The old elf separated from us, and Mizuki toured me throughout the village.

"This here is the village's main hall, where the leaders of our village's different clans gather," Mizuki said as she pointed out a huge building in front of us.

It was located at the center of the village. It's the largest building too.

The building was made out of white concrete and a little bit of wood. The glass windows were so clear; I couldn't believe it was made in a world like this, where technology isn't advanced yet.

"Oh, now that you mention it, what are the clans that make up this village?" I asked as we continued our walk.

"Well, there are five main clans and a lot of smaller ones. I'll only introduce to you the main five for now."

I nodded my head in agreement.

"Well, first, there are the Elf Clan, with Elder Aristeo as its leader. As the name suggests, it's the clan of elves."

"And then, there is my family, the Fox Clan, with my father as the leader. We have a special power that can transform our bodies into a giant fox, which could increase our power tenfold."

My eyes widened after hearing that. It's a super OP ability, you know!?

"Tenfold!? So strong!" I said in disbelief.

"Well, even though strong, it's still not enough to beat the Heavenly Tiger. Even our strongest warrior, my elder brother, could probably just inflict a few mortal wounds to that beast at best," she said with a down expression.

"Well.. that beast, Orpheus.. Do you hate it?" I asked with curiosity.

Since it somehow disturbed their village's livelihood, I'm curious about how she felt about it.

"Well, I don't actually hate it. Orpheus didn't really harm us in a direct way, after all. But Orpheus is strong. My dream is to fight it head-on," she said with a resolved expression. I can see her tails moving rapidly with excitement.

"Uhm.. Why?" I asked. I'm confused why she would think of such a thing. Is she crazy or something?

"Well, ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to become stronger. I want to surpass all legends," she said in a very excited tone. "If you're wondering why, it's because.. Our Clan's ancestor was one of the seven heroes from 2000 years ago."

She continued, "To be more precise, all the ancestors of the five clans here in the village were part of the seven heroes. It's well known here. I have read all the documents and books about our ancestors and the battle against the evil god since childhood. That inspired me to become strong. I want to surpass my ancestors." Pointing her hand at the sky, she said that.

Her smile at that moment was pleasing in my eyes.

"And as for Orpheus, I know it's still alive. Its corpse wasn't visible at the scene where we found you, so it probably escaped," she said and paused.

Then, she looked me in the eye and said with a solid resolve, "I know you're strong, Jin. So, would you help me find Orpheus and defeat it after?"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I was surprised when she said that. How could she trust someone so easily?

"W-w-why are you asking me that..?" I said while stuttering.

"Well, my brother, the strongest warrior in this village, would be the next leader of our clan, so he can't leave. The others are also busy, wanting to stay here, so I don't have anyone else to ask." She inhaled deeply and continued,

"This is also why I volunteered to guide you around. I want to ask you this favor because you're strong. You have already defeated Orpheus once."

Well, I didn't really defeat it alone, though. It was all thanks to the Demonic Mirror of Gluttony.

But I guess this is fine too.

"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer. Soon, we'll face Orpheus again," I said with an optimistic smile. Then, I offered her a handshake. "Is it a deal then?"

She accepted it and replied, "Deal."

There was silence after that. All we did was look into each other's eyes with a resolved look for the future.

After a few moments, she exclaimed, "Oh! I forgot to explain the rest!" with an embarrassed expression.

"Well, the other three are the Dwarf Clan, Beastman Clan, and the Fairy Clan."

"There are no humans?"

"Nope. There are no humans here in this village."

"Aren't the Beastman Clan and Fox Clan somewhat similar?"

"No, unlike the Beastmen, our race is more like a spirit. If they're based off real physical animals, we're similar to fox spirits. And then...."

We continued our chat as we walked around the village, not minding the surroundings.

Such a relaxed atmosphere without cultivating all the time can feel great once in a while.

<><><>

Meanwhile, standing on the moon's surface, looking down at Kagami Jin and Kimura Mizuki, was a black silhouette with glowing red eyes.

"Well, another chapter is done. Everything is going along with the story. Now, should I go into the next chapter?" the mysterious silhouette asked no one in particular.

"Well, good luck, Kagami Jin. I hope you'll entertain me. I've been bored for the last fourteen years watching you cultivate all day."

Then, a mysterious black crack appeared behind the silhouette. It looked chaotic and peaceful at the same time.

"Well, off we go..." the silhouette paused, then jumped into the black crack and shouted, "into the future~!"

<><><>

In the Everglade Kingdom, at the Heroes' Temple.

The princess, Lyra Everglade, and one of the priests, Jean, were kneeling in front of the goddess' statue, praying.

But suddenly, a pillar of light shot down onto the summoning platform, forming a huge gust of wind.

"What the!? A Hero Summoning!? But we didn't do anything!" Princess Lyra shouted with confusion, trying not to get taken away by the wind.

"I don't know what's going on either, princess!" the priest said, trying to cover Lyra and protect her from the wind.

Soon, the wind and light vanished. All that was left were two people lying on the platform. A boy and a girl.

The boy was around 18 years old, and the girl was around 17 years old.

The girl had red-colored hair, while the boy had brown hair. They were both naked, with the girl riding on top of the boy. They seemed to be in the middle of an intimate act.

"Huh!? Where are we!? We were just in your room a moment ago, senior brother!" the red-haired girl asked in confusion. She got up and covered her body with a blanket, then hugged the boy.

"I don't know what's going on either, but don't worry. I'll protect you, junior sister," the boy said.

"Thank you, hehe. Wait... My cultivation is gone," the girl said.

"Mine too-"

Before he could finish, Lyra interrupted them.

"Welcome, dear heroes! I am Lyra Everglade of the Everglade Kingdom. May I ask who you are?"

I don't know what exactly is going on, but I should treat these two with respect first. Since they appeared in this way, they must be heroes

Lyra thought to herself.

"Heroes...? I don't know what you-" the boy covered the girl's mouth before she could finish speaking.

"Let me handle this," he whispered with a smile. Then, he turned to Lyra and said, "Hi, my name is Lin Feng, and this is my fiancée, Shen Mo. We are part of the Golden Cloud Sect."

<><><>

As these events unfolded, the mysterious black silhouette watched from above. It sat cross-legged above the goddess' statue's head, with its head resting on its hand.

Its eyes revealed a sign of amusement.

"HAHAHA, you are truly unfortunate, even in your second life, Jin. I hope you like the gift I sent you. I wonder how you'll feel when you see this? Will you still forgive your Mo'er?" the silhouette laughed loudly. However, despite its loud voice, no one seemed to hear or notice it.

And so, the silhouette continued to watch.