Inside a cave, in a humble abode constructed of thatched wood, the crackling fire in the stone stove cast dancing shadows across the wooden walls, while the faint echo of water dripping in the distance could be heard.
On a thatched bed lay a handsome young man 175 cm tall, dressed in a simple black robe with long black hair reaching his back. Beside him was a cute little girl who seemed like she was five years old, dressed in a simple white and brown robe with a twin-tail hairstyle and a chubby face.
James awoke from his slumber, his purple eyes fluttering open to the scene of an unfamiliar place.
'Huh? Where is this? Did I really die because of those brainless bastards?' James thought to himself.
A second later, memories rushed into his mind.
"So, I was reincarnated in this body. But all I remember from this life is the experience I had with my little sister. What the hell is going on?" James murmured to himself, bewildered by his circumstances.
The fact that he had just died wasn't his main concern. Because he didn't have any family members in his previous life since he was an orphan who had never married, despite being in his mid-30s and wealthy, with a business income of eight digits each year.
Aside from having his luxurious lifestyle taken away, there was nothing noteworthy that made him regret his death.
Fortunately, he had left a will of death stating that if he died before starting a family, his assets would be distributed to orphans, as he had previously been one himself.
James quickly collected his thoughts and looked at his surroundings. Beside him lay the small figure of his little sister, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm of sleep. Recognition dawned in his gaze as he beheld Minji, her cherubic face peaceful in repose.
He felt a sense of isolation and wondered how they had ended up here. His mind was filled with questions, but he couldn't find any answers.
His memory was weird, faces and places were blurred, and he felt that his memory was incomplete. However, he still remembered some of the experiences he had in this second life, even though it was only his experience with her little sister.
Naturally, his memory of his first life was still there, and there was nothing wrong with it.
After contemplating his memory for a while, a vague memory tugged at the edges of his consciousness; a hazy figure, shrouded in mist, warned him of the dangers that lurked beyond the cave's mouth, cautioning him to only trust in his sister and only venturing out into the outside world after he turned 18 years old.
Quietly extricating himself from the bed, James's gaze landed on a table, and two mismatched chairs stood vigil in the center of the cozy space.
There were a few items on the table, including a gorgeous black longsword that seemed out of place in the rusty setting.
Sensing the unfamiliarity of his surroundings, James decided to investigate alone and not wake his little sister first.
With cautious steps, he picked up the sword. His hand brushed over the cool hilt of a sword, the golden line on the edge of the cross-guard, as well as the gold color on the locket and chape of the scabbard, enhanced the weapon's beauty.
Subsequently, he unsheathed the sword and looked at the blade.
The firelight was glinting on the blade, more precisely at the double golden line in the middle of the blade.
With a resolute nod, he grasped the weapon, its weight a comforting presence in his grip.
He then stepped outside the house and saw the cave's interior, which gave way to a surreal sight. Luminescent crystal adorned the ceiling, casting a gentle glow over a tranquil pond.
Sensing no immediate threat, he searched everywhere in the cave to find something to eat.
After searching for a bit in the cave and finding nothing, James proceeded towards the pond in the hope of finding a fish.
However, when he arrived at the pond and looked at the reflection of the water, he was surprised, as he didn't have any memory about his appearance in this second life.
His appearance when he looked at the pond was that of a young man with a handsome face and deep, gorgeous purple eyes. His nose was straight and well-defined, his eyebrows were sharp like swords, his lips were thin, and his long hair that reached his back made him look like he was a young immortal in the martial arts world.
After feeling satisfied looking at his appearance, James decided to go back to the house and wake up his little sister to inform her of the situation they were in, since he didn't find a single fish in the pond either.
After that, he would go outside for a while to find something to eat.
Walking inside the house, James saw Minji still resting on the bed. Gently sitting beside her, he softly caressed her face.
"Minji, my lovely little princess, wake up..."
Minji opened her eyes when she felt someone calling her and caressing her face.
James saw the gorgeous purple eyes that were similar to his in Minji's eyes, as well as the perplexity on her face.
"Huh, where is this?"
Her eyes widened in fear as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Minji was confused, sat on the bed, and her eyes widened in fear as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
She even forgot that her big brother was beside her and got scared right away, her big teary eyes were about to cry.
James noticed that his cute little sister was afraid and started to cry.
So, he immediately pulled her into a comforting hug, reassuring her that his big brother was here with her.
"It's okay, Minji. Don't cry, Big Brother is here with you."
"Wahhhhh... Big Brother, where are we right now? Minji is scared." Minji cried in the embrace of her brother and asked him.
While patting her back, James told her the circumstances they were in. Knowing the situation they were in, Minji's tears subsided slightly as she looked up at him with a pleading expression.
"Brother, can I follow you along?"
James looked at her little sister's cute face and her swollen eyes, patted her head, and said it with a serious expression.
"No, the outside world is still unknown and could be dangerous. We don't even know the situation in the outside world. Besides, I just want to find food for us, and I promise I'll be back soon."
"You promise?" Minji asked.
"Of course, don't worry. Your brother is strong." James replied with a smile.
"Okay, pinky promise then." Minji extended her little hand and made a pinky promise gesture.
James smiled, responding to her pinky promise. They intertwined their pinkies, sharing a moment of sibling connection before James ventured out to find food.
After that, he went to a big hole around 70 cm that he had found earlier when he was searching for food.
James crawled into the hole and discovered some faint lights. Realizing that the hole's exit to the outside was obscured by some bushes, he poked the bushes with the sword, worried that there would be a snake or something that could harm him.
After poking around for a while and ensuring that there was no suspicious movement in the bushes, he decided to make his way out of the bushes and stepped out into the valley and the forest's embrace.
James emerged from the cave, the forest stretching out before him, his eyes squinting against the bright sunlight that filtered through the leafy canopy above.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, James tightened his grasp on the sword and looked around his surroundings.
He was quite nervous as he looked at his surroundings, afraid that a dangerous animal would ambush him.
However, with Minji waiting for him in the cave, he resolved to explore his new reality.
When James gathered his bearings, the distant rumble of a great beast echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down his spine and hinting at the dangers lurking in this unknown place.
Only after he had gathered enough courage to venture into the unknown, he cautiously walked into the forest while looking at the surroundings to find any edible plants or animals to hunt.
James walked around the exit of the cave and found nothing. So he decided to search further deep into the forest.
As James cautiously walked deeper into the forest, his stomach growled, reminding him of the task at hand: to find food for his little sister and himself.
James searched high and low, hoping to stumble upon some edible plants or a small animal to hunt. He didn't truly know the plants here, since the plants didn't seem to be the same as those on Earth.
As well as the fact that James couldn't afford to try eating a plant to test if it was edible or not, since it could be poisonous or have any side effects that could harm him. That's why James tried to find any animals, but luck was not on his side.
Feeling disappointed, James decided to search further, and to his surprise, he spotted a big animal about 25 meters ahead.
It was a brownish-black wild boar, about 1.5 meters tall, and its body was covered sparsely with stiff bristle hairs and a fine undercoat. Its most noticeable characteristic was the exceptionally huge 50-cm tusks protruding from its mouth.