The Kingdom of Cathric was a land teeming with diverse races, including humans, demi-humans, elves, dwarves, and many more. Cathric held a prestigious place as one of the top five kingdoms, where one could immerse themselves in various cultures and find abundant job opportunities.

While Cathric had its share of issues over the past years, nobles frequently engaged in dreadful activities like slavery, blackmail, and the torture of innocent commoners. Such behavior had become the norm for nobility in those times. Unfortunately, it was extremely challenging to hold them accountable, as nobles were adept at suppressing reports through their influence and wealth. This predicament wasn't unique to Cathric; similar problems plagued all kingdoms, and the best course of action was often to steer clear of them.

Meanwhile, with the family...

It was nighttime, and Max remained on guard, his fur displaying a unique gray color with hints of green along the edges. His bright green eyes shone in the darkness, resembling something out of a horror movie. The family, on the other hand, enjoyed a pleasant evening, gathered around a campfire as they savored a roasted rabbit with exceptionally long saber-like teeth.

Jessica held a large duffel bag and exclaimed, "I found this in the underground, and it's filled with golden coins." Mitch was so surprised by her words that he spit out his food.

"Holy crap, that many!?" Mitch responded in astonishment. Jessica gave him a disapproving look for spitting out his food and nodded in confirmation.

"Just to clarify, before I found you, the duffel bag of gold coins was right beside me when I woke up, so I decided to take it," Jessica explained, receiving nods of understanding from the others.

"Well, that's good news, but you have to be careful not to lose it, okay?" Joseph advised, folding his arms. The others nodded in agreement, and Jessica placed the duffel bag beside her. As they sat in silence, the fire made popping noises.

Maya glanced at Mitch and noticed his hand. She worried that the injury might lead to an infection or something worse. "Is your hand still hurting, Mitch?" Maya asked with concern, and everyone turned their attention to Mitch.

"Yeah, it still hurts, but don't worry about me. Thanks, Mom, for taking care of it," Mitch said, smiling at his mother.

"Hehe, well, it's good that you're okay. But if you pull a stunt like that again, I might just snap your hand," Maya playfully threatened, giving her son a menacing look akin to a slasher movie. Mitch swore nervously, his forehead breaking into a slight sweat, and nodded furiously in agreement.

Suddenly, Max barked, standing guard for the family and growling at a stranger approaching them. The entire family stood up, ready to either run or fight. The stranger was gradually revealed from the darkness as the campfire's light illuminated his appearance. He was an old man wearing a long brown robe with a hood, carrying a large bag full of items attached on his bag.

"Sorry to disturb your enjoyment. I was just about to walk through here for a shortcut and accidentally stumbled upon your camp," he explained, holding the large bag.

The family sighed in relief, but they remained on their guard. Joseph was the first to inquire, "Who are you anyway?" He kept a watchful eye, not fully trusting this stranger they had just encountered.

"Oh, I'm just a fellow merchant, wandering around the world. Right now, I'm here looking for customers to buy my stuff, and I have many items to offer—magic books, cooking books, crafting kits, and much more," he explained, displaying a variety of items from his bag. The family eased their guard a bit and began to trust the words of the merchant.

Harold, on the other hand, was intrigued by the magic books. "What kind of magic books do you have?" he inquired, looking at the old man.

The old man merchant smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course, I have a variety of magic books. What kind of magic are you interested in reading and learning?" He sat down, taking out all the books and showcasing them to Harold, presenting a range of magical options.

Harold randomly selected a magic book and began reading. "Hmm, fire magic, lightning magic, wind magic... There's so much, but I need something more efficient," he thought as he perused various magic books, finding some interesting and others not quite appealing. Then, Harold came across a magic that could potentially aid his family. "Storage magic... Yeah, I'll take this one and a few other magic books too," he decided, holding onto the storage magic book. "How much does this book cost?" he inquired about the price from the merchant.

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"Ah, storage magic, eh? That would be 15 gold," the merchant said with a happy tone. Jessica opened the duffel bag and handed 15 gold to the merchant, who happily accepted. However, the merchant realized there was something he wanted to ask the family. "Say, are you all new around here?" The old man looked at each of them.

Maya nodded, saying, "Yes, sadly. We're not familiar with this world, and it's our first time here."

The merchant nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. You all are from the Outworld, died, and reborn here. You're not the only ones reborn; there are others too," he explained as he took out more items to show them.

"Wait, there are others too? Could you tell us about how they live?" Jessica said, expressing both surprise and curiosity, eager to learn more about those similar to them.

"Why, of course. Many from the Outworld were quite common back in the day. To identify them as being from the Outworld, their unique energy or mana is very large and different from ours. However, they've become very rare these days. It's a delight for me to finally meet all of you," the merchant explained, expressing happiness at encountering another group from the Outworld.

Mitch frowned upon hearing that meeting others like them was considered rare. "What happened to them?" he asked, wanting to know more about the fate of others from the Outworld.

The old man merchant nodded, explaining, "You see, when someone possesses a very powerful aura, which is mana, some nobles really desire to attain that power. To achieve it, they resort to kidnapping individuals with such potent mana and taking pieces of their bodies," he said, looking at the family. The family felt a mixture of disturbance and anger upon hearing this revelation.

"Why would they do that!?" Joseph exclaimed, expressing fury upon hearing the merchant's words.

"As I mentioned before, they crave power, that's all. It's the desire of every single noble in every kingdom. Even if you're able to defend yourself, their lord will side with the noble and arrest the Outworld people," the merchant explained, shedding light on the grim reality of the situation.

The family looked down, their worry evident as they considered the possibility of becoming the next targets. The merchant reassured them, saying, "Don't worry, there are other Outworld survivors who have evaded the nobles. I know of only two of them. The first is Lord Varick Lazarus; he resides in the High Mountain Kingdomq. He is a powerful man who has become a king there. You all should meet him because he's the only one who can help people from the Outworld. As for the second person, there's General Oshinara Himono; she lives in the Suzukami Kingdom. Once again, she is very powerful and can be on par with Lord Varick," he explained, providing the family with potential allies in their challenging situation.

They all finally relaxed as the merchant explained to them, "You all need to survive in this harsh world; there's evil lurking around, not to mention the impending invasion of the demon army. You must defend your lives at all costs," he warned them. The old man continued, "Consider yourselves lucky to be here. I have various items that can aid your journey, so do not worry. Also, I'll discount the prices just for you guys because I like to help people," he said, offering his assistance and support to the family.

The family finally decided to purchase what they needed. They bought crafting kits, healing and mana potions, along with resistance potions. They also invested in a variety of books to guide them, including magic books. In addition, they acquired armor and weapons for self-defense, as well as supplies of food and water. Finally, they purchased numerous clothes and a storage bag capable of holding an infinite number of items.

After completing their purchases, the family still had a considerable amount of gold coins left. The merchant packed his belongings to leave, expressing, "It was a pleasure to meet such a lovely family. May the gods bless you all on your journey," as he offered his blessings. Then, he left the campfire. The family waved goodbye to the departing merchant, and the old man waved back at them before disappearing into the distance.

Soon, the family grew tired and went to sleep, with Max standing guard over them. As Mitch lay down, he recalled the merchant's words before his departure, "There's a kingdom not far from here. You should go there. If you see the road, it will lead you there. Be warned, you must be careful; the nobles will have their eyes on you. Avoid them at all costs," the merchant had cautioned. Mitch closed his eyes, preparing to sleep and wake up the next day to journey towards the nearby kingdom.

Meanwhile, at the Cathric Kingdom...

A young male sorcerer rushed towards the throne room where his majesty resided. Sweating, he barged through the door and hurried towards his queen before coming to a stop and kneeling. "My queen, I have a report about a new group from the Outworld that arrived yesterday," he said, his voice shaking with fear of his queen. All the nobles inside the throne room were taken aback by this revelation.

The queen stood in front of her window, gazing at her city. "It's been a long time since we've had visitors from the Outworld, let alone those who have survived throughout the years. Tell me, why do I sense powerful mana? And not just one, but there are six of them!" The queen then turned around, her grin widening, as if she had received an unexpected and delightful present.

"According to Master Hueg, this mana is very different from any Outworld has. So, my master said that the new arrival Outworld has unlimited mana!" The young sorcerer provided a quick answer, as his queen preferred concise responses, avoiding the need for longer explanations that would make her uneasy.

The queen nodded and smiled before returning to the window to watch her city. Meanwhile, the nobles were already devising plans to ambush the new Outworld group, their anticipation evident as saliva dripped from their mouths. Taking a sip of her wine, the queen's eyes remained fixed on the city. She then gestured with a single wave of her hand to the young sorcerer, saying, "Return to your duty and inform Master Hueg that I wish to speak with him privately," her excitement palpable.

The young sorcerer nodded, standing up from his kneel, and quickly exited the throne room. The queen then turned to her fellow nobles with a sinister grin on her face, saying, "Now, let's discuss something more entertaining, something to truly torment them," and she laughed, joined by the other nobles.

However, there was one noble who did not share in the enjoyment of the situation. "Crazy... They're all crazy..." she thought, her face stoic and clearly not finding any amusement in the discussion. She had a long silver hair, beautiful blue pearl eyes, and wore a blue Victorian dress.

Meanwhile at High Mountain Kingdom...

Lord Varick Lazarus sat in his chair, diligently writing documents on his table. Simultaneously, he sensed a significant mana, unlike any he could describe, and realized that this mana was stronger than his own. In his thoughts, he understood that he must locate these individuals before other kingdoms could reach them.

Meanwhile at Suzukami Kingdom...

General Oshinara Himono sat on her feet, sipping her tea and enjoying the scenery of Suzukami city. Suddenly, she sensed a significant mana, undeniable in its strength—stronger even than Varick and herself. Setting aside her cup of tea, Himono stood up and left her room to report to her majesty.

Not only did these two sense the family's large mana, but the entire world could sense it as well. Each kingdom, every nation, was now on high alert, making their move to target the family. The question remained: would the family survive this conflict? Would they have enough time to train themselves? The answers were...

To be continued