Knight Bennett wore a shirt made of white cotton, its intricate buttons a display of noble luxury. His expression was stern—ever since Abel had been in this world for a year, he had rarely seen Knight Bennett's expression shift much. The only exception was the day Abel woke up a year ago: the joy in the knight's eyes when Abel first looked at him was a memory he still cherished deeply.
Abel's mother, Nora, was a kind-hearted woman. During Abel's recovery period, she had fed him every day, never letting the maids take over. This was one of the key reasons Abel had come to accept this family as his own.
The pre-meal prayer was what Abel found most uncomfortable. Having been an atheist for thirty years, he was taken aback to discover that everyone in this world believed in a religion—specifically, the Holy Light Church.
No one spoke during the meal. Though knights were the lowest rank of nobility, this family still abided by the codes that all nobles were supposed to follow.
A large piece of beef was divided into four portions. The portions for his father and Zach were the largest, while Nora's and Abel's were much smaller. The food consumed by knights was converted into strength, which eventually became qi (vital energy). Supporting a full-fledged knight and a Level 4 Apprentice Knight already imposed a heavy burden, so the portions for the others had to be reduced.
Back on Earth, even as a fitness coach, Abel had never eaten this much beef in one meal. Even though his portion was "smaller," it still weighed about a pound. Yet now, at only twelve years old, he finished the beef and the wheat porridge on his plate in just a few minutes.
"Eat more," a gentle voice said. A large chunk of beef was then placed onto Abel's plate—Nora had cut off more than half of her own meager portion and given it to him.
Knight Bennett looked up briefly, saying nothing as he continued eating his beef in silence. But his hand cutting the beef tensed slightly, and a faint scraping sound came from the knife against the plate—a rare occurrence for someone who strictly adhered to noble etiquette.
Zach, hearing the commotion, glanced at his father. When their father shot him a sharp look, he quickly lowered his head and resumed eating.
"Thank you, Mother," Abel said, accepting the beef without hesitation. This was his mother's love, and he knew accepting it was the right thing to do.
After the meal, Knight Bennett kept Zach behind as usual—this was the time when the knight would give Zach training guidance. Abel was not yet qualified to join these sessions; only after becoming a Level 1 Apprentice Knight would he be allowed to attend such post-meal lessons.
Upon returning to his room, Abel wasted no time. With the beef in his stomach and the qi he had accumulated that day, he needed to use the Knight's Breathing Technique to finally form a qi meridian.
The Knight's Breathing Technique was the most crucial secret skill in knight training. Every knight had their own version of this technique, which was either passed down through families, learned at knight academies, or earned by soldiers who had achieved great merit on the battlefield (exchanged for their exploits).
Abel sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor, calming his mind. His inhalations slowed, then quickened, and his abdomen gradually expanded. He then exhaled rapidly—a wisp of white breath shot out of his mouth like a sharp arrow, dissipating into the air after traveling a foot. At the same time, the dinner in his stomach was being rapidly consumed.
After twenty consecutive breaths, the qi Abel had gained from a day of training was quickly transformed into a qi meridian, using the energy from the food in his body. As soon as the meridian formed, it began to fluctuate. Abel feared he had failed again—yet just then, the fluctuation stopped. A surge of power flowed back from the meridian into his body, instantly restoring both his physical strength and mental state to the freshness he felt when waking up in the morning.
He had finally become a Level 1 Apprentice Knight! A year ago, when he saw Knight Bennett slash through a tree as thick as a bowl with a sword glowing white, Abel realized he had entered a world completely different from Earth. Gaining power, he knew, was the best way to survive here—and that was when he had asked his father to teach him to become a knight.
At that time, Knight Bennett had been clear about the family's situation: as the second son, Abel could only train to be a knight without interfering with Zach's practice. Resources would only be allocated to him if there were leftovers; all family resources had to be prioritized for Zach. However, as Knight Bennett's son, Abel would still be able to learn the complete Bennett family knight heritage.
In the months that followed, Abel learned a host of preparatory skills—horse care, weapon maintenance, riding, archery, knight etiquette—and only two months ago had he officially begun his knight training.
In his excitement, Abel suddenly noticed that the qi meridian in his body was rapidly fading. The energy was draining from his right arm, and panic surged within him. If this continued, the first qi meridian he had just formed would disappear entirely. But just as he thought this, the drain stopped.
Thankfully, it had halted. Though he had lost some qi, a day or two of training would replenish it, and his level would remain unaffected.
Rolling up his sleeve, he looked at his right arm—the direction the qi had flowed. A faint silhouette had appeared on his arm; it was so subtle that one could easily miss it if not looking carefully.
Abel studied it closely. Why did this silhouette look so familiar? It was...
"The Horadric Cube!" Abel jumped up from the carpet. This was the Horadric Cube—how was that possible? He couldn't be mistaken. Having played Diablo II for so many years, he would never fail to recognize one of the most important artifacts in the game.
"Did the Horadric Cube transmigrate with me?" Abel paced excitedly around his room. Spotting something familiar in a strange world felt like a traveler in a desert finding a canteen full of water.
The Horadric Cube must not have appeared earlier because it had no energy. Today, after advancing to Level 1 Apprentice Knight, the qi that had drained away was used to charge the Horadric Cube—that was why he could now see it, Abel reasoned.
Regaining his composure, Abel gently touched the Horadric Cube silhouette on his right arm. A space instantly appeared in his mind, divided into twelve grids. Two of the grids were occupied by a blue book; the rest were empty.
"The Tome of Town Portal!" Abel recognized it at a glance. This was the very Tome of Town Portal he had modified right before being struck by lightning. In his mind, he could see the book's attribute: it regenerated charges every minute. He remembered tossing it into the Horadric Cube after modifying it—it had been a habit of his.
"Take out the Tome of Town Portal," he thought. Immediately, the tome appeared in his hand. It was large, about the size of a magazine on Earth. Its sky-blue cover was adorned with dark gold patterns, and a faint glow occasionally rippled across the patterns—making the tome look even more mysterious and noble.
"If I use this Tome of Town Portal, can I go home?" This sudden thought made Abel's heart race. He longed to see his parents again, to taste his mother's cooking once more, to breathe in the familiar scent of his hometown. In the year since he had transmigrated, Abel finally saw a glimmer of hope for returning home—and never before had he felt such a deep longing for his family.
He opened the Tome of Town Portal gently, as if handling a rare treasure. Twenty Town Portal Scrolls were inside, made of white sheepskin and bound with blue ribbons etched with dark gold stripes. Tearing a ribbon would open a portal.
Abel placed his hand on a Town Portal Scroll. The scroll gently repelled his finger. He grew anxious—why couldn't he touch it? Use more force, he thought, pressing harder. This time, his hand wasn't pushed away; the ribbon was torn open. A ball of fire appeared in his palm. Abel quickly threw the fireball to the ground, which burned a hole in the carpet before vanishing.
Why had it failed? Why had it turned into a fireball? Abel tried again several times, but the result was the same: every time he tore a Town Portal Scroll, it burned to ashes.
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling on Abel's peaceful face as he slept. A light breeze dried the remaining tears on his cheeks. His body, tightly wrapped in a quilt, trembled slightly in the wind. As if in the darkness, a faint voice could be heard: "Dad... Mom..."
But no one in this world could understand it. It was the language of his hometown—Earth—a wanderer's quiet cry for home.