Chapter 31: Fate Shall Not Bind Me

Zane stood up slowly, closing the final book from the first floor. The soft click of the cover echoed quietly through the library. But it wasn’t just the book’s end that drew him to his feet.

Beep.

He looked at his wrist—the techno-watch shimmered softly.

“The battle power measurer is complete,” he muttered with a slight smirk.

He smirked. “Let’s adjust it to this world’s mana frequency.”

With practiced ease, he tapped the screen and began drawing faint glowing runes in the air, letting them sink into the watch interface.

“In addition… let’s add hidden detection runes. Wouldn’t want people knowing they’re being scanned.”

He sent a pulse of this world’s mana into the device, carefully aligning the frequency, and etched a final rune to conceal its probing ability.

Click.

“All right. Time for a field test.”

His eyes scanned the area. A man, quietly reading a book across the hall, caught his gaze. Zane extended his hand briefly, as if stretching.

Beep.

A green-tinted hologram emerged from the watch face.

Measuring battle power…

Scanning target via surface mana layers…

Battle Power: 5

“Pitiful,” Zane sighed. He moved again, targeting another. Then another.

Battle Power: 7

Battle Power: 6

Battle Power: 9

“All within the same range. It only catches the surface level. Hidden strength or suppressed energy remains untouched… Hmm.”

Returning to his spot, Zane tweaked the code. More intricate runes, subtle enhancements, and finally… a nostalgic touch.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

“Perfect. Just like that anime back home,” he grinned.

After a few more upgrades, he looked satisfied. “BPM, v2.0—complete.”

He stretched and yawned. “Time to go. Always wanted to try resting in a local inn.” Then he paused. “Oh, right. I still need to collect my change from the librarian.”

He approached the front desk. The librarian lady was already there, calmly sorting scrolls. She glanced up and smiled faintly.

“Time to leave?” she asked.

Zane nodded. “Yes. Just came to collect the change .”

She reached under the counter, pulling out a pouch and counting the coins with soft clinks of silver and copper.

While she was focused, Zane subtly lifted his wrist again.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Beep… Beep… Beep…

A new hologram flickered to life above the watch:

Name: Linnea Deepwell

Battle Power: 190 (Heavily Suppressed +)

Potential Battle Power: 8350

Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her battle power… it’s far higher than anything I’ve seen so far. He glanced at the name displayed—Linnea Deepwell. If she’s that strong, why is she working as a librarian? Hmm… maybe she’s hiding. The name might be her real one—my runes extract data from DNA and residual memory layers—but there’s always a chance it’s faked somehow.

He shook his head slightly. Let’s think about that later.

She handed him the pouch. “Here. Thank you visiting .”

Zane accepted it with a polite nod. “Thank you, Miss.”

She smiled again, voice soft. “May your day be happy and fruitful.”

He could feel her emotions—peaceful, calm, pure. That only deepened his curiosity.

Without another word, Zane turned and walked away, the coins jingling lightly in his pocket.

She’s strong. Definitely not what she seems. But I’ll figure it out eventually.

Zane stepped out of the library, a crisp breeze brushing against his coat as he looked around the bustling streets of Eldrin. “Alright,” he murmured, stretching slightly. “Let’s find a good inn.”

As he wandered through the city, the lively market streets unfolded before him. Aromas of fresh bread, sizzling meats, and sugary delights drifted in the air. He paused at a vendor with a curious misty treat swirling atop a tray. The vendor handed him a soft, foamy dessert that looked like pale, glittering clouds—Mist Cream, they called it. As it touched his tongue, it melted instantly, leaving behind a whisper of cool sweetness and a hint of citrus. Light, smooth, and heavenly.

He moved on, trying a freshly made sandwich layered with crisp vegetables and smoky roasted meat, all wrapped in warm, soft bread. “Mmm,” he nodded, chewing. “This place knows its food.”

Along the way, he passed rows of diverse shops—bakeries, weapon forges, scroll sellers, potion stalls, and jewelry booths. Street vendors called out, hawking their wares. Children dashed around laughing, and the buzz of mana lingered faintly in the air.

Out of curiosity, Zane casually raised his hand whenever someone passed too close, silently activating his upgraded Battle Power Measurer. Soft beep-beep sounds echoed as green holograms flickered in front of his watch. Most values ranged from 5 to 30, but one bulky warrior gave a reading of 162—the highest he’d seen in public so far.

Still, nowhere close to that librarian, he thought, remembering Linnea’s suppressed strength.

Eventually, he approached a local and asked, “Any good inns around here?”

The man pointed him toward a place called The Blind Owl.

As Zane approached it, he froze for a moment. He could feel it—that familiar trace of mana. His eyes narrowed. Ron… and Lia?

Just then, an unseen force prickled at his senses. That strange interference again. Something was trying to weave itself into his path, tugging at threads he refused to be bound by.

His body stopped. The world stilled. Time halted.

His eyes shifted—those normally sharp purple irises dulled into a deep grey-silver, tinged with green and pink glimmers. Floating before him, a shining silver-gold thread wiggled, snaking from a room inside the inn—the same room as the kids.

Zane’s expression darkened. “These strings of fate… keep them to yourself,” he said coldly. “I let one pass. Don’t overstep your bounds. Know your place.”

The thread quivered, trembling like it had been scolded by a god. Then it disintegrated into fine, glowing particles—gone.

“Hmph. Trying to meddle with me again,” Zane muttered, letting his eyes return to normal.

Time resumed.

Inside one of the rooms, Lia shivered in her sleep for no reason she could understand. Something cold… had just passed through her dreams.

Zane stepped into The Blind Owl and walked toward the reception desk.

“Hello, sir,” the receptionist greeted with a smile. “How may I help you today?”

“I’d like to stay for a week,” Zane said. “Good room. What amenities?”

“That would be 8 silver coins per day, sir,” she replied. “You’ll be provided with two fresh meals each day, a luxurious room with a private bathtub, clean clothes daily, and laundry services.”

Zane nodded. “Fine.”

He reached into his coat pocket, silently creating more silver coins, then took out a pouch filled with 56 silver coins. “Here. One week.”

“Payment confirmed, sir. Please follow the servant to your room.”

Zane followed a young staff member upstairs. The room was lavish—wooden floors, velvet curtains, a well-made bed, and a table beside it. He hung his coat on the polished stand, set his bag down, and dropped onto the bed.

His senses, sharp as ever, noticed something: the kids were two rooms away.

He closed his eyes. “Let’s not think about them right now.” With a sigh, he allowed himself to relax.

—

Meanwhile, in another room…

Ron had just returned from placing their food order when he spotted a figure entering the inn—him.

His eyes widened. “Lia!” he whispered urgently.

She stirred. “What?”

“He’s here. That guy… he’s staying in this inn.”

Lia’s sleep vanished. “What? Are you sure?”

“I saw him. No mistaking it.” Ron leaned in closer. “We need to talk to him… How did he see through our disguise?”

Meanwhile, in Zane’s room…

He lay in bed, the soft sheets cradling his body as he tried to fall asleep. “Let’s not think about them…” he muttered.

As his consciousness drifted, Zane, out of habit, tried to dream about his last life—not wanting to forget who he once was. But what surfaced instead was something far older… more distant.

In the dream, a hazy image of a small boy and a woman played like a memory behind fogged glass.

“Mom,” the little boy’s voice was soft and innocent, “what’s the greatest job? What should I become in the future?”

The woman’s presence radiated warmth. Though her face was blurred, her voice carried love so deep it could be felt even in a dream. She chuckled gently, “Silly child… you’re still too young for that.”

The boy puffed his cheeks and insisted with a grin, “Mom, tell me!”

Her laughter rang again, light and kind. “Okay, okay. Well, anyone can become what they want. To them, that becomes the greatest. But to me… it’s a teacher.”

“A teacher?” the boy scrunched his nose. “That’s so lame!”

She responded with a smile in her voice, “Kid, a teacher isn’t just someone who teaches in school. If you don’t know how to cook, a chef becomes your teacher. If you want to learn to fight, a martial artist becomes your teacher. Anyone who helps you grow, teaches you something new, is a teacher. That’s why I think it’s the greatest thing to become.”

The boy’s eyes lit up. “Then… I’ve decided, Mom. I’ll be a teacher!”

Their shared laughter echoed briefly before the scene dissolved into mist.

Zane’s eyes fluttered open to soft morning light seeping through the curtains.

“…Hmph. Quite an old memory.”

He sat up slowly, the warmth of that forgotten promise lingering quietly in his chest.

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