After carrying all the logs back to the house, Noctis called him for dinner. Ronan looked up and saw that the sky was dark, filled with countless sparkling stars.
He had never seen such a beautiful night sky before. He remembered hearing in school that before the monster invasion, before the age of technology and the industrial revolution, the sky used to look breathtaking. However, pollution and technological advancements had tainted the atmosphere, making it impossible to witness such beauty anymore. Then, the monster invasion happened, further polluting the Earth.
Ronan smiled. Seeing this beautiful sky calmed him, easing the uneasiness of being in this new world. His anxiety faded slightly.
"Ray? Come in," the younger girl called out.
Ronan turned and nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming." He stepped into the house. Since he had claimed to have no memories, Zyrris had started calling him Ray. He had mentioned that he once wanted to give this name to his son, then sighed with regret.
Ronan didn't understand what had happened, but it seemed that Zyrris might have lost his son at birth. Whatever the case, in this world, he was now known as Ray.
Noctis held three earthen bowls and scooped rice from a large clay pot, placing a portion into each bowl before handing them to Zyrris and Ronan.
"We don't usually have guests, so we never bothered buying extra bowls," Zyrris said as he grabbed a small portion of rice with his hand and ate it. "This is Elvana's bowl… We'll buy another one when the merchants arrive. You can use it until then."
Ronan nodded and ate with his hands as well. He ended up eating three bowls of rice, his appetite still large as a warrior at the Genesis Stage. However, to his surprise, Zyrris, Noctis, and their daughter Elvana ate four bowls each. Noctis and Elvana even shared a single bowl.
He hadn't expected their appetites to be even bigger than his. Normally, he could easily eat six or seven bowls of rice, yet tonight, he was only able to manage three. Not only that, but the rice looked completely normal—nothing special. However, the moment he ate it, he felt a strange energy circulating through his body, making him stronger.
This had never happened before, so he grew curious. After finishing his meal, he made an excuse about needing to relieve himself and stepped outside.
Finding a secluded spot where no one could see him, he sat down and performed a breathing technique. Immediately, he noticed something unusual—the air of this world wasn't just fresh, it was different. It made him feel incredibly comfortable and energized. If he continued absorbing it, he was certain that within just three days, he could break through to the Ascension Stage.
That realization made him want to continue cultivating, but he stopped and focused instead on the strange energy he had felt from the rice. After a while, he understood—the rice contained the same energy that was present in the air.
So, the air of this world was imbued with some sort of special energy, which in turn affected everything that grew here. Even though the rice looked ordinary, it was actually infused with this energy, making it extraordinary.
After figuring this out, Ronan stood up and headed back to Zyrris's house. Inside, he saw them laying out a soft fur mattress.
"Um... Ronan, where do you want to sleep?" Zyrris asked.
"Where? Isn't this the only place?" Ronan replied, confused.
"He means, do you want to sleep beside me, Elvana, or Zyrris?" Noctis explained. "At night, it gets extremely cold, so we use fur blankets. But we only have two… So you'll have to squeeze in with someone. To be honest, with your build and Zyrris's, it would be uncomfortable for you two to share. If you don't mind, you can sleep with me or Elvana."
Ronan understood and looked at Zyrris.
"I think that's a good idea. If we sleep together, it'll be too cramped," Zyrris said.
However, Ronan was now wondering—why didn't Zyrris mind letting a stranger sleep beside his wife or daughter? Wait a minute… He suddenly remembered that when Noctis introduced Zyrris, she had called him her companion, not her husband. Yet, they had a daughter. At first, he had assumed "companion" meant "wife," but now, he wasn't so sure. Maybe it meant something else in this world.
"Then…" Ronan looked at Elvana. "If you're okay with it, I'd like to sleep with you."
"It's fine," Elvana said, picking up one of the fur blankets. She yawned. "But please don't move around too much during the night."
Ronan nodded, and they squeezed together under the blanket.
"Hold me tightly around the waist, and—" As they lay down, Elvana took his arm and wrapped it around her waist. She turned to face him, draping her own arm over his back and pulling him into a hug. Pressing her face into his neck, she murmured, "Hold on tightly… Don't underestimate the cold at night. Even with a fur blanket, it's tough."
Ronan hesitated, unsure what to do. It felt uncomfortable. He had never been this close to a girl before—his life had been filled with constant training. But now, sleeping in such close contact made him feel awkward, along with a heat he hadn't experienced before.
Taking a deep breath, he hugged Elvana and closed his eyes, suppressing the strange warmth in his body. He focused on his breathing technique, using it to calm himself down and fall asleep.
And so, Ronan's first night in this world was spent with a girl wrapped in his arms.