My Ultimate Sign-in System Made Me Invincible

The conversation with Chrises stretched into the late evening as she recounted everything that had transpired during Liam’s absence. Her animated gestures and occasional laughter painted a vivid picture of the chaos that had unfolded at the shop.

When she described how a group of Velaris nobles had attempted to seize control of the establishment, Liam couldn’t suppress his laughter. The image of those pompous aristocrats thinking they could simply walk in and take what didn’t belong to them was almost too absurd to believe.

"I knew Lucy would handle it," Liam said, shaking his head with amusement.

Chrises grinned. "I don’t know how she did it. All I know was that after their second attempt to cause trouble, the incident stopped."

"That sounds like her," Liam replied.

Overall, aside from that minor incident, things had progressed smoothly. The shop continued to thrive, customers kept coming, and Chrises had adjusted well to the routine. Liam felt satisfied knowing his enterprise could function without his constant oversight.

His thoughts turned to the unfamiliar face he’d noticed working behind the counter. "Tell me about the new employee," he said.

Chrises’ expression softened. "Her name is Mira. We were friends before everything happened to me—before I was sold into slavery. We lost touch after that, and I thought I’d never see her again. But I saw her a few weeks ago and she told me that she desperately needed a job. How could I turn her away?"

Liam nodded. He understood the value of loyalty and the bonds forged through shared hardship. "I’m glad you could help her. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"She’s been wonderful," Chrises added. "Quick to learn, good with customers, and she knows how to keep her head down when things get complicated. I trust her."

The two continued talking, their conversation drifting to lighter topics. Liam shared selected details about his journey.

Chrises listened with rapt attention, her eyes bright with curiosity. She asked questionw to satisfy her curiosity, and Liam answered to the best of his ability.

More than an hour passed before Liam decided it was time to go. The moon hung high in the sky, and the streets below had grown quiet as the city settled into sleep.

He stood and stretched. "I should let you rest. You’ve had a long day."

Chrises rose as well, though reluctance flickered across her face. "Will you visit again tomorrow?"

"If I have time," Liam said with a smile. "I’ll try."

She walked him to the window, her bare feet silent on the wooden floor. Liam stepped onto the sill and paused, turning back to face her.

"Sleep well, Chrises."

"You too," she replied. "Thank you for checking on me."

Liam launched himself into the air, his body lifting effortlessly. He waved once before flying up and out of her view.

Chrises remained at the window for several minutes, watching the empty sky where he’d disappeared. The cool night breeze drifted through the opening, carrying the scent of the city below. Finally, she turned away and began preparing for bed.

She pulled off her outer garments and changed into her nightdress, her movements slow and thoughtful.

***

Liam hovered above the inn, suspended in the night air as the city sprawled beneath him. Lights dotted the streets like scattered stars.

But his attention wasn’t on the city. Instead, his thoughts turned inward, focusing on something he’d been postponing for far too long, his pending sign-in.

This will be his first sign-in in almost two months and he’s really excited about the sign-in rewards, as he has been accumulating his sign-in for that long. Also, there’s the recent upgrade made to the function.

His previous sign-in had granted him a galaxy-wide wormhole network and a planet-sized asteroid belt.

The wormhole network remained dormant for now. Lucy was still working on reverse-engineering the FTL drive technology, adapting it to function with her spacecraft designs. Once that hurdle was cleared, activating the network would become possible.

The information on the wormhole network, in his head, had already confirmed that one wormhole entrance existed within his solar system, positioned near the edge of the Oort Cloud.

That single access point would serve as the foundation for connecting to the entire network. The possibilities excited him a lot.

But first, he needed to do his pending sign-in.

He took a breath, steadying himself as anticipation built in his chest.

"System, sign-in," he said quietly.

***

Deep within the forest outside the city, two figures stood in a small clearing. The branches of the trees around them forming a canopy that blocked most of the moonlight.

One of the figures shifted, her patience wearing thin. "Are you certain he’ll appear?" she asked. "You’re absolutely sure it was his aura you sensed?"

The second figure nodded without hesitation. "I’m sure. I was home when his aura spread across the Grand Universe. That kind of presence isn’t something you forget."

The first woman studied her companion’s face, searching for doubt and finding none. "What do we do when we find him?"

"I want to understand what makes him special," the second replied. "Mother issued a direct command to all dragons, that no one is to harm him. There has to be a reason for such a protection and I need to know why."

The first woman smiled. "I share your curiosity, but I’m more interested in his origins. What race is he? And how did he acquire remains of the Abyssal Dragon race that barely interacted with outsiders?"

"I’m very sure that the Abyssal Dragon race are very furious, though they can’t touch him either, thanks to Mother’s decree. That would make their reaction interesting," the second woman said.

"Well, all our questions will be answered if we can speak with him," the first woman said.

The second nodded in agreement.

At that moment, both women stiffened, as a familiar aura washed over the area and it emanated from the direction of the city, spreading outward like ripples on water.

The first woman looked at her companion. "He’s here."

"Finally."

Without another word, both figures rose into the air and shot toward the city. Their forms blurred as they accelerated.

They were going to meet Liam.