Morning arrived slowly over the farmland.
The first rays of sunlight stretched across the endless fields, turning the tall corn leaves a soft golden color. A light breeze moved through the crops, making the plants sway gently as if the entire field were breathing.
Kael stood at the edge of the cornfield, quietly observing the world around him.
He had woken up not long ago after spending the night inside the field. The thick crops had hidden him well from the road, and the dry ground between the rows had been comfortable enough for sleep.
It was still strange to him.
Just a few days ago he had been living a completely different life in another world. Now he stood here in an unfamiliar land, wearing simple clothes and staring at a distant village that looked like something out of a fantasy story.
From where he stood, the village was barely visible, but the shapes of wooden houses and thin lines of smoke rising into the air could be seen beyond the fields.
Kael crossed his arms and studied it.
"So that's probably my first destination," he murmured to himself.
He didn't know much about this world yet. The system had given him power, but it hadn't given him answers. If he wanted to understand where he was and what kind of place this world was, the village would be the best place to start.
Still, something about the situation bothered him.
Kael was aware that he looked young—probably around fourteen or fifteen in this body. Walking into a village alone without knowing the customs, the people, or even the language rules could be risky.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Guess I'll just figure things out as I go."
Before he could take another step, a loud voice suddenly shattered the peaceful morning.
"Walk faster, you demon girl!"
Kael immediately stopped moving.
His relaxed expression disappeared as he turned his head toward the sound. The voice had come from somewhere along the dirt road that ran beside the cornfield.
Without making a sound, Kael stepped deeper into the crops and crouched between the tall plants. The thick corn stalks formed a natural wall around him, hiding his body while leaving small gaps he could look through.
He carefully pushed a few leaves aside.
A man stood on the road.
The first thing Kael noticed was how unpleasant the man looked. He had messy black hair that stuck out in different directions, dark brown skin that was covered in sweat and dust, and a large belly that stretched the front of his clothes.
In one hand he held a thick metal chain.
The other end of that chain was wrapped tightly around the neck of someone walking in front of him.
Or rather… someone being dragged.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused.
It was an elf girl.
Her long white hair hung down her back in tangled strands that had clearly not been cared for in a long time. Dirt covered parts of it, and the once-beautiful color had turned dull and yellowish.
Her clothes were in terrible condition. The thin fabric was torn in several places, and stains covered most of it. Bruises marked her arms and legs, some dark and old while others looked fresh.
She looked weak.
Very weak.
Each step she took seemed to require all the strength left in her body. Her legs trembled slightly as she moved, and her shoulders were slumped forward as if she were barely conscious.
The chain rattled loudly when the man pulled it.
"Move!" he shouted impatiently.
The elf tried to take another step, but her body suddenly gave out.
She collapsed onto the ground.
Dust rose around her as her knees and hands struck the dirt road. For a moment she stayed there, breathing heavily, clearly too exhausted to stand again.
The man's face twisted with irritation.
"I said get up!"
He kicked her hard in the side.
The elf gasped softly from the impact, but her body barely moved.
Her strength was gone.
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance and grabbed an iron rod hanging from his belt.
"Useless trash," he muttered. "If you can't walk, I'll make you move."
He lifted the rod, preparing to strike.
From inside the cornfield, Kael watched silently.
His face showed no panic, but his eyes had grown colder.
He didn't know this girl. He didn't know the man either. For all he knew, slavery might be normal in this world.
But something about the scene irritated him.
The man's voice, the kicking, the way the chain was wrapped around her neck like she was some kind of animal—it all rubbed Kael the wrong way.
He sighed quietly.
"Seriously… first morning here and I already run into this."
Kael bent down and picked up a small stone from the ground.
He weighed it briefly in his hand, then stood up slightly and aimed.
The man was still raising the rod when the rock flew out of the cornfield.
It cut through the air in a fast arc.
THUD.
The stone struck the man directly on the shoulder.
"Ah—!"
The sudden hit made him shout in pain, and the iron rod slipped from his hand before falling onto the dirt road with a metallic clang.
The man spun around immediately, his face filled with anger.
"Who did that?!"
His eyes scanned the empty road.
"Come out!" he shouted.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then the cornfield rustled.
A figure slowly stepped out between the tall plants.
Kael walked forward calmly, brushing a bit of dirt off his hands as if he had simply finished a small chore.
The man stared at him with surprise.
It was just a kid.
A skinny boy with messy dark hair and an expression that looked far too relaxed for someone who had just attacked him.
"You?" the man growled. "You threw that rock?"
Kael nodded.
"Yeah."
The man's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"And why the hell would you do that?"
Kael tilted his head slightly as if thinking about the question.
"Well," he said after a moment, "there are two reasons."
He raised one finger.
"First, I don't like your ugly face."
Then he raised a second finger.
"And second, you were about to hit a girl who can't even stand."
The man's expression turned red with rage.
"You little brat!"
Kael ignored the shouting and glanced toward the elf girl lying on the ground. She had lifted her head slightly, her tired eyes looking between the two of them in confusion.
Seeing that she was still conscious, Kael looked back at the man.
"By the way," he added casually, "dragging someone around with a chain like that makes you look pretty pathetic."
The man's anger exploded.
"You think you're funny?!" he shouted.
He bent down, grabbed the iron rod from the ground, and pointed it toward Kael.
"This slave belongs to me. If I want to beat her, that's none of your business!"
Kael scratched his cheek lazily.
"Yeah… I figured you'd say something like that."
The man stepped forward with heavy, angry steps.
"You've got guts, kid," he said with a dangerous grin. "But interfering with the wrong person is a good way to die early."
Kael looked at him up and down.
The man was big and clearly stronger than him physically. The iron rod in his hand wasn't a toy either. If it hit him directly, it would definitely hurt.
Still, Kael didn't look worried.
Instead, a small grin appeared on his face.
"Fight me, fatty."
The words came out casually, almost like he was inviting the man to a game.
"Like a real man."
For a moment the road went silent.
The man stared at him in disbelief.
Then he laughed angrily.
"You've got a death wish!"
Without warning, he rushed forward and swung the iron rod toward Kael's head.
The attack was fast.
But Kael had already moved.
He stepped sideways just in time, the rod cutting through the air where his head had been a moment earlier. The metal slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
Kael jumped back quickly to create distance.
His heart was beating faster now.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
"So this is my first fight in this world," he thought.
A faint warmth flickered deep inside his body—the strange power he had received when he arrived here.
The power of the Eternal Black Fire.
Kael's grin widened slightly.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath.
"Let's see what I can do."