New friend

Raja stepped out of the old shop, a mix of curiosity and satisfaction swirling in his chest. The ring felt heavier in his hand than it looked, but it was more than just its weight—it was the mystery behind it that excited him.

He slipped into a shadowy alley nearby, carefully opening the small box. Inside, the ring glowed faintly, an ethereal shimmer coming off its silver surface. The gem in the center reflected a spectrum of rainbow hues.

"Time to see what you can do," Raja muttered to himself as he slipped the ring onto his finger.

{**Soulbound Ring of Sovereignty**}

The moment the ring touched his skin, a wave of information surged through Raja's mind like a flood. He gripped his head, the rush of knowledge almost overwhelming.

{**Artifact Name:** *Soulbound Ring of Sovereignty*

**Grade:** SSS (Potential: SSS+)

**Type:** Soul-bound Ring

**Binding:** Once equipped, it binds permanently to the user's soul. Cannot be removed, stolen, or destroyed until user die.}

Raja's eyes widened as the details appeared in his mind. *An SSS artifact?* This was beyond his expectations. He felt the ring pulse as it vanished from physical sight, merging with his soul.

{**Mind Shield Unlocked**

- **Description:** Completely blocks all attempts to read, manipulate, or alter the user's thoughts.

- **Effect:** Provides absolute immunity to all forms of mind reading, mind control, or mental attacks, whether magical, psychic, or otherwise.

- **Potential at SSS+:** Reflects psychic attacks back at the attacker with double force.}

Raja couldn't help but smile. *Hell yeah! A mind shield!* His excitement was palpable. *Not only am I protected from mind readers, but if I max this out, I'll send those psychic creeps flying. And apparently it have more abilities but I am weak to unlock them. Maybe once my mana circuit upgrade it will Unlock*

He looked up toward the readers, grinning. *"This is why I love old men in stories—always hiding overpowered stuff like this. Lucky me!"*

His grin faded as he glanced down at his empty coin pouch. He cursed under his breath. *"Great, I'm broke, again."* He remembered the mana train he needed to catch and how he had no money for it. Worse yet, he hadn't eaten anything all day.

*"Why does this always happen to me? Can't the universe give me a break?"* he thought, rubbing his stomach, which growled in protest.

Shaking his head, Raja started moving down the alley, his mind still buzzing from the ring's power, when he suddenly heard shouting. His eyes darted to the side where a robbery was taking place. Two girls, their faces hidden by cloaks, were being cornered by a thug.

*This is bad news,* Raja thought. His instincts screamed that this situation was far above his current power level. He could feel the dark aura radiating from the robber. And he looks way musclar than him. *That guy's dangerous. Time to get out of here.*

Just as he started to walk away, the girls called out to him. "Help!" one of them cried.

Raja turned his head slightly but kept walking. *"Sorry, ladies. But this is way above my pay grade."*

Unfortunately, the robber's eyes landed on him. Seeing Raja's empty coin pouch, the thug sneered and decided he'd make an easy target. "You! Get over here little Brat!" the man snarled, using wind magic to pull Raja toward him.

Before Raja could react, he was yanked into the alley by the gust of wind, landing right in front of the robber. The two girls had already taken the chance to escape, leaving Raja alone with the thug.

Raja dusted himself off, trying to maintain his calm. "Look, man, I give you my money, okay? See?" He held up his empty pouch.

As the robber kept his eyes locked on the pouch in Raja's hand, Raja couldn't help but grin to himself. *"This guy really thinks I've got something."*

With the smoothness of someone who's used to bluffing his way through life, Raja tossed the pouch upward. The thief's gaze instinctively followed the pouch as it flew into the air. For a split second, his focus wavered, and that was all Raja needed.

In one swift movement, Raja delivered a well-aimed kick right between the robber's legs.

"Arghhh!" The thief's scream echoed through the alley as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his groin. "You... little brat!"

Raja grinned at the readers, his face smug. *"Sometimes, you don't need magic or fancy weapons. Just a well-placed kick to the jewels."*

Raja smirked down at him, hands on his hips. "Oldest trick in the book, buddy. Maybe next time, don't target someone who's just as broke as you." He turned toward the readers. *"Honestly, that guy was begging to get his balls crushed. Not my fault he's an idiot."*

Before Raja could slip away, a guard rushed over from the market. His armor clinked as he stopped in front of Raja, looking between him and the downed robber.

"What's going on here?" the guard—probably a low-ranking knight—asked, his stern gaze locking onto Raja.

Raja sighed dramatically. *"Really? Now I have to explain this?"* He turned to the guard, putting on his most innocent expression. "Sir, this man tried to rob me, but, uh, as you can see, things didn't exactly go his way."

The guard nodded as he knelt down, examining the groaning robber still curled up on the ground. "O Mother Earth, Damn, I see... you handled yourself well." He motioned for a few other guards to take the thief away in cuffs. "We'll be taking him to the cells. And as a reward for stopping him—"

He reached into his pouch and handed Raja **150 Silver Shillings**.

Raja blinked. *"Wait, seriously? This is amazing."* He quickly pocketed the coins before the guard could change his mind. Turning to the readers, he grinned. *"Guess the universe isn't *always* against me after all. Thanks, author. You are not idiot like I thought, I love you buddy."*

As Raja wandered through the bustling streets of the capital, the excitement of the city around him was palpable. The tall spires of the buildings and the grand architecture caught his attention. He hadn't really stopped to appreciate it before now, but there was something awe-inspiring about the kingdom's capital.

He strolled along, watching as merchants peddled their goods and knights patrolled the streets. Every corner seemed alive with energy.

As Raja roaming Skyward Market, his attention was caught by a pet shop tucked away in the corner of the alley. Something about the small, dark space seemed to call out to him, but the crying sounds from inside sealed the deal. Inside the shop, his eyes locked on a tiny black small wolf type dusk kit, curled up and trembling in its cage.

"Ah... This reminds me of my old dog back in the real world," Raja thought, an unexpected wave of nostalgia hitting him. He hadn't really felt like this since coming here. "Isn't it weird, how pets just... get us? No matter how messed up life is, In a world where friends can turn into foes, sometimes it's the unconditional love of a pet that brings the truest companionship."*

The shop owner—a pig clan member with a burly build and an impatient glare—grunted as he approached, his thick hands moving with practiced ease as he cleaned the cages. Raja approached the counter, pointing to the small, black wolf cub.

"That one?" The shopkeeper snorted. "He's cheap for a reason, boy. No one wants that one. It's black. Bad luck and all that. Poor thing's been sick for days, probably won't make it long."

Raja raised an eyebrow. "What is this, some kind of belief? Just because it's black?"

The pig clan shopkeeper shrugged. "That breed never bonds with humans anyway. If it wasn't for it sick health, most people just eat 'em. You're buying trash, boy."

Raja frowned, looking back at the small creature. *"Bad luck? Who cares? I bet, It's looks cool in future with its black fur."*. He said to readers. Raja was already hooked. He couldn't leave the poor thing to die

"How much?" Raja asked.

"90 Silver Shillings," the pig clan man grunted, clearly thinking the wolf wasn't worth much.

*"90 for a creature like this? Guess it's a steal."* Without hesitation, Raja handed over the shillings, his mind already made up. *"I know this little guy's probably on death's door, but I can't just leave him here. Sometimes you gotta bet on the underdog, right?"*

The shopkeeper laughed under his breath as he handed Raja the small cage with the wolf inside. "Don't say I didn't warn ya, boy. This wolf's trash. Won't even bond with you."

Raja ignored the man's cackling and took the small prison-like cage and the guide that came with it. The creature was sound asleep, breathing shallowly. *"No one ever gave me a chance either in my past life. I'll give you one, little guy."*

As Raja ignored the remark as he picked up the guide and read through it.

{**Shadow Fox**

- **Appearance**: A small, sleek black wolf with glowing purple eyes and dark, ethereal mist constantly swirling around its body. Its fur is soft and shimmers like shadows in moonlight. As it grows, its tail splits into multiple shadowy wisps, each tail representing increased mastery over shadow magic.

- **Abilities**:

- **Weak Form**: Can blend into shadows and release small bursts of shadow magic for defense. May create a brief shadow cloak for concealment.

- **Advanced Form**: Manipulates larger shadows, creates illusions, and summons shadow familiars or clones. Can create temporary portals through shadows.

- **Final Evolution**: Fully grown, the Shadow Fox can merge with its master's shadow and summon a "Shadow Realm" where time and space are distorted.

More skills are still unidentified till now}

Raja blinked. *"Wait... this thing can summon shadow portals? And it evolves into something even stronger?"* He smiled to himself, shaking his head. *"Looks like I might've just hit the jackpot. The shopkeeper has no idea what he's sitting on."*

But the shopkeeper's laughter pulled him out of his thoughts. "Don't get your hopes up, boy. I told you, that thing won't bond with anyone."

'is this guy sick or what? Repeating same time again?'

But the shopkeeper's words echoed in his mind. *"Won't bond with anyone, huh?"* Raja glanced at the sleeping wolf. *"We'll see about that."*

Raja continued through the market, stopping at a dwarven shop where he purchased a **Space Ring** for 50 Silver Shillings. It was a small, silver band that shimmered with magic, capable of storing large quantities of items in a pocket dimension. (2 large fridge can be fit in it)

Next, he visited an elven apothecary to stock up on potions. He exchanged 1,000 copper coins for 10 Silver Shillings, then spent another 220 copper coins on **5 D-rank Mana Recovery Potions** and **4 C-rank Healing Potions**.

"Not bad. With the rest of these shillings, I should be set for a while." He said looking at 780 coins.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting golden light over the streets, Raja finally made his way to the commoner's station. For **10 copper coins**, he boarded the mana train back to **Great Avalon Academy**.

As he boarded the mana train with his 10 copper coins, the Shadow Fox let out a tiny whimper in its sleep. Raja couldn't help but smile. "Guess it's just you and me, huh, buddy?"

To the readers, he muttered, "You know, there's something comforting about having a pet. They're not like people. They don't care about your status or your past mistakes. They're just there, loyal till the end. I don't know how this little guy will turn out, but... I think I made the right choice. After all, who knows? Maybe he'll be the key to something bigger."

With that, Raja leaned back, staring out at the passing city. The tall walls of the Hall of Champions loomed in the distance, he could only see the massive walls of the structure, but even that was enough to take his breath away. The arena was the grandest in the kingdom, where knights and warriors tested their strength, and where the most important duels and festivals took place.

The walls were taller than anything he'd seen before, dwarfing even the tallest man-made structures he could think of. *"How the hell did they even build something this massive?"* he thought, staring up at it in awe.

*"I can't believe this is where the OG main characters will fight in the duel competition later on. That's a pretty big event..."* Raja mused. *"If I remember correctly, it's supposed to happen soon... or maybe later? Damn, I really should've paid more attention to the timeline."*

Shaking his head, he sighed. *"Guess I'll have to wing it like always. But honestly, can you blame me? Who has the time to remember every single detail? If I had such memory power, than I would pass full marks in all exams."*

As he stepped off the train, his thoughts wandered. *"It's funny how everything's turning out... I've got a Shadow Fox that may or may not bond with me, a Space Ring, and just enough coins to survive."*

He looked down at the cage in his hand, the wolf inside stirring slightly. *"For now, I've got you to keep me company, little guy."*

Raja felt the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. His day had been long, but at least he wasn't heading back empty-handed. "Alright," he thought, glancing at the small creature in the cage, "i have more things to do."