The mountain air was cool, the sky laced with soft clouds drifting lazily across a blue canvas. Ray walked through the narrow path back to his cottage, the silence around him broken only by the soft crunch of gravel underfoot and the occasional rustle of wind passing through the trees. A cloth sack dangled from his hand—packed with herbs, meat, and a few odd mechanical parts he found useful.
But as his house came into view, something wasn't right.
He narrowed his eyes.
The air around the forbidden door shimmered slightly, a ripple in the invisible barrier that hadn't been there before. He stepped closer, raising a hand, and the ward pulsed strangely—its runes flickering, disrupted.
Someone had triggered the seal.
Ray didn't need to ask who. He already knew.
He opened the door, stepped into the house, and within seconds, the little spherical robot zipped around the corner in a panic.
"Welcome back, Master Ray—uh, nice weather today, isn't it—"
Whack.
A quick, effortless flick sent the robot spinning midair, its propulsion systems scrambling to recover balance.
"What happened to the door?" Ray asked coldly.
"Well… technically, it wasn't me…"
Another voice answered before the robot could finish.
"It was me." Kael stood sheepishly by the window, arms behind his back. "I was just exploring. I didn't mean to trigger anything."
Ray glanced at him, then back to the robot. "And you were doing what?"
"Monitoring his cleaning performance."
Ray sighed. "He was scrubbing tiles. You were watching him like it was entertainment."
"...He's very efficient."
Ray shook his head and raised his hand toward the sealed door. A stream of divine energy surged through his fingers, layering the barrier with new sigils and encrypted divine locks—far stronger than before.
"Next time you open something in this house," he said, "it might kill you before I even find out."
Kael swallowed nervously.
"No dinner tonight. You can reflect on that."
"Wh—no dinner?!"
"And you," Ray pointed at the robot. "You're responsible for bathroom duty. For the next five days. With manual mode."
The robot froze in midair, then dropped an inch. "Manual…? That's unsanitary."
Ray gave it a look. "You'll live."
---
Farther down the hills, deep in the forest, three figures darted through the underbrush, stumbling over roots, breath ragged and desperate.
"This is your fault, Tenn!" Elric shouted as he pushed a branch out of the way, panting.
"I just touched it!" the robed boy wailed. "I didn't know it would summon anything!"
"Never touch suspicious glowing statues in a cursed ruin!" Mira snapped. "Have you never read a book in your life?!"
Behind them, trees snapped like matchsticks as five monstrous beasts gave chase—each a nightmarish fusion of bear and wolf, with crimson eyes, snarling maws, and thick armored hides. Their roars echoed through the forest like a war drum.
Tenn tripped and scrambled back to his feet, sobbing. "I just wanted to impress you guys!"
"You impressed the monsters!" Elric yelled.
"Shut up and keep running!" Mira led the way, her short sword clutched in her hand even though she knew it wouldn't matter. One swipe from those things would rip her in half.
The treeline broke.
They stumbled onto an open clearing—grass flat, air strangely peaceful. The village was still miles away.
But there, sitting on a flat rock near a quiet firepit, was a man.
A young-looking man in a blue hoodie and gray pants, flipping a slab of roasted boar meat on a skewer. At first glance, he looked ordinary. Average build. No visible weapon. No aura.
Kael sat nearby, sulking with an empty bowl. The little floating robot held a mop, vibrating in protest as it scrubbed tiles around the garden.
Mira's eyes lit up. "There! Someone's there!"
"What luck!" Elric shouted. "He's just a villager!"
"Wait—are we really going to—" Tenn started.
"Yes," both Mira and Elric said at once.
They rushed toward Ray, not stopping to explain.
"Hey! Run!" Mira shouted. "There's monsters behind us!"
Ray turned his head lazily, mid-bite. "Hm?"
"Sorry, sir!" Elric called. "Nothing personal!"
They flew past him, ducking behind rocks as the roars grew closer.
Five monstrous beasts thundered through the clearing, teeth bared, eyes locked onto the man still sitting casually with a piece of meat in hand.
Kael jolted upright. "M-Master Ray—"
The robot dropped the mop. "Incoming threat!"
But Ray didn't stand.
He simply finished chewing, stood up, and dusted crumbs from his hand. His other hand raised lazily.
The monsters, sensing prey, leapt toward him.
Five black blurs.
Ray's fingers twitched.
With a casual swing of his arm, as though brushing away a leaf, the air exploded.
A soundless force ripped through the space in front of him. The wind howled, trees bent backward, and the earth shook under the weight of invisible power.
In an instant, the five monsters were torn apart—ripped into pieces mid-air, their bodies disintegrated into red mist that scattered on the wind.
Not a single drop landed on Ray.
He exhaled.
The silence that followed was deafening.
From behind the rock, Elric peeked out with wide eyes. "They're… they're gone?"
"I didn't even see him move," Mira muttered, stunned.
Tenn stared, jaw slack. "I think I peed a little."
Ray sat back down and turned the meat on the fire.
Kael stood frozen, unsure whether to look amazed or terrified.
The robot hovered beside the firepit. "Monsters eliminated. Resuming punishment."
"Don't forget the corners," Ray muttered.
"Yes, Master."
Kael licked his lips and looked at the roasted meat longingly.
Ray glanced at him.
"You're still grounded."
Kael's shoulders slumped. "Even after that?"
Ray gave him a small smile. "You'll survive."