Chapter 1 – Ryan
Ryan was a good kid.
In the eyes of the neighbors, he was sensible and well-behaved, filial to his parents, and despite his young age, already an excellent cook. He even took the initiative to handle household chores. No one knew how many lifetimes of good karma parents had accumulated for heaven to bless them with such a fine son.
In the eyes of his teachers, Ryan was intelligent and diligent, with outstanding academic results and harmonious relationships with all his classmates. True, he had played a few pranks on female classmates and even gotten into fights with delinquent boys but when bad students did such things, it was unforgivable. When good students did them? Well… boys in their adolescence. Perfectly normal. Just youthful impulses.
Leroy had been a homeroom teacher for twenty years and had rarely encountered a student who caused him so little worry. Yet, more than twenty days after the college entrance exam had ended, he summoned Ryan who had already graduated and returned to school to retrieve his personal records—into his office.
He slammed the desk, his face full of frustration and disappointment.
"Ryan! Look at what you've done! If I hadn't found it strange that I never received the good news of your acceptance into the National University of Defense Technology and decided to ask around, I wouldn't have discovered that you secretly signed up as a volunteer for Secret Realm Exploration!"
"What are you thinking? Are you trying to make me so angry that I—cough, cough—so angry that I—cough—die?!"
"Teacher, teacher, take it easy. Don't get angry, don't get angry. Here, have some tea…"
"Cut the joking around!"
Leroy blew on his mug, took a long slurp of tea, then spat out a mouthful of tea leaves. He took a deep breath, and his tone finally softened a little.
"Tell me," he said, "what exactly were you thinking?"
"To serve the country, to honor glory, to contribute to the cause of secret realm exploration, and to do my part in eradicating the demon race these are the duties and principles every citizen should uphold!" Ryan declared righteously.
"Get lost!"
"Alright then. Goodbye, teacher."
"…Get back here!"
So angry that tea nearly shot out of his nose, Leroy slammed the mug onto the desk. He wanted to curse, but his strength faltered, and he spoke helplessly instead.
"The National University of Defense Technology is one of the top five universities in the country. Its major in Secret Realm Management and Ecology ranks first within the university. With your score, getting in was a sure thing.
"I know you young people admire martial prowess flying through the skies, moving through the earth, being capable of anything. But why abandon a bright future just to chase danger?"
He sighed.
"It's too late now. The military has already registered your name. No one can change it. Otherwise, it would be treated as desertion. Tomorrow, you'll be entering a secret realm…"
Ryan was a clever child. Leroy waved his hand, his enthusiasm gone.
"I hope to hear good news from you. At the very least come back alive."
Ryan bowed slightly.
"Teacher, I'm sorry. I've let you down."
Seeing that Ryan had stopped joking around, Leroy felt both relieved and heartbroken. Just as Ryan reached the doorway, Leroy suddenly remembered something and called out again:
"Oh, right—how did your parents agree to this? They—"
Ryan quickened his pace.
"…Huh? Come back!"
"Ryan! Get back here!"
Ryan broke into a light run.
…
He ran out of the teachers' office and left the campus. Two people were already waiting for him at the school gate.
A lanky boy who looked like an oversized monkey jogged over, grinning.
"So, Ryan, got chewed out by Old Demon Leroy, huh? Guess you finally got your turn!"
"Teacher Leroy must be furious," a delicate-looking girl said as she walked up as well. "He always liked Ryan the most. Honestly, even though I don't understand Ryan, why would you give up a perfectly good university?"
Ryan wore a wistful expression, his gaze drifting into the distance.
"For ideals… and for distant horizons."
"Moron. Don't forget to take your meds," the girl scoffed, curling her lips.
"Hahaha! That's how a real man should be!" the lanky boy laughed loudly. "Ryan, if you'd told me earlier, I would've gone with you! Don't worry—if anything happens to you in the secret realm, I'll wipe that place flat someday!"
"Tamer, what kind of garbage are you spouting?!" the girl cursed, furious, and swung her fist.
"Ah Amanda! That hurts! Are you trying to kill me?!"
The three of them joked and laughed as they walked together into the subway station. Ryan could tell that his two childhood friends were worried about him, and the realization stirred something in his heart.
It had been a full eighteen years since he had transmigrated—or rather, been reborn—into this world. He had long since grown accustomed to life here and gained an entirely new existence.
This world was vastly different from the one Ryan had lived in before.
The planet beneath his feet was called Mist Star, with only two continents—east and west. And humanity was not the only intelligent race inhabiting it.
There was also the Demon Race.
According to legend, demons were masters of disguise, capable of taking human form. In reality, however, they were cruel and bloodthirsty, some even feeding on humans. They possessed terrifying innate power and were utterly evil. Over the past thousand years, six massive wars had erupted between demons and humans, with countless hidden clashes occurring in the shadows.
Although Ryan was just an ordinary person, he had not yet had the chance to encounter the Demon Race.
After all, the last war between the two races had taken place a full hundred years ago, back in the time of Teacher Leroy's grandfather's generation.
Under normal circumstances, the Demon Race resided on the Western Continent, while humanity lived on the Eastern Continent. Vast portions of both continents were permanently shrouded in dense mist. Within that fog lurked mysterious and ferocious mutated beasts, making the area unfit for human habitation—perhaps the true origin of the planet's name:
Mist Star.
And within that endless sea of fog…
There existed Secret Realms.
What were known as Secret Realms could, in fact, also be called other worlds.
Each Secret Realm contained a different civilization—technology, magic, battle qi, fantasy… all kinds of systems existed within them.
Humanity learned many advanced technologies from these realms and, more importantly, gained tremendous power.
After completing a Secret Realm exploration, explorers would receive a Blessing of the Realm, based on their level of exploration and the gains they obtained within it. Through this blessing, they acquired something known as a Secret Sigil.
Secret Sigils allowed people to break through the limits of the human body, granting them the power to shatter stone tablets, crush boulders, and even soar through the skies or move freely through the earth—becoming Secret Sigil Warriors.
In Ryan's view, exploring Secret Realms was much like running dungeons in a game: clear the stage, reap the rewards.
The difference was that everyone only had one life.
And every time one entered a Secret Realm, it was like creating a brand-new account.
No matter how many realms you had explored before, no matter how powerful you were in the real world, once you entered a new Secret Realm, everything reset. The only thing you could rely on was your accumulated experience.
Even a godlike martial warrior capable of flying through the heavens would have to start from scratch upon entering a new realm, slowly learning and mastering the unique power system of that world.
Because of this, when a Secret Realm was newly discovered and only a few exploration rounds had taken place, the danger level was extremely high. Even top-tier warriors could die suddenly and senselessly.
And thus, Exploration Volunteers were born.
Unhappy with your current life?
Dream of mastering martial arts that let you fly through the skies?
Long to expand humanity's territory and wipe out the Demon Race?
As long as you are at least eighteen years old, under fifty, physically healthy, and without disabilities, you are welcome to join the ranks of Secret Realm Exploration Volunteers!
Unknown worlds await your discovery and development!
At first glance, it seemed like a ridiculous policy meant to recruit cannon fodder. In reality, it was a core mechanism for maintaining social stability.
With the massive disparity in individual power and even differences in life tiers ordinary people and Secret Sigil Warriors naturally split into different social classes.
Since anyone could become an Exploration Volunteer, ordinary people were given a chance to gamble their lives for a better future, a broad upward path that served as a form of appeasement.
More importantly, the compensation payments were truly generous enough to ensure that a family could live without worry for the rest of their lives.
"Ryan… did you or Uncle and Auntie, run into some kind of trouble?"
Cuicui had been quietly observing Ryan the entire way. As the subway was about to reach its stop, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"If someone is bullying your family, remember to tell me. My dad can help you think of a solution!"
"Yeah, Ryan," Tamer added.
"If there's a problem, just tell us. We'll figure something out together."
Ryan sighed.
"With brains like yours, you really make your dad worry. Will you even be able to keep up after entering university?" he said dryly.
"I'm a top student who could get into the National University of Defense Technology. I might even manage Secret Sigil Warriors in the future. How could anyone possibly dare to bully my family?"
Amanda swung her fist.
"Your mom—!"
"So we're worried about you, and you call us idiots?" she snapped.
"Ryan, doesn't your conscience hurt at all?!"
Ryan burst out laughing.
"Alright, alright. The train's here—I'm heading home. Next time we meet, I'll be a high-flying Secret Sigil Warrior. You two little weaklings, just wait for my good news."
"…Ryan, be careful!"
"Yeah! Don't die! Even if you come back disabled, we can still take care of you for the rest of your life!"
"Tamer, are you spewing nonsense again?!"
As he stepped off the train, Ryan didn't turn around. He only waved casually over his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.
That carefree attitude lasted all the way until he reached his front door.
Standing there, Ryan hesitated for a long moment before finally taking out his keys and opening it.
The rich, savory aroma of stewed fish hit him immediately. Hearing the sound of the door, his mother who had been busy in the kitchen came out, her expression less than pleased.
Ryan's heart skipped a beat. Gone was the composure he had shown in front of his teacher. He braced himself for the coming storm.
Then he heard Mrs. Mokovicz say,
"The notice from the National University of Defense Technology was way too sudden. What kind of school notifies you this evening that military training starts tomorrow? They're more than a month earlier than other universities! There wasn't even time to buy your daily necessities!"
"Dinner's almost ready. After we eat, Mom will hurry up and help you pack."
Ryan froze.
The military's volunteer notice should have already been delivered to the house.
What did the National University of Defense Technology's military training have to do with him?
He hadn't even applied!
Hearing the commotion, Ryan's father, Louis, came out of the study.
"It's a military academy," he said calmly. "Of course it uses militarized management, it's different. Besides, they should issue all the daily necessities. We don't need to worry about that. You should be thinking about this instead: we won't see our son for months. What are we supposed to do without his cooking every day?"
"Louis, if you don't like it, then don't eat!"
Mokovicz shot him a glare, turned around, and went back into the kitchen to continue experimenting with her grape-stewed fish.
Louis walked over to Ryan and patted him on the shoulder, his voice heavy with emotion.
"Good lad. Before I knew it, you've grown this strong."
"Don't worry. I lied to your mother—otherwise she wouldn't be able to sleep. If I can hide it for a day, that's a day."
"I won't ask why you gave up a prestigious university to sign up as a Secret Realm Exploration Volunteer. You've always been sensible and had your own ideas since you were young. Your dad believes in you."
"There's just one thing—be careful in everything you do. Before taking any risks, think more about your mother and me."
"Dad…"
Ryan suddenly understood.
The military's exploration volunteer notice really had arrived—it had simply been hidden by Louis.
A father's love was like a mountain, silent, heavy, and hard to put into words.
Knowing that he had given up his education, abandoned a bright and smooth future to venture into the Secret Realms, his teacher was heartbroken, his childhood friends worried that he had been bullied by someone…
Only his father asked nothing at all, yet silently supported him from behind.
Ryan's emotions churned violently. For the first time, a trace of regret surfaced in his heart.
This peaceful life.
This happy family.
This beautiful future.
Why hadn't he cherished it?
If only—
If only he had never discovered that secret letter proving his father had been secretly communicating with the Demon Race that day…