we need to get somewhere less exposed first."

Sylra glanced at him. "Are you sure they're looking for trouble?"

Aerchon exhaled through his nose, his tone dry. "I've seen their kind before. No matter where I go, they always look the same."

Sylra gave a slight nod, trusting his judgment.

The three men finally reached them, the tallest one leading the group with a lazy but confident grin. His cybernetic arms gleamed under the neon glow.

"What's this? Two beautiful people wandering around alone?" His grin widened. "You on a date or something?"

Aerchon barely spared him a glance. "No," he said flatly. "We were just leaving. If you'll excuse us."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and started walking away, Sylra close behind.

The tall man's grin twitched. "Hey," he called out, his tone sharpening. "I'm talking to you, man. Where's your manners?"

Aerchon sighed but didn't stop. His pace remained steady, eyes scanning the surroundings. Then he spotted a narrow alleyway to the side, shadowed and quiet. Without hesitation, he veered into it.

Behind them, the three men exchanged glances before chuckling.

"Seriously?" one of them snickered. "They just made it easier for us."

"Yeah," another scoffed. "Idiots walked right into a trap for us."

With amusement in their eyes, they followed them.

A few moments later, Aerchon and Sylra came to a stop. The alley was a dead end. A towering metal wall loomed before them.

Behind them, the three men slowed their steps, their grins widening as they realized their prey had nowhere left to run.

Aerchon scanning the alley. The towering metal walls around them pulsed with dying neon lights, their flickering glow casting shifting shadows to the grime-covered ground. The damp air smelled of rust and oil.

Behind them, the three men chuckled as they approached. The tallest onew who still grinning, spread his arms in mock disappointment.

"Ah, what a shame," he said. "I thought we could have a nice little chat, but you just had to go and make it easy for us."

Aerchon sighed quietly, his shoulders relaxing in what appeared to be surrender. But Sylra, who knew him well, could sense the shift in his stance.

The second man, a broad figure with a cybernetic eye that glowed a sickly green, tilted his head. "You're new here, aren't you? See, in this city, there's a little… toll for walking through the wrong places."

The third man, a lanky man with metal-plated fingers that twitched as if itching for violence, sneered. "Yeah. And right now? You two are in that wrong place. We could sell you two for a good price."

Sylra exhaled slowly, keeping her expression neutral. She leaned slightly toward Aerchon again. "I assume we're done waiting?"

Aerchon nodded. "We gave them a chance."

The tall man took another step forward. "Let's not make this messy, alright? Just hand over anything valuable and maybe—"

Aerchon moved.

Before the man could finish his sentence, Aerchon surged forward, his hand snapping up in a blur. His fingers grasped the front of the man's jacket and with a sudden twist, he slammed him into the alley wall. The metal groaned from the impact, and the man let out a choked gasp as the air was forced from his lungs.

"W-What the fuck?!"

"Damnit!"

The other two reacted instantly. The broad one lunged and throwing a heavy punch aimed at Aerchon's ribs. But before he could land the hit Sylra intercepted him.

She stepped smoothly into his path, twisting her body to avoid the strike, and in the same motion, she attack.

Her palm shot out. Herfingers glowing faintly as she channeled a precise pulse of Magic energy into the man's chest.

He staggered back, eyes widening as if his body suddenly failed to respond. A flicker of panic crossed his face before he dropped to his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

The lanky man, realizing the fight had shifted out of their favor, snarled and reached to his side for a concealed weapon. But Aerchon who was still holding the tall man against the wall, didn't give him the chance.

He flicked his hand and Aerchon's free hand lashed out. His fingers snapped against the air and a pulse of energy crackled through the alley.

The lanky man's body seized as if invisible chains had wrapped around him. His breath hitched and his fingers trembled uselessly before he collapsed onto one knee, gasping.

The tall man, still pinned by Aerchon, coughed. His grin had vanished, replaced by wide, panicked eyes.

"You… are you one of Laston's kind?!" he wheezed.

Aerchon's frown deepened at the mention of Laston's name. His grip on the man's jacket tightened slightly.

"You know Laston?" His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath the surface.

The tall man gulped, his eyes darting to his fallen companions before quickly returning to Aerchon. He nodded frantically.

"Y-Yes! You… you came for him?" His breath hitched. "I-I can take you there! Just let me live!"

Aerchon clenched his jaw. Behind him, Sylra remained silent, her gaze fixed on him cause she also wanted to know more.

"Where is he?" Aerchon asked, his tone cold.

The man hesitated for a split second, but fear made his answer spill out. "I-I can take you there! I swear! Just don't kill me!"

Aerchon exhaled slowly, his patience thinning.

"Tell me where to find him first," he said, his fingers tightening slightly around the man's collar. "Then I'll consider your live."

The man swallowed hard. He looked terrified but knew he had no other choice.

"H-He… and his army are living in Skyreach Tower," he stammered. "It's in the middle of the city. You can't miss it. It's a massive structure, all black metal and glowing lines. He built it himself using the power from his world so nobody can touch it."

Aerchon gave a slow nod, as if considering the information. His expression remained unreadable. Then, without warning, his grip shifted. His fingers wrapped around the man's throat, cutting off his breath.

The man choked, his eyes going wide with pure terror. His hands clawed weakly at Aerchon's wrist, but it was futile.

A faint hum of energy crackled through Aerchon's fingertips. The man's body twitched violently as a sharp light pulsed through his veins, his mouth opening in a silent scream. Within seconds, the glow in his eyes faded and his body went slack.

Aerchon released his grip, letting the lifeless body slump to the ground.

Sylra, who had been watching quietly, crossed her arms. "So much for considering," she murmured dryly.

Aerchon exhaled, shaking his hand slightly as the last remnants of energy faded from his fingertips. "If we let him live, he would have warned Laston before we even got close."

Sylra nodded slightly, but her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer as if measuring something in his expression. Then she turned her head toward the end of the alley.

"Skyreach Tower, huh? Sounds like a fortress. We need a plan before we get anywhere near it."

Aerchon nodded. "Yes. We need to regroup first."

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