Kai stood at the cave entrance, gazing out at the vast expanse of green meadows. A gentle breeze made his silver-white hair flutter softly. His bluish-gray eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully observed the environment.
"It seems..." he thought while raising his right hand from inside his hoodie pocket. "I need to try something."
SNAP!
Kai snapped his fingers.
WHOOSH!!!
In an instant, his body vanished from the cave entrance and...
FLASH!
He reappeared atop a tall tower overlooking a great city. The view spread before him made Kai's eyes widen slightly—something that rarely happened.
"This is..." he murmured softly.
Before him stretched the magnificent city of Ather. White stone buildings soared high with architecture that blended classical and modern fantasy styles. Well-ordered stone streets were filled with various races—humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and even some races Kai had never seen before. Large crystals floated in the air, emanating soft light that illuminated the city.
But something was different. Very different from what Kai remembered.
"This seems to be the same world as two years ago..." Kai muttered while jumping down from the tower and walking into the city's crowds. "But... why has this city... changed so much?"
The magical technology appeared far more advanced. Small golems helped merchants transport goods, communication crystals glittered in the hands of residents, and most strikingly—there wasn't a single statue or painting of King Zeptis that used to be scattered everywhere.
tap... tap... tap...
Kai walked toward the busy market area. His gray-blue eyes searched for something familiar until he finally stopped in front of a meat stall. Behind the wooden counter, a large ogre with grayish-green skin was cutting meat with a giant knife.
"Excuse me," Kai called out in his usual flat tone.
The ogre merchant looked up, his small eyes gazing at Kai kindly. "Oh, is there something I can help you with, young man?"
"Where is King Zeptis?" Kai asked directly, getting straight to the point.
CLANK!
The large knife in the ogre merchant's hand fell onto the counter. His face showed an expression of extreme confusion.
"King Zeptis?" the merchant repeated in disbelief. "You mean the legendary king from three thousand years ago?"
This time, for the first time since arriving in this world, Kai's expression changed. His eyes widened slightly, his eyebrows raised, and his lips parted a little.
"Three thousand... years ago?" Kai repeated those words in an almost incredulous tone.
"Yeah, why?" the ogre merchant looked at Kai curiously. "Are you a history researcher or something?"
"He's... already dead?" Kai asked, still trying to process the information he had just heard.
"Well, of course!" the ogre merchant laughed loudly. "He died thousands of years ago. King Zeptis was a legendary figure who defeated the Demon King together with the Mysterious Hero. They've both become fairy tales for children!"
Kai fell silent for a moment. His mind spun rapidly, trying to understand this situation.
"Three thousand years have passed...? But for me it's only been two years..."
Without saying anything more, Kai nodded briefly to the ogre merchant and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait! Do you want to buy meat or not?!" the merchant shouted, but Kai was already walking away.
tap... tap... tap...
Kai walked away from the stall while thinking about the information he had just received. However, instead of feeling sad or confused, something strange happened—the corner of Kai's mouth lifted slightly.
"Three thousand years have passed..." he murmured softly, this time with a tone that was... almost enthusiastic? "In other words... no one recognizes me... And I can also... explore this world without knowing what has changed..."
For the first time in a long while, Kai smiled. Not the thin smile he usually showed, but a smile that displayed genuine interest.
"This is interesting..."
SNAP!
Kai snapped his fingers again.
WHOOSH!!!
And disappeared from the middle of the market crowd.
---
ADVENTURER'S GUILD - ATHER CITY
TING! TING!
The sound of small bells rang as the large wooden door opened. The Adventurer's Guild building looked like a large tavern with wooden tables, quest boards filled with papers, and a bustling yet organized atmosphere.
tap tap tap tap!
Energetic small footsteps echoed across the wooden floor. A small girl about 14 years old walked enthusiastically toward the reception desk.
The girl wore a black pointy hat with a red ribbon in the center, her jet-black glossy hair braided neatly to her shoulders. Most striking were her bright orange eyes that sparkled like stars, showing extraordinary enthusiasm. She wore dark wizard robes with red accents, complete with a small staff hanging at her waist.
"I want to take another quest!" the girl exclaimed cheerfully while running toward the desk.
Behind the desk, a middle-aged woman with pointed ears—an elf—smiled warmly at the girl's arrival.
"Ren Yue, you're here again," the elf guild receptionist greeted familiarly. "What kind of quest do you want this time?"
"The usual!" Ren answered while placing both hands on the desk enthusiastically. "Medium level!"
"Alright, here you go." The receptionist took a quest card from the pile and handed it to Ren. "But be careful, Ren. This quest is a bit different from usual."
Ren took the card with sparkling eyes. "Don't worry, sis! I'm already rank C!"
---
CHARACTER PROFILE
Ren Yue, a 14-year-old girl from Yuelin City—the third among the eight great cities in this world. Yuelin is famous for its tall pagodas and as a center for magical martial arts learning. Many races from all corners of the world come there to learn unique techniques that combine magic with physical combat, creating fighting styles that rely on both magical power and deadly physical attacks.
Ren is one of Yuelin's talented students who decided to become an adventurer at a young age. Despite her small body, her fighting abilities cannot be underestimated. The combination of fire element magic and martial arts techniques she has mastered allows her to defeat monsters much larger than herself.
---
"What's the quest about, sis?" Ren asked while reading the card in her hand.
"Investigating the disappearance of several adventurers in the Whispering Shadows Forest," the elf receptionist answered seriously. "Three teams haven't returned this week."
Ren's orange eyes sparkled even brighter. "Wow, sounds exciting!"
"Ren..." the receptionist sighed. "You're too enthusiastic. How about finding a partner first this time? This quest is too dangerous to do alone."
"Eh, but I'm used to solo quests," Ren replied while tucking the quest card into the small pouch at her waist. "Besides, partners would just slow me down!"
TO BE CONTINUED...