If anyone broke their promise, the ring would break.

"Since you are stronger than me, this is the best contract we can do," Reina said while her eyes studied Alex's expression.

"The basis of a deal is trust. I prefer this kind of contract rather than one where life is on the line. It just means the other party cannot be trusted." Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Reina felt satisfied with his answer. "Keep this between us."

"No problem. You already wrote it in the contract anyway. If I tell anyone, you will know." Alex replied with a smile, then excused himself from the wagon.

Looking at his disappearing back, Reina's lips curled into a smile while she thought, 'He seems to be a capable man. I hope he really can help me find my mother.'

After Alex came out, Uncle Moria quickly interrogated him. Alex fed him some story that he had concocted with Reina before.

Moria thought Reina would try to scare Alex away, but hearing his news made Moria feel conflicted. Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-NovelFire.net

He felt relieved as this meant there was hope for his princess, but it was strange because this didn't feel like something Reina would do. Moria excused himself, then entered the wagon to reconfirm it with Reina.

Time passed, and the group then started making their way toward Midnight Clan territory.

In the wagon, Alex made small talk with each member to learn more about the situation without alerting them. He learned not everyone was from Midnight Clan. More than half of them were just mercenaries.

A rogue cultivator that banded together creating small groups that offered their service to the highest bidder.

They called this world the Jewel Realm. Compared to MingYue World, where humans had already carved out many safe zones from the beasts, in this realm, the majority of the area was still dangerous.

The situation was similar to Alex's world, only in this one it was always like this.

With the constant danger, people gathered together, creating clans. At first, they still preferred gathering with their own species, but as time passed and the danger kept growing, they started mingling together, then forgot about their differences.

'No wonder, as the danger is the same for everyone, they become united. Then, after some safe zones are carved, they will start having inner conflicts.

No matter where the world is, I guess being selfish is just part of sentient creatures,' Alex thought.

So far, he had met vampires, elves, dragari, goblins, felidaens, and fairies. Even though each of them had their own culture, in the end, they all had their own personal interests.

Just like in his world, those staying deep inside the safe zones, despite knowing the situation, still focused on their own needs, not caring about the people that were put at risk.

The same could be said to be happening in this Jewel Realm. After they had safe territories, instead of staying united to carve out more safe zones, they instead focused on their own benefit.

Those that got territory first kept growing stronger, while those stuck on the frontline had slower growth as they needed to constantly fight on the frontline.

They had their hands full just trying to survive.

Letting out a sigh, Alex looked forward, seeing a long queue of caravans. Some looked like merchants, others seemed like families moving, trying to get a better life.

When Reina's caravan arrived, they quickly followed a different path, bypassing all the queues.

No one complained, since this was normal to happen. They all could see the emblem carved on the wagon door.

Even though there was a possibility of someone faking it, there would be no one dumb enough to fake a Midnight Clan emblem then go straight to their main city.

Uncle Moria got down, then had some talk with the guard. The group then passed through the gate while some people in the queue felt some jealousy in their hearts, but there was nothing they could do.

The city appeared before Alex's eyes. It was bustling, filled with people moving around doing their activities. It was like he was seeing a city straight from the ancient cultivation world, but one filled with more than one species.

The architecture looked very similar to MingYue World but with some differences. It was mixed with the dragari culture.

The caravan kept moving forward toward the center area, a huge place surrounded in the middle of a lake.

To get across, normal people would need to use a boat. But as cultivators, the horses and wagons just passed by the river like it was land.

Alex understood they used some kind of array to do this, but it didn't make it any less mesmerizing or beautiful.

The lake was crystal clear, filled with large, colorful fish. 'They look like koi fish in my world, is this just a coincidence?'

This make him wonder does this fish exist in many world, or someone bring it to this world.

Alex then turned his gaze toward the main building, with a huge plate that read "Midnight."

He could see a group of people waiting for them. Seeing Moria's ugly expression, Alex deduced that the one waiting for them was one of their enemies.

'I wonder if this will be the same as what often happens in novels? They come to provoke Reina?

So it's like the female version of a young master,' Alex thought.

His eyes studied the group of people, analyzing their strength. Finding that none of them posed a risk to him, Alex felt relieved, his lips curling into a smirk, waiting to see what would happen.

Moria got down from his horse and said with a forced smile, "Greetings, Princess. What makes you go out of your way to wait for us here?"

"You jest, Uncle. Of course, I am coming out to greet my lovely sister.

Aunt has sacrificed a lot because of me; there is no way I would not put special concern for her only daughter."