NTR: Choice Based System
Chapter 259 - 259: First Shard world

Hell gave a dismissive flick of his tail and darted away towards the shadows of the surrounding trees, a streak of obsidian against the fading daylight.

Ye Yang watched him go for a moment, a faint frown touching his brow. Hell's disturbed emotions were unusual; the creature was typically supremely confident, even arrogant.

Something about the demon seemed to genuinely bother him. Shaking off the mild disquiet, Ye Yang turned and stepped through the gates, the stone sentinels now seeming to welcome him back into the fold of his own lineage.

A sense of weary relief washed over him as he walked the familiar paths. Despite the harrowing experiences he'd endured, this was home.

His thoughts immediately turned to his mother, Yu Mei. Months had passed since he'd last seen her, months filled with danger and isolation.

He yearned to see her face, to assure her he was safe, and to simply feel the comfort of her presence.

He altered his path slightly, heading directly towards his mother's more modest quarters within the sprawling complex.

As he neared the central courtyard, he saw two figures walking towards him from the opposite direction. One was tall and authoritative, his bearing instantly recognizable. It was the Clan Leader, Ye Wanshu.

The other figure was smaller, trailing slightly behind, with a timid posture. As they drew closer, the setting sun catching her features, Ye Yang's heart leaped. It was his mother.

"Mother!" Ye Yang called out, a rush of emotion surging through him. He quickened his pace, eager to embrace her.

Yu Mei's head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. A soft cry escaped her lips, a mixture of disbelief and profound relief, but before she could utter a word, the Clan Leader spoke, his voice carrying across the distance.

"Oh... isn't it Yang'er," Ye Wanshu said, a flicker of surprise in his own eyes, quickly replaced by a composed, albeit somewhat cool, expression. "You are back."

Ye Yang reached them and bowed respectfully to the Clan Leader. "Greetings, Clan Head. Yes, I have returned." He then turned to his mother, his gaze softening. "Mother, I'm back."

Yu Mei's eyes looked at her son while when she was about to speak and move towards him. But before she could fully embrace him, Ye Wanshu smoothly interjected again.

"Yang'er, we are discussing important things related to our journey for the Royal banquet, so if it's not important..." He didn't even finish the implied dismissal when Yu Mei spoke, her voice gentle but resolute, her gaze fixed on her son.

"Yang'er, I'll come to meet you after we are done here." Her eyes conveyed a silent message of reassurance and a promise of a proper reunion soon.

Ye Yang, his mind still somewhat reeling from the events of the past months and perhaps a little slow to pick up on the subtle tension between his, simply mother and Clan Head nodded.

He didn't find it particularly odd. His father was busy with clan matters, and he used to have these type of meetings with Grand Elder and other elders but now that he is in closed door cultivation and the banquet was a major event.

His mother, being his wife, would naturally be take his place , even if she usually kept a low profile. It seemed like a reasonable explanation at the time.

"Alright, Mother," Ye Yang replied, offering her another warm smile. "I'll be in my quarters. I'll wait for you there."

He bowed his head slightly to both of them again and turned, walking away towards his own section of the clan compound.

As he walked, the image of his mother's timid posture behind Clan Leader Ye Wanshu, the way the Clan Leader had subtly prevented her from speaking freely, played back in his mind.

Only now, removed from the immediate interaction and the overwhelming relief of seeing her safe, did a tiny seed of unease begin to sprout.

It had been a little strange, hadn't it? But he pushed the thought away. He couldn't thought if there can be something wrong between them and his mother would come to him soon.

He needed to clean up, rest, and mentally prepare himself for the complexities that awaited him, both within the clan and at the upcoming banquet.

He reached his quarters, the familiar scent of the room bringing a sense of anchoring stability. He closed the door behind him, the sounds of the clan fading away.

Lying on his bed, a wave of exhaustion finally catching up to him, Ye Yang decided to check the rewards he had earned from the system. The notification icon had been persistent. With a thought, he opened the system interface.

[Ding]

Rewards received:

First entry to a Shard World.

Special Shard World rewards.

He focused first on the "First entry to a Shard World." A detailed explanation materialized before him.

[Shard Worlds: The worlds of the past. There was a time when numerous worlds with vibrant civilizations were flourishing in the vast starry sky. However, because of wrong choices and the invasion of Demons from the Underworld, these worlds were corroded, eventually crumbling.]

[The Demons were searching for the World of Origin, a world that could stabilize their demonic power, one that would not crumble from their Demonic energy. But in the end, the worlds they stepped upon were broken. The gods, however, could not let this happen so easily, so they saved the shards of those worlds. In the future, those civilizations can potentially be revived again in this world.]

[Host can enter a Shard World anytime he wishes. The time flow in a Shard World will be faster than in the Host's current world.]

As he read the system's explanation, the chilling words of the Demon from the mountain immediately echoed in his mind.

This world... the World of Origin... The Demon had called it that, seeking a way to enter this world with its original body. The system's description of demons destroying worlds in search of the "World of Origin" sent a shiver down his spine. Was his world the one they were truly after?

He pushed the disturbing thought aside for the moment and focused on the second reward: "Special Shard World rewards."

[Special Shard World Rewards: Host can acquire one skill from the Shard World he travels to. To do this, Host must find the core Shard of that world and bring it back to your own world.]

Ye Yang was tempted by the idea of entering a new world. The promise of a skill and the potential for vital information about the demons and the "World of Origin" were powerful incentives.

But he knew that the Royal Banquet was near, a crucial event where he was assigned as an escort by his father. He couldn't afford to be gone for too long.

A practical question formed in his mind, and he voiced it internally to the system. "System, can I return before our journey to the Royal Palace begins?"

[Ding] The system's chime sounded in his mind, followed by a mechanical voice.

[Finding the easiest and smallest shard world for Host based on time constraint...]

[Loading...]

A new notification panel appeared, displaying information about a specific Shard World.

[World of Villains]

[Description: This world was one of the worlds which was destroyed even before Demons actually stepped into that world. It was a world filled with villains and civil war, which caused its crumbling. Demons only gave it a little push, as they already knew this world was not what they were finding.]

[Time Dilation: 1 year in the World of Villains is equal to 1 day in the Host's current world.]

[Time to save the world is exact seven years.]

[Do you wish to enter?]

Ye Yang's eyes widened slightly at the time dilation. A full year in that world would cost him only one day here.

That was more than enough time to explore, potentially find the core shard, acquire a skill, and return well before the banquet preparations began.

The description of the world as being filled with villains and civil war sounded dangerous, but after the months he had just spent fighting for survival, the prospect didn't seem entirely daunting.

It might even be a good place to hone his newfound abilities and gauge his strength. The crucial detail was the time. One day for one year... the possibilities were immense.