Chương 17: Feather Border

The towering stone walls of the border fortress loomed over the edge of the permafrost like the teeth of a sleeping titan. Built from massive blocks of weather-worn black granite, the fortress had stood against countless winters. Deep gouges scarred the outer walls where monstrous claws had struck over the years, while faded stains hinted at battles long forgotten beneath layers of crimson snow. High atop the battlements, several sentries watched the distant white horizon.

A young guard leaned over the parapet and adjusted a polished brass looking glass.

"... Captain." The older officer walked over.

"What is it?"

"They're coming from the south." The captain frowned.

"South?"

"The Frost Expanse." The captain snatched the telescope. Five figures were walking toward the fortress. His expression immediately darkened.

"Impossible..." Nobody crossed the Frost Expanse on foot, through the blizzards and the demon beasts. And certainly not from the deepest parts where the territorial monsters hunted. He lowered the telescope.

"Open the side gate." The younger guard blinked.

"... Sir?"

"I said open it." The captain's eyes never left the approaching silhouettes.

"Interception squad." A dozen armored soldiers immediately assembled.

"We meet them outside the walls. If they made it through the Expanse..." His hand slowly rested on the pommel of his sword, "... we treat them as an unknown threat until proven otherwise." The heavy iron side gate groaned open. A disciplined wedge of soldiers marched out with their spears lowered but not aimed. Leon quietly observed their formation. It was professional, with no wasted movement, and their spacing left almost no blind spots.

"Guys, don't overshare and just follow my lead," he whispered. The group nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. His eyes drifted from their equipment to something else. Each of the male soldiers possessed a single iridescent silver feather growing naturally near the left side of the chest, directly over the heart. It wasn't attached to the armor; it grew from the body itself.

The women were different; as two female soldiers shifted position, Leon noticed matching silver feathers emerging between their shoulder blades instead. He stored the information away.

"Halt!" The captain raised a hand, and the five survivors stopped.

"No civilian routes pass through the Frost Expanse. Identify yourselves. How did you appear here?" Leon hesitated for a second then said, "We don't really remember. We somehow appeared here, but our memories are foggy." The deputy leaned close, whispering to the captain, "Do you think they got touched by the Night Guest?" Leon nodded thoughtfully.

"Maayyybe... That does seem to ring a bell. I can't say for sure, though." The others started to copy Leon, pretending to vaguely remember something. One of the younger soldiers noticed Leon's gaze lingering for a brief moment and smirked.

"Never seen a Feather before, outsider?" Before Leon could answer, Miller leaned forward curiously.

"... Feather?" The guard puffed out his chest proudly.

"That's right."

"So... what's with the feather?" An older veteran chuckled.

"Long story." The captain sighed.

"You can tell stories after they're inside." His attention returned to Leon.

"Standard inspection first." He nodded toward the gate.

"Bring out the Soul Observer." An elderly man dressed in flowing ash-gray robes slowly emerged. His pace was leisurely and his expression was almost bored; this was routine. For nearly a century he had inspected travelers entering the frontier—cultists, bandits, and demons wearing human skin—until eventually, every soul began to look the same. He took notice of the bizarre, non-native apparel but didn't care that much. He stopped before Davis. Blue spiritual light flowed from his fingertips. Normal.

Next was Maya—fear and fatigue, but normal. Adrian was rigid and disciplined, yet normal. Ethan showed an old spinal trauma that was recently healed, which was interesting, but he was still harmless. Finally, he reached Leon. The blue light touched his chest. Nothing happened. The old man frowned, increasing the flow of spiritual energy, but there was still nothing. It was impossible; every soul reacted. He focused harder, and the blue radiance intensified until Leon's entire body shimmered beneath it.

Then, the observer froze. His breathing stopped, his pupils shrank to pinpoints, and the light around Leon collapsed instantly.

"... No..." His legs nearly gave out. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. To his spiritual sight, ordinary souls resembled perfect spheres of light. Leon's soul looked like shattered porcelain, with thousands upon thousands of microscopic fractures spreading across every inch of it. Every crack leaked a faint black mist, and the entire structure looked as though one more vibration would reduce it to dust.

According to every law of common sense, it should have dispersed years ago. His lips trembled as he staggered backward.

"Impossible... Your soul..." His finger shook violently.

"It should have dissipated long ago.... How..." His voice cracked.

"... are you still alive?" Leon glanced down at himself, then back at the old man.

"If you ever figure it out..." A faint smile appeared.

"... I'd appreciate hearing it." The observer simply stared. He searched desperately for corruption, possession, demonic influence, or anything at all, but there was nothing. There was only an impossibly broken soul that somehow continued existing. After a long silence, he slowly lowered his hands.

"They're clean." The captain relaxed slightly.

"Open the gate." As Leon's group walked inside, the observer quietly beckoned his youngest disciple.

"Keep an eye on the analytical one." The disciple blinked.

"Is he dangerous?"

"... No.... But I don't understand him." The old man's eyes remained fixed on Leon.

"And that frightens me more." Warmth hit them. Compared to the frozen wasteland, the frontier settlement felt almost tropical. Wood smoke drifted through the streets, blacksmiths hammered damaged armor back into shape, merchants loudly argued over demon beast materials, and supply wagons rumbled between barracks. This was life—real civilization. Maya quietly walked beside Leon.

"... Does it hurt?" Leon kept looking ahead.

"Only when I'm awake." Silence stretched between them before he added, "In any case, the injury to my body is more devastating. I'm semi-crippled, but you can't see it with your current vision. Haaaaah.... Life is unexpected." She waited, but nothing more came. She nodded.

"... Okay." Nobody asked again. Leon immediately walked toward the nearest military logistics station. The quartermaster barely looked up before Leon began asking questions: "What are the nearest major sects? Can outsiders join them? What are monster materials worth? Is there a regional map? Which territories are considered safest?" The clerk blinked several times while trying to keep up. Beside Leon, Maya stared.

"... We almost died an hour ago."

"Correct."

"And you're already planning where to go next?" Leon traced one of the roads across the map, tapping the parchment.

"The sooner we know where we're going... the less likely we are to die before getting there. Besides, we're in a new world without any money. We need food and shelter, and a way to make money. I'll have to remind you that we are software engineers in a world that doesn't have computers. Our skillset is beyond useless in this world." Maya considered that.

"... I see." Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed across the settlement: "BODY! IMPROVEMENT!!!" Hundreds of voices answered together, "FIGHT ON! FIGHT ON! FIGHT ON!" Curious, the group approached the enormous training grounds. Rows upon rows of muscular warriors drilled beneath the open sky, their commander standing at the front like a living fortress.

"BODY!! IMPROVEMENT!!!"

"FIGHT ON! FIGHT ON! FIGHT ON!" The atmosphere was infectious, causing Davis's eyes to sparkle.

"... Hell yeah." Before anyone could react, he dramatically took his shirt off and grabbed what remained of Leon's ruined shirt. Leon instinctively reached out.

"Wait—" With a loud rip, the already damaged fabric split completely apart. Davis blinked, then looked down at his now completely exposed torso. His surprisingly well-built physique gleamed beneath the afternoon light. Maya coughed awkwardly and immediately looked away. Davis started flexing and posing.

"Still got it." Leon laughed and flexed too.

"... Of course we do." Several nearby soldiers burst into laughter.

"A lively group!" A booming voice interrupted them as the training lines parted, and a towering armored general approached. His exposed chest revealed a magnificent silver feather larger than anyone else's, and he looked over the newcomers with clear approval.

"So," he grinned, his smile widening, "you're the ones who crossed the Frost Expanse—the ones who survived the Night Guest encounter. I like that. The frontier needs people like you." He spread his arms toward the training grounds.

"Join the border army. There is no better place for warriors." He snorted.

"As for Immortal Cultivators..." The soldiers immediately started grinning.

"They are a bunch of pale scholars hiding behind mountain sects." Laughter spread through the crowd.

"You ask one to kill a beast," the general raised one thick finger, "and he'll spend three hours calculating the optimal heavenly alignment first." The training grounds erupted with agreement.

"You ask him to lift a boulder? He won't. He'll write you a poem about overcoming it spiritually." Even Leon's lips twitched slightly. The general slammed a fist against his own chest.

"Body Refinement is different. We become stronger through Bloodline Gathering. When a demon beast dies, its blood essence can be refined into Spirit Blood." He held out his palm as if framing an imaginary orb.

"That Spirit Blood is injected directly into the heart. It doesn't replace your blood; it nourishes your own bloodline. The stronger your bloodline becomes, the stronger the beast essences your body can withstand. Then you nourish it again, and again. It is strength earned through battle and survival—not by sitting cross-legged staring at the moon." Davis looked completely convinced.

"... I love this place." The others exchanged glances. Protection, food, information, and resources were all necessary, so for now, joining made sense. One by one, they nodded. The general laughed loudly.

"Excellent! Welcome to the Vanguard!" He turned to leave, tossing a final remark over his shoulder.

"Rest well. Tomorrow... you'll kill your first demon beast." Leon answered calmly, "Already did." The general barked out a laugh.

"I like confidence!" He turned around, already walking away. Then Davis casually added, "... Twice." The general stopped in his tracks.

"... What?" Davis scratched the back of his neck.

"He killed two." Silence fell over the area. The general slowly turned back toward Leon, then toward Davis, then back again. A heartbeat later—"Hahahahahaha!" His booming laughter echoed across the entire training ground.

"That's a good one!" Nearby soldiers immediately joined in.

"These recruits are hilarious!"

"Two beasts! Without weapons at that!"

"I like them already!" Only Leon's companions remained completely expressionless. Not one of them laughed because every single word Davis had spoken was true.