The environment of this Secret Realm closely resembled that of the Kurta Clan's Secret Realm on the Six Continents.
The edges of the Secret Realm were primarily forested, while the central region was a vast grassland.
The Kurta Clan mainly lived on the grasslands, alongside the ubiquitous animals and semicircular houses.
It somewhat resembled the nomadic tribes on Blue Star.
The clothing people wore was also quite uniform, mostly the same style of robes.
Many cast curious glances, particularly at Akira.
After all, Akira's attire immediately marked him as an outsider, whereas Kurapika blended in seamlessly.
However, upon seeing the search team accompanying Akira, they quickly relaxed and returned to their tasks.
Overall, this place gave Akira the impression of a self-sufficient, idyllic world where men farmed and women wove.
Yet, because the outside world was the Dark Continent, there were also many strange and peculiar things here.
For example, the [Swiftfoot Bird], or the odd plants they cultivated… all sourced from the outside world.
Soon, Enke and his group led Akira and the other two to a relatively large house.
This was the residence of their clan's Elder, also the oldest living member of their tribe.
He was over 160 years old and held the highest status within the clan, earning deep respect from everyone.
Enke had come to report on the movements outside and to bring Kurapika before the Elder.
Until now, Enke and the others still believed Kurapika was a lost member of their clan.
They had no idea that another branch of their people existed on a distant island in the middle of a lake.
Though the house was somewhat spacious, the interior was rather empty, with no elaborate decorations, giving it a simple and unadorned feel.
The floor was covered with a furry rug, seemingly made from the hide of some creature.
Inside the house stood a desk piled with documents and a quill made from the feathers of some bird or beast.
Apart from these, the most eye-catching features were two full bookshelves.
They were packed with numerous books bound in animal leather.
An elderly man sat at the desk, bent over his work.
The old man had graying hair and a thick white beard, though unlike Netero's distinctive hooked mustache, his beard was bushy and full.
Beyond his hair and beard, his eyebrows were also white and long, drooping down the sides of his face.
He carried an air reminiscent of the wise and immortal elders often seen in wuxia dramas.
The Elder looked up, revealing a kindly face that instantly gave off a warm and approachable impression.
He wore a simple, loose robe that draped all the way down to his ankles, covering him completely.
"Ah, Enke, how are things outside?"
A slightly hoarse voice spoke up.
Enke nodded slightly and replied earnestly, "From what we can see, the external threats have been eliminated."
"It seems the battle has already ended, and both sides have vanished."
The Elder stroked his beard, showing no surprise, but still remarked:
"Even so, we mustn't let our guard down. The heightened alert must continue for a while longer."
With potential threats still unresolved, they had no choice but to maintain their vigilance for some time before lifting the alert.
In a place like the Dark Continent, even with the protection of the Secret Realm, they couldn't afford to act carelessly.
The Elder then turned his gaze to Akira and the other two, asking in puzzlement.
"And who are these two?"
Having lived for over a century, he had seen and memorized every face in the clan, big and small.
He could confidently say he had never met these two before—yet one of them was wearing their clan's attire.
Enke gestured in explanation, "We found these two outside. This one is Kurapika, a member of our clan."
"It seems he was lost long ago and has only now returned."
"And this is Akira, who helped bring Kurapika back to us."
One of ours?
The Elder frowned slightly.
He had no recollection of this young man—was he truly one of their own?
Before Kurapika could explain, Akira chose to speak first.
"No, actually, Kurapika isn't from your clan, but he does share the same bloodline as you."
At the same time, Kurapika wisely revealed his Scarlet Eyes, as if presenting proof of authenticity.
Yet this only deepened the Elder's confusion.
He had no recollection of this person, and the other party clearly wasn't from their clan.
Yet they shared the same eyes—that couldn't be faked.
What in the world was this...
Akira glanced at The Elder, who wore a pensive expression, then continued speaking.
"Kurapika does indeed share the same bloodline as you, but he grew up in another land."
"It's extremely far from here—just a small place on an island in the middle of a lake."
Hearing this, The Elder froze for a moment before his pupils rapidly contracted, as if he had connected the dots.
If this was truly what he thought... then this was no small matter!
The Elder hesitated before asking, "Could it be... you came from the center of Mobius Lake?"
Akira nodded.
As expected, this elder knew something.
This would make explanations much easier.
Beside them, Enke and the others were utterly confused, unable to follow the conversation between Akira and The Elder.
It felt like trying to see flowers through fog.
Unable to hold back, Bruh asked, "Elder, is Kurapika really one of us?"
This was what they all wanted to know.
The Elder's gaze brightened as he studied Kurapika, who looked somewhat nervous.
After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly.
"Yes... and no."
Enke and the others: ?
The Elder continued, "In truth, not all of our clansmen live here."
"Somewhere else in this world, another branch of our people exists."
Enke and the others widened their eyes as if they had heard something shocking.
Before this, they had no idea there were other clansmen—they had believed their immediate kin were all that remained.
One reason was that knowing this served no practical purpose for the clan.
The other was the fear that it might sow division among them, leading to differing ideologies.
Thus, only a few elders and The Elder himself knew about the Six Continents—the rest of the clan remained unaware.
But now that members of the other branch and outsiders had arrived, keeping it hidden any longer would be difficult.
After a moment of contemplation, The Elder decided to tell them the truth.
Leaning back in his chair, his aged yet strikingly sharp eyes fixed on the ceiling, he began recounting fragments recorded in their clan's history.
"According to our records, in the distant past, our clan was once whole."
"But later, another clan discovered a safe, secluded place suitable for large-scale habitation."
"They invited our people to join them in settling there."
"This led to a division of opinions within our clan."
"One side believed this land was too dangerous—moving there would allow them to live in peace, free from constant fear."
"The other side argued that outsiders couldn't be fully trusted, and leaving would mean abandoning the chance for evolution."
"It's easy to leave this continent for a peaceful life on an island in the lake."
"But returning and reintegrating into this land's rules would be far more difficult."
"It would be like willingly severing the path of evolution in exchange for stability."
"To prevent internal conflict, the clan leader at the time allowed each member to choose for themselves."
"Those who wished to stay remained. Those who sought a more peaceful life followed the others to the island in the lake."
"It seems this young man named Kurapika is a descendant of that particular clan."
"And the clan that chose to stay continued to thrive, which is how we came to be today."
"They also recorded this event for future generations to learn about."
At this point, The Elder glanced at Akira.
He truly couldn't imagine someone from the island having the capability to reach this place.
It wasn't an easy feat—at least he'd never heard of any islanders making it here before.
Wait... hadn't there been one before?
The Elder suddenly recalled an incident from his childhood, back when the previous clan leader was still in charge.
One day, scouts returning from outside reported meeting a human from a distant land.
That person claimed to come from a remote lake island...
Akira understood now.
So this was the reason the Kurta clan had split into two branches.
Thinking about it, living on the Six Continents would indeed be more comfortable, but prolonged comfort would lead to gradual degeneration.
They would lose the combat prowess needed to survive on the Dark Continent, becoming weaker with each generation.
By then, attempting to return to this continent would require tenfold—no, a hundredfold, or even greater effort.
Perhaps this was part of why the Kurta on the Dark Continent refused to relocate to more peripheral regions.
Moving outward might bring safer living conditions, but eventually, there would be nowhere left to retreat.
On the Dark Continent, evolution was the fundamental rule.
All things competed against each other—like rowing upstream, you either advanced or regressed.
Now Akira fully comprehended.
Of course, neither branch's choice could be deemed more correct—they were simply different decisions.
Having made their choices, they reaped the benefits while also bearing the potential dangers.
Enke and the others also showed expressions of sudden realization, never having known this part of their history.
But regardless, Kurapika was undoubtedly their clansman—that much was certain.
The Elder sighed deeply before asking Kurapika curiously, "How are your branch of the clan faring now?"
"Are they doing well?"
By his estimation, the lake island branch should have multiplied considerably by now.
Surely they were all living peaceful, happy lives?
Yet Kurapika's expression darkened.
He instinctively lowered his head, his Scarlet Eyes unable to meet The Elder's gaze.
He feared disappointing these clansmen.
But remaining silent wasn't an option either. Finally, Kurapika forced himself to speak through clenched teeth:
"My clansmen... are all dead."
"Now... I'm the only one left..."
The Elder—even Enke and the others—started in shock, their faces paling at this unimaginable outcome.
How could this be?
Seeing their reaction, Kurapika had no choice but to briefly explain what had transpired.
...
"So that's how it was..."
The Elder didn't even have the heart to stroke his beard anymore.
His eyelids drooped as he spoke in a hoarse voice.
He had originally assumed their sister branch was thriving on what Kurapika called the "Six Continents."
Never could he have imagined they'd suffered such atrocities.
Not only had they faced discrimination early on, forced to live secluded in a Secret Realm within the mountains.
Even when venturing out to purchase goods, they had to move cautiously, never revealing their true identities.
Later, greedy individuals coveted their clan's unique eyes, leading to the entire branch's extermination.
Only Kurapika, who happened to be away from the village at the time, survived to this day.
Meaning apart from the clansmen they interacted with daily, the only remaining Kurta in this world...
Was Kurapika alone.
"Ai~" The Elder let out a heavy sigh and slowly rose from his chair, his dazzling Scarlet Eyes fixed on Kurapika before him.
After hearing Kurapika's words, all of them had already been stirred with fury, their vivid Scarlet Eyes fully revealed.
Bruh couldn't hold back his curses, swearing that if he had been there, he would have torn those damned bastards apart alive.
In Akira's view, Kurapika's actions had even been somewhat restrained.
After all, the Kurta clan had suffered inhuman cruelty while alive, enduring endless torment—all because their enemies desired the Scarlet Eyes.
The Scarlet Eyes only manifest when emotions run high, and only then can they be harvested and preserved in that state.
It was said that after their eyes were taken, those people had their heads severed as well, their deaths gruesome beyond measure.
This had led to the dense, lingering death energy that once shrouded the graveyard, drifting endlessly through the air.
The Elder stepped forward to Kurapika, gazing into those eyes that mirrored his own.
He could easily sense the emotions raging within Kurapika at this moment.
This child had suffered so much…
Gently taking Kurapika's hand, the Elder spoke with unwavering resolve.
"Child, you have endured too much!"
"From now on, you are not without kin, nor are you a child without a home."
"We are your kin, and we are your family. This is your home."
"Welcome home."
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