Chapter 62: Another World
Kyle sat on a chair, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
His crimson eyes stared back.
He took a breath. Then activated his skill. A faint glow flickered in his pupils.
"Focus on healing the wound," he commanded himself. "Make my cells work as fast as possible."
The command sank in.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then — something shifted. A strange warmth spread through his chest. Right where the cut was. It didn’t hurt. Just felt... intense.
Like someone had turned up a dial inside him.
`It’s working!`
But the moment he felt it, exhaustion hit him like a wave. His eyelids grew heavy. His limbs felt like lead.
`Of course... forcing my body to work harder takes energy.`
He pushed himself off the chair and stumbled toward the bed. The moment his body hit the mattress, his eyes started closing.
Through the curtain, he could see sunlight creeping in.
`Morning already...`
His mind wandered, even though he was tired.
`Alara... Mira... Weston... Leo...`
Were they okay? Did they make it back? Did they think he was dead?
`Going back to them... that won’t help me now.`
He needed to get stronger. Much stronger.
`For my... ambition...`
The thought hung there, incomplete. Whatever his goal was, he kept it locked inside.
And with that, he sank into sleep.
***
When Kyle opened his eyes again, the light outside the window had changed. Not morning anymore. Night, maybe.
He blinked, then pushed himself up.
The pain in his chest was... pretty much gone.
Well, not completely. But it had faded to almost nothing. Just a dull ache when he breathed too deep.
`That should have taken weeks.`
He lifted his shirt and checked the bandages. No fresh blood. The wound had closed up — not all the way, but close.
`The stats helped. And the command... forced my body to heal faster.`
He pressed a finger against the bandage. No sharp sting this time. Just pressure.
`One more day. Maybe two. Then I’m fully healed.`
But the cost was obvious. His stomach growled loudly. His arms felt weak. His whole body screamed for food.
`My cells worked too hard... now I’m running on empty.`
Kyle stood up slowly, testing his balance. His legs held. He walked to the wardrobe in the corner and opened it.
His shirt was there. Folded and clean. And beside it — Fear Blade. The matte black dagger with its thin red veins.
Kyle picked it up. The weight felt familiar in his hand.
Then, he hesitated for a second to carry it with him.
`The kids... they might get scared if they see a weapon.`
But in the end, he slipped the dagger inside his belt, hiding it under his shirt.
`I don’t know what’s out there. Better safe than sorry.`
Then he opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
The mansion was dark.
No candles. No servants rushing about. Just empty halls.
Kyle’s footsteps echoed as he walked.
`Where is everyone?`
He looked around. The place felt old. Neglected.
Spiderwebs clung to the corners of the ceiling. Some windows had cracks. The wooden floorboards creaked under his weight.
It didn’t feel like a noble’s estate. More like a relic someone had decided to live in.
He kept walking, following the corridor until he reached a staircase leading down.
That’s when he heard it.
Laughter. Kids laughing.
His hearing had gotten sharper — the Intelligence stat improved more than just his mind. He could pick out sounds from far away now.
He followed the noise.
The door at the end of the hall was cracked open. Warm light spilled through.
Kyle pushed it open and stepped inside.
Big dining room. Long table in the middle. And kids — a bunch of them — rushing around, setting plates and cups.
Some carried bowls of food. Others arranged silverware. A few just stood there, talking and laughing.
When they noticed him, the room went quiet for a second.
Then the whispers started.
"He’s awake..."
"I thought he couldn’t move..."
"Look, he’s standing!"
A boy with golden hair and lion eyes grinned and waved. "Brother Kyle! You’re up!"
`Brother?` Kyle nodded at him.
Most of the kids went back to what they were doing. Children didn’t dwell on things for long. A wounded man walking wasn’t as interesting as dinner.
But a few approached him.
Scorpio marched right up to him and crossed her arms.
"You were supposed to be in bed!"
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "I got bored."
She squinted at him like she didn’t believe it, then shrugged and walked away.
Others hung back. Some peeked at him from behind chairs. A couple just stared with wide eyes, too shy to come closer.
Kyle noticed something.
They were all different. Different ages—maybe seven to thirteen. Different hair colors, eye colors, and heights.
But every single one had a symbol in their pupils.
`Zodiac signs... all of them.`
But then he saw her.
A girl was standing near the far end of the table. She wasn’t approaching him. Wasn’t even looking his way.
But her ears— Long and pointed.
Kyle’s eyes widened.
`Elf!`
He knew elves existed in this world. He had heard about them back in Oakhaven. But he had never seen one.
Now, the first elf he met was a child.
She had long green hair, smooth and straight, and green eyes that matched. In her pupils—a bow and arrow. Sagittarius.
She was pretty, in a delicate way. But she kept her distance, not even glancing at him.
`Shy... or maybe she’s just not interested.`
He didn’t push. He just noted it and looked away.
The door opened again.
Lilian walked in, her white blindfold covering her eyes. Behind her followed two children carrying plates of food.
One was a girl with bright blonde hair tied in a small braid, yellow eyes with the maiden symbol. Virgo
Kyle had seen her before when he woke up, standing quietly beside Lilian.
The other was a boy. Around eleven or twelve. Soft white hair, almost silver. Golden eyes—bright like actual gold—with a scale symbol inside. Libra.
They placed their plates on the table, then Virgo looked at Kyle and gave a small nod. The boy just stared for a moment, then looked away.
Lilian tilted her head toward Kyle.
"You’re moving already," she said. Not a question.
"I heal fast."
She smiled faintly. "I can see that. You must be hungry."
As if on cue, Kyle’s stomach growled.
Lilian chuckled. "Sit. We were about to start dinner."
He didn’t need to be told twice.
***
The dinner was... a lot.
Roasted meat. Fresh bread. Weird vegetables he didn’t recognize. Even some sweet dessert at the far end.
Kyle ate like he hadn’t seen food in days. Because honestly? He hadn’t.
The children laughed and chatted around him. Some argued over who got the last piece of the sweet. Others just ate in peace.
Kyle noticed Lilian barely touched her plate. A few bites, then she just sat there, listening.
`She doesn’t eat much... or maybe she doesn’t need to.`
He didn’t dwell on it. He was too busy shoving food into his mouth.
When the meal ended, the children scattered—some running off, others walking slowly, a few staying behind to clear the table.
Lilian stood. "Rest well, Kyle. Tomorrow, we will talk."
She left with Virgo.
Kyle watched them go, then stood up himself.
He wasn’t tired anymore. His body had energy now.
`Might as well explore.`
***
Kyle walked through the corridors, his footsteps soft on the old floorboards.
The mansion was a maze. Room after room. Some empty. Some filled with old furniture covered in white sheets.
He passed a window and stopped.
Outside, a forest stretched toward the horizon. Thin trees. Thick mist hangs low between them.
`Creepy...`
He stared for a moment, then lifted his gaze to the sky. And froze. Kyle’s eyes widened as his blood went cold.
Three moons.
Hanging side by side in the dark sky. Small — together barely the size of a normal moon — but definitely three.
His breathing got faster.
`Did I... get sent to another world again?!`
