Sanctuary: Safe Haven

A low growl grumbled through the air, jolting Canna awake. Somehow, his instincts were screaming for danger while he was asleep; he turned to see a pair of glowing eyes staring at him from the shadows.

Emerging from the darkness was a monstrous creature, a medium-ranking alpha beast known as a Skarok. It stood on four powerful legs, its body covered in thick, armored scales. Its eyes glowed with an ominous red light, and its fangs were as long as daggers.

Canna quickly drew his twin daggers, the blades glinting in the dimly lit place. He knew this creature was dangerous; unlike the feeling he had when facing the trolls or goblins, this creature emitted an aura that everything around him was prey, only for him to be played with and killed after.

The Skarok lunged at him with a speed that contradicted its size. Canna wasn't even able to check the creature's status before hastily rolling to the side, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. He sprang to his feet and slashed at the beast's flank with his daggers, but his blades barely scratched its armored hide.

The Skarok roared in fury, swinging its massive tail towards Canna. He ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the tail whipped past his head. He knew he had to find a weak spot, something the armor didn't cover.

Canna exchanged blows with the Skarok, keeping his movements fluid and unpredictable. He remembered Mortem's teachings: patience and precision. The Skarok charged again, and this time, Canna waited until the last moment before diving beneath its belly. He thrust his daggers upward, aiming for the softer underbelly.

The blades pierced through, and the Skarok let out a loud howl of pain. It reared back, giving Canna the opportunity to strike again. He dodged its flailing limbs and delivered another powerful blow to its underbelly, widening the wound.

The Skarok's movements grew sluggish, its strength waning as blood poured from the wound. Canna pressed his advantage, landing blow after blow with unrelenting precision. He summoned the wind, directing a powerful gust to knock the beast off balance, and followed up with a torrent of water that surged from his hands, crashing into the Skarok and pushing it back.

With the beast disoriented, Canna moved in for the kill. He leaped onto its back, driving his daggers into its neck with all his might while raining its vital parts with water arrows. The Skarok thrashed violently, but Canna held on, his grip unyielding. With a final, desperate effort, he twisted the blades, severing the beast's spine.

The Skarok collapsed to the ground, its body twitching in its death throes. Canna stood over it, his chest heaving with exertion. He had done it. He had emerged victorious.

He looks to his left and sees Mortem trapped in a barrier spell. He can feel in their connection that Mortem was angry and fuming, but most of all, he was worried. Canna put two and two together and sighed; the dragon was testing him again; he unsummoned his daggers and went to Tonitrum to ask what was all of this for, but in his head, he already had an idea.

Tonitrum chucked, making the place vibrate; the Skarok was the first dungeon boss anyone would encounter. It would usually take three to four people to bring it down due to its hide that was already comparable to an intermediate-rating monster, yet Canna had killed it in less than 3 minutes.

"You have done good; in reward of your hard work, I'll hand you this book."

Tonitrum unseals Mortem, who used a spell to be back at Canna's side instantly, and uses a healing spell on Canna. Meanwhile, Tonitrum summons the red portal; he can hear the undead's ramblings about sealing him in the barrier but pays it no heed; after a few minutes, a large book floats out of the portal and lands down in front of Canna, the book was huge almost as big as Canna."

"Not a book, you idiot; it's a codex. Drop your blood into it and bind it to you."

Canna stared at the dragon and sighed. After this, he decided to talk to Tonitrum. The only thing keeping him sane right now was getting a good sleep after every exhausting day, and if that got taken away, then he would have to force himself to get injured gravely. In that way, he could get the rest he so desired.

He then looked at the codex in front of him and was shocked.

[Codex Sylvatica]

Rank: Legendary

Item Description: Bound in weathered leather and adorned with intricate carvings of woodland scenes, the codex contains detailed accounts of rare plants, elusive creatures, and ancient trees of Sepra.

This item is soul-bound, cannot be transferred to a different user, and can only be unequipped if the user dies.

Mortem sensed something weird for the first time. He was feeling a turmoil of emotions: happiness, shock, awe, surprise, and bewilderment—all feelings that he was only getting for the third time. The first time was meeting his master, and he was praising him second, yet this emotion wasn't him. He looked at his master with questioning eyes.

Canna's face was blank as a sheet, yet his head was filled with so many ideas that he feared it would burst. Having this codex with him would be a complete life-changer!

His knees collapsed, and slowly, his body started to fall; seeing this, Mortem hurriedly checked his main, and he shook him roughly while shouting words like "Hold on, master!"

Meanwhile, Tonitrum looked at this comical scene. He gave this codex because Canna was working hard, and he decided to reward him for that. He just didn't expect that the child would be so happy that he would pass out. Even while asleep, Canna had a stupid smile on his face.

Now, he would have to do the same thing he has been doing for hundreds of years: wait, wait, and see how this child would entertain him further after it wakes up.

That night, Canna dreamed about his parents. They shared stories of their lives before he was born—childhood adventures, dreams pursued, and challenges overcome. That night, Canna had the best sleep since he had arrived in this world.