[The Next Day]
The air inside the house stirred, sending small objects floating around as waves of red and purple Qi filled the room. Elion glanced, bored, at Verion, who was deep in meditation. He sighed, feeling drained by the same repetitive routines. Life in this new world was peaceful, but that peace left him feeling unmotivated.
Elara, their mother, never took them down the mountain to explore the city. Maybe I should go by myself, he thought. There's still so much I don't know about this world. Even though he was only three years old here, he felt more than capable of taking care of himself if something happened.
He glanced again at his brother, still absorbed in training and drawing in Qi from the surrounding air. I could ask Verion to come with me, but he's always training. Besides, I'm tired of just sitting around here on this mountain. Going to the city doesn't sound so bad.
Sensing nearby negative emotions, Verion opened his eyes, noticing Elion's bored expression. He then decided to pause his training. "Elion, you wanna go to the city?"
"Hm?" Elion snapped out of his thoughts, but before he could answer, a system message—silent for three years for an unknown reason—suddenly appeared, hovering in the air.
[New Quest!]
[Head to the city and familiarize yourself with life in Murim!]
Seeing the long-absent system message brought a small smile to Elion's face. The mission didn't sound like anything serious, but he was more than happy to go along with it.
"Go to the city? Let's go!" He stood up with eager eyes, excited to see what life was like for people in this new world.
Verion sighed, a small smile crossing his face. "You remind me of myself when I first reincarnated here."
Just as they prepared to leave, Elara, who was home today, appeared in the doorway with her warm smile. "Going to the city? Let me come with you. I'll take you to my favorite restaurant."
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After a long walk-through steep valleys, dense forests, and fast-flowing rivers, they finally reached the small town where they were born. Standing at the edge of the town, Elion's eyes sparkled in awe while the system message hovered in the air.
[You have arrived in Grimford City.]
Rows of traditional Murim-style wooden buildings lined the streets, their roofs curving up with intricate dragon carvings at each corner. Red paper lanterns hung in front of several buildings, swaying gently in the breeze, casting a soft glow under the sunlight. The stone-paved streets echoed with the faint sound of footsteps as they and other townsfolk walked by.
"Wow…" Elion murmured, unable to take his eyes off the surroundings. It had been a long time since he'd seen a place so lively.
Elara smiled softly, watching her children with affection. "I'm sorry it's taken so long to bring you here, Elion, Verion," she said. "If you were with your father's family, you'd probably be happier."
Elion and Verion noticed the sadness in her face, the regret etched in her expression.
Father, huh? I'm not so sure about that…
After three years with Elara, Elion had come to accept her as his mother, even respecting her for the dangerous work she did to support them. But a father he had never met? He felt doubtful, remembering his father in his previous world had also left him.
"No, you did the right thing," Verion responded suddenly. "If you hadn't brought us here back then... with Murim's reputation, your life might've been a lot harder. Besides, I like the mountain."
Of course, Verion enjoyed it. He could train in peace up there, unlike Elion, who grew more restless each day. Still, he agreed with part of what Verion had said.
Hearing that, Elara smiled again. "Oh, my... really?" Her face brightened.
Without responding, her sons gave a small nod, moving ahead as they looked around, taking in the bustling surroundings.
The calls of vendors caught Elion's attention. Nearby, a man in a bamboo hat sold fresh vegetables, while another displayed glistening fish. Not far from them, a wooden cart creaked by, carrying crates of fresh fruit and goods. The main street grew busier, filled with people and occasional laughter spilling from a nearby tavern.
Verion leaned in, whispering, "Don't get too excited. You haven't seen the real Murim yet."
Elion chuckled, "Is that so?"
From behind them, Elara shook her head with a smile. "Oh, I nearly forgot to take you to my favorite restaurant."
They continued through the lively streets. The scent of food filled the air from the food stalls along the road. The rich aroma of broth and spices mingled with the sweet scent of freshly baked bread.
Nearby, a food vendor stirred a large pot of steaming soup, the aroma wafting up and making Elion's stomach growl.
"This is the place," Elara said, stopping at a kiosk with a few tables and chairs set around it.
Elion exchanged a look with Verion and murmured, "Is this what she means by a restaurant?"
Verion nodded, laughing. "Don't compare Murim to your modern world. Though you might find places like that in Arcana."
"Arcana?" Elion asked, looking up at the grand, upside-down structures suspended in the sky. "How would you even get there?"
"Through The Mirror, of course," Verion said, glancing up too. "It's the only way to Arcana."
"Really? Can't you just jump up there?"
Verion chuckled. "No, you can't because of the gravitational force. Murim and Arcana are two completely different worlds. That's why each has its own gravity."
"Ah, I get it now." Elion nodded, finding this world more and more fascinating. "But what exactly is The Mirror? A portal of some kind?"
"Exactly. The collision of Qi and Mana produced a portal known as 'The Mirror', which naturally created a dimensional rift connecting the two worlds."
Elion's eyes sparkled, his curiosity flaring. He clenched his fists in excitement, amazed by how unique this world was.
Soon, Elara returned with two small bowls of warm pork soup, handing them to Elion and Verion. "Here you go," she said, guiding them to a nearby table. "After such a long journey, you deserve this."
Elion accepted the bowl with a grateful smile, looking around once more. Amidst the bustling crowd that he used to dislike, he now felt a sense of peace —a feeling he could only find in a place this full of life.
"Thank you, Mother," he said, glancing at Elara with appreciation. "This soup looks really comforting."
"What a load of nonsense... you haven't even tried it yet," Verion muttered beside him, making Elion click his tongue in mild annoyance.
Not far away, the smell of alcohol wafted from a small tavern. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed from inside, while a few men, already tipsy, slapped each other on the back, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
BAM!
Suddenly, the laughter was cut off by the loud crash of a table and the shattering of a bottle, catching the attention of Elion, Verion, and Elara. They glanced over but went right back to sipping their soup.
"So, is this what you mean by the 'real Murim'?" Elion raised an eyebrow, sarcasm clear in his voice.
"Well, it's—"
CRASH!
Before Verion could answer, a man in a long white robe flew toward them. Reacting instantly, they quickly lifted their bowls to let him crash into and shatter their table before collapsing, unconscious, at their feet.
Without a flinch, they remained seated, glancing at each other.
"What I was about to say is that it's just part of life in Murim," Verion continued, nonchalantly sipping his soup.
"These things happen all the time here. Don't overthink it, Elion," Elara added, also sipping her soup.
Elion looked at them, amused, then decided to just go with it. A smile spread across his face as he took another sip from his bowl. I don't think I'll ever get bored in this world.
Soon after, a group of men, including a cocky-appearing young man in his twenties, emerged from the tavern while brushing the dust off their intricately ornamented gold robes.
The leader of the group, who had a handsome but smug face, lifted his chin, sneering at the unconscious man among the broken table pieces.
"Trash. How dare you lay a filthy hand on me?" he said coldly.
As he and his group prepared to leave, his gaze fell on Elara, who wore a simple pink hanfu, looking both lovely and alluring to his eyes.
"Elara!" he called, stepping toward her without hesitation. "I didn't expect to run into you in this dump after you left the Vossmer family three years ago."
His eyes shifted to Elion and Verion, who stared back intently. "Are these your children?"
"Kaelan…" Elara said softly, murmuring the name of the man standing near her.
Then, ignoring the annoying presence of Kaelan, Elara quickly stood up. "Elion, Verion, let's go. We're done here."
"Why the rush?" Kaelan's hand moved quickly, gripping Elara's shoulder, trying to stop her, his eyes filled with lust. "Since we haven't seen each other for a long time, you should keep me company for a drink."
Hearing this, Elara's face darkened. However, as she turned around, intending to confront his foolishness, she saw Verion place his hand beneath Kaelan's private parts.
"W-What?" Kaelan gasped, his face turning pale as he looked at Verion, who stared back at him with a terrifying gaze. "What is your son doing, Elara?"
In the next second, Verion clenched his fist, squeezing Kaelan's genitals tightly until they burst, causing blood to splatter over the white trousers Kaelan was wearing.
"AAARGGHHH!"
Kaelan screamed loudly as his genitals ruptured, blood running down his legs, his voice echoing across almost the entire city, making everyone turn and whisper.
Amidst the commotion, Verion shook the blood off his hand and coldly said, "Trash. How dare you lay your filthy hand on my mother?"