Ronan Kai was a seventeen-year-old youth, working hard to give his poor family a comfortable life—free from pain, free from the constant hardship of labor, and free from the never-ending worries about the future.
For that, he trained tirelessly. The only times he rested were because he had to. The only times he slept were because he needed to. Otherwise, he was training, hoping to reach the Genesis Stage.
At sixteen, he was given the green light to train his body using a breathing method that could unlock his hidden potential—allowing him to strengthen his blood, organs, muscles, bones, and skin.
Now, at seventeen, he had reached the 9th Stage of Genesis. Reaching the 9th Stage at his age meant he was a genius, and because of that, he received all his cultivation resources from the school.
Ronan was grateful that Heaven Prime had a policy ensuring that students received resources according to their talent. And since humanity faced a constant threat from monsters, people loved to see the rise of geniuses.
Of course, there were some who thought differently, but the majority respected and supported talented individuals. Heaven Prime—the last refuge of humanity—was doing its best to cultivate strong warriors to fight for survival.
Ronan was a genius, and because of that, he had been selected for a program called Zero. He had no idea what this program was, but he knew one thing: if he succeeded, he could return home and move his family away from poverty.
So, he was excited and happy.
But...
He raised his axe and swung it down.
He was in the forest, cutting trees. The sky above was blue, scattered with white clouds, and the fresh breeze carried the scent of nature. Despite chopping down fifty trees, he wasn't even sweating.
"Ray, that's enough... We don't need any more," a middle-aged man approached, laughing. "Haha, for a kid, you're way too strong, aren't you?"
The man was covered in sweat, wearing only a rag around his lower body. His muscular frame flexed as he patted Ronan on the shoulder.
"Uncle... I'm happy to help," Ronan replied with a smile.
"Haha, I'm happy too! You just did three days' worth of work in a single day. Now I can finally get some rest."
The middle-aged man laughed heartily, looking at the massive pile of trunks that had been chopped down.
"Ray, let's start carrying them back. We'll have to make several trips," he said, lifting an entire trunk as if it weighed nothing.
Ronan, who had suddenly found himself in this unfamiliar world, didn't understand much. The only thing he knew was that this kind man had found him unconscious and taken him in.
The man had offered him food and a place to stay in exchange for work—until he was strong enough to stand on his own.
Of course, Ronan had made up the story that he lost his memories.
Carrying a trunk on his shoulder, Ronan followed the middle-aged man down the mountain. As they descended, he saw a settlement below—a village made up of simple tent-like homes built from packed earth.
Many people moved around, busy with daily tasks.
He noticed that most of the men wore only simple cloths around their waists, their muscular chests exposed.
But what shocked him the most…
Were the women.
All of them had tanned skin and athletic figures—not overly muscular, but strong and well-toned. Like the men, they also wore simple cloths, covering only their lower bodies and chests, leaving their stomachs, legs, and arms exposed.
It wasn't just a few women—every woman in the village dressed this way.
And surprisingly, most of them were attractive—not overwhelmingly beautiful, but definitely charming.
If any one of them became his girlfriend, Ronan would be thrilled.
However, there was one thing that shattered his fantasy…
It was normal for men to have body hair. But here, even the women had noticeable body hair—something he had never seen before. At first, he thought it was just an exception, but now, he realized…
It was common in this world.
Shaking off his thoughts, he followed the middle-aged man—Zyrris—who greeted a few villagers along the way before arriving at a small house.
Outside, two women were chopping logs into smaller pieces.
"Noctis, here are two more trunks," Zyrris said, placing the heavy logs down before turning to Ronan. "Put yours here too."
Ronan followed suit.
One of the women, a stunning woman with long black hair and piercing green eyes, glanced at him.
"Who is he?" she asked.
She was wearing only a thin, silk-like cloth wrapped around her chest and lower body—exposing everything from her mid-thighs to her legs.
She was one of the most beautiful women Ronan had ever seen.
Beside her stood a younger girl, about his age. Like the older woman, she was also beautiful—but what caught Ronan's attention was that her skin was smooth, unlike the other women in the village.
"He's a poor boy I found unconscious in the forest," Zyrris explained. "When he woke up, he seemed to have lost his memories. Since he looks strong, I thought I'd let him work and stay with us until he can fend for himself."
"Oh..." Noctis nodded, then smiled sweetly at Ronan.
"My name is Noctis. I'm his companion," she said, looking him over curiously.
Ronan stood out from the villagers.
His skin was noticeably lighter than theirs, and he was fully clothed—covering his entire body.
Noctis had heard that people from the city dressed this way. They were pale because they didn't work under the sun. However, she also heard that city people were weak.
But Ronan…
Just by looking at him, she could tell he was strong.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling stirred in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
"Boy, you're welcome to stay with us," she said. "We only have this small house, so you'll have to adjust."
Ronan nodded and respectfully bowed.
"Thank you, miss... I'm grateful for your kindness. If it weren't for you, I might have been lost… or worse."
His gratitude was genuine.
And in the days to come, he would grow even more grateful for meeting this family.