The Kingdom of Thelafa was founded by two friends nearly 20,000 years ago. Nestled between valleys thick with dense forest, the kingdom is surrounded by venomous plants and flesh-devouring carnivores. The only safe entry into the kingdom is through one of its four gates.
The East Gate is the most commonly used, known as the Trading Route. It's always crowded with mercenaries, craftsmen, traders, and adventurers.
The North Gate was built for nobles and other important figures. It's larger than the East Gate and guarded so heavily that the number of soldiers stationed there seems absurd.
The West Gate, often referred to as the Gate to the Slums, was built for slaves, low-class workers, and illegal migrants. Just a little further from this gate lie the mines, where many of these unfortunate souls are forced to work.
The South Gate is the main gate used exclusively by the king, high-ranking ministers, and officers. It is the largest of the four and lies closest to the castle.
"Hmm... there's not much information about the kingdom in the manual," Han muttered, flipping through the pages.
"Your manual is just like you—useless," Jay smirked.
"You're alive because of this manual, you good-for-nothing bastard."
A hand rose from behind and slammed their heads together.
"Enough, both of you!" Martha snapped. "We're finally down from the mountain. If I'm right, we're close to the West Gate."
"Isn't that the worst one?" Nana asked.
"No! It's actually the best," Han said confidently. "We still don't know anything about the people of this world. It's safer to go in through there."
The sun began to descend, its golden light slipping away like a memory. Time passed like a fleeting breeze as the group increased their pace. No one wanted to risk what might happen if they were caught in the forest after dark.
Then, a sudden cry for help echoed through the woods.
It was a cracked voice, full of despair, screaming with all its strength.
Han and Jay immediately picked up the direction and ran toward the source, pushing through the thick bushes. The girls followed cautiously behind.
There, they saw a man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in torn, mud-covered clothes stained with coal. His right hand hung broken, blood pouring down uncontrollably. Towering in front of him was a monstrous beast.
Its eyes resembled a bear's. Its claws were larger than a human torso. It stood as tall as a bus, with sharp, blood-stained teeth and scraps of clothing hanging from its fangs. The beast growled like a wolf, shaking the forest floor.
"Wha—What in the world is that?" Jay stammered in fear.
"It's a Dwolf," Han answered grimly. "A mutant wolf that survived the apocalypse. They hunt alone and have extremely sharp eyesight for spotting targets ahead only in forward direction. They can run as fast as a high-performance car and are way more agile than Kogar."
"So... what can we do against that?"
Han closed his eyes. Thoughts flew through his mind like scattered letters in a storm. After a few seconds, he whispered something into Jay's ear.
"You really are a nerd," Jay sighed.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Without another word, Han charged toward the Dwolf. He threw a few pebbles to draw its attention away from the wounded man, then bolted toward an open clearing. Stopping just before a tree, he turned and looked the beast in the eye.
"Come on, you third-tier mutt."
The Dwolf roared and lunged. Just before it reached him, the symbol on Han's wrist lit up, and a brown hue filled his eyes.
[ Skill: Gintax Spike ]
Mana: 300 → 180
"The mountain climbing helped me level up a bit," he muttered.
The ground cracked beneath him as a giant rock surged upward toward the Dwolf. But at the last moment, the beast twisted its body and narrowly dodged the strike.
"I knew it'd do that," Han smirked.
[ Skill: Ground Shift ]
Mana: 180 → 20
A rocky hand emerged from the ground and grabbed the Dwolf's legs.
"You're trapped. I knew I couldn't beat you head-on. Your eyes only focus forward. But if you're grabbed from behind... how will you escape?"
As the Dwolf thrashed and growled, Jay appeared in front of it, holding a crossbow.
"I don't like crossbows because of the recoil, but they're the best for piercing tough hides."
He pulled the trigger.
The arrow fired straight into the Dwolf's skull. The beast let out one final growl before collapsing with a heavy thud.
"Hmm... So you can craft a crossbow too? Not bad," Han said.
"I was a little surprised when you asked me about it," Jay replied. "But I've played a lot of zombie shooter games. I've got a good sense of weapon crafting."
"So... maybe you're not a good-for-nothing bastard after all."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The girls ran to the wounded man. His condition was critical—blood was still flowing, and his heartbeat was weakening rapidly.
Martha helped him sit up while Scarlet knelt and pressed her hands together, whispering softly.
The symbol on her hand began to glow. Her eyes turned bright green as leaves swirled in the air. She pointed her hands toward the man's wounds. The cuts began to close, and his broken arm slowly realigned and healed.
Nature had answered her prayer.
"Are you a druid?" the man asked the girl he believed to be a goddess.
"Yes," Scarlet replied, offering a warm smile.
The man was a coal miner. He worked at the deposit near the mountain's base. As always, he had been pushing coal downhill toward the dumping grounds when the Dwolf attacked.
Now, kneeling before those who had saved his life, tears fell freely from his eyes. He could barely believe he'd see his children again.
"We're migrants from the north. Could you help us find shelter?" Martha asked, seizing the moment.
"You all look quite young—and definitely strong," the man said, intrigued. "What reason would drive you to migrate here?"
"We're looking for a friend," Jay stepped in quickly. "He ran away from our village. We came to bring him home."
"Oh, I see... You kids have big hearts. But your clothes—" he paused, chuckling softly, "—I've never seen anything like them."
The group tensed, unsure how to respond.
The man laughed, easing the tension.
"Well, I've never crossed to the other side of the valley. Maybe this is just how folks dress there. Still, the guards won't let you through dressed like that."
He scratched his chin.
"There are some extra miner uniforms back at the shed. They might be big, but they'll help you pass."
The group nodded, grateful. They changed into the coal miner outfits. The boys wore bright yellow uniforms—earth-colored—with black stripes running down the arms, paired with real leather boots. The girls donned red versions, similarly patterned, sturdy and practical.
They followed the old man—his name was Mura Koru. Along the way, he spoke of the kingdom.
"The kingdom runs on a coin system. Gold is highest, followed by silver, then copper. It's like the other lands, but the structure here is… old."
He pointed toward the valley ahead.
"The kingdom is divided into five parts."
He began listing them, eyes distant as though remembering times long gone.
"The outermost ring—rundown houses along the walls—is called [Yr], which means those born to bow down. Only the west gate leads there."
"Next comes [Nyd], meaning those in need. It's where the lower workers live—traders, employees, common folk. Better homes, but the crime rate's worse than a battlefield."
"Farther north are two sectors: [Giefu] (those bestowed gifts) and [Gynn] (those who bring joy). Nobles, high-ranking traders, wealthy craftsmen—those kinds live there."
"And to the far south is [Feoh], the royal quarter. Only the royal blood and elite officers reside there."
"Our current king," he added with a sigh, "is Milin Hartwell. He took the throne after the death of our former ruler, Don IV Hartwell. In Don's time, we weren't treated like insects. But since Milin rose to power..." His voice dropped. "Things have only grown worse."
He glanced behind him.
"The king has two children. A daughter—kind and generous. Helps the poor in secret, they say. And a son... cruel, like his father. Punishment is his favorite form of entertainment."
• • •
Two hours later, they finally reached the city gate. It loomed far larger than they'd imagined.
A guard stood watch, holding a mage's rod in his left hand. He was the gate inspector—the final test.
To blend in, the group masked their presence. They smeared coal dust over their skin, covering the sigils that marked their identities. Scarlet and Martha crafted bandanas from leaves using [Material Sewing], hiding their bright hair. Nana rubbed ash on her cheeks, shrinking into the role of a dusty little girl. Jay hunched over, carrying a heavy coal sack, his eyes low to avoid attention.
And Han...
Han didn't need a disguise. His posture already belonged to the working class.
As they stepped through the gates, a strange silence wrapped around them.
Beyond lay not a fantastical world, not a glorious realm like those in games—but a brutal, breathing reality.
The slums.