just for your information, sorry if there are some words that cannot be understood because this story was originally in my language and translated into English so there may be some parts that are difficult to understand due to language limitations

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  Before they continued their journey, Ryo looked at Luna guiltily. In a low voice, he said, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring you with me. I should have left you there so that the royal army could rescue you."

  Luna shook her head slowly, then looked at him with determination in her eyes. "No, I'd rather go with you," she said. "I can feel a warm aura from you, something I've never felt before in the kingdom."

  Ryo fell silent, not expecting Luna to say something like that. However, before he could answer, Luna spoke again, this time in a more serious tone.

  "Ryo, you may not know... but the kingdom is not as beautiful as it seems. Every day, I and the other children are treated like slaves. We are whipped, forced to work non-stop, and given food that is not even worthy of being called food. I am lucky because my body is still strong enough to survive... but many other children are not as fortunate as I am."

  Luna lowered her head, biting her lip as if trying to hold back her emotions. "They... they don't care if we're sick or tired. All they want is our energy. Some children who can't work anymore... they're just thrown away, like trash."

  Luna's voice trembled as she said the last word, causing anger to flare in Ryo's chest. He clenched his fists tightly, his jaw tightening.

  "So that's... the real side of the kingdom?" he muttered, almost as if talking to himself.

  Luna nodded slowly, then looked back at him with a serious expression. "I don't want to go back there. If I stay in the kingdom, I'll just go back to the same life. At least, with you... I feel like I have hope."

  Ryo took a deep breath, trying to calm his raging emotions. He didn't know what to say. He himself didn't have a clear goal at the moment, but seeing Luna speak so seriously made him feel responsible.

  After a few moments of silence, Ryo finally said, "Alright... But before we continue our journey, we have to find a spring. You need to clean yourself."

  Luna lowered her gaze, only then realizing how dirty and shabby she was. His clothes were covered in dust and stains, his silvery white hair was tangled and messy. With a little embarrassment, he nodded slowly. "Yes... that's a good idea."

  Without wasting any time, they began to search for a spring, preparing for a long journey that was still filled with uncertainty.

  Ryo looked around, looking for a safe path to take. His gaze fell to the west, which seemed more open and less dangerous than the other directions. With careful steps, Ryo and Luna began walking, looking for a water source so they could clean themselves.

  Along the way, Luna looked at Ryo with curiosity clearly visible on her face.

  "Ryo, where are you actually from?" she asked.

  Ryo was hesitant to answer at first. He didn't want to talk about his past, especially about how he arrived in this world. However, Luna kept asking with a curious look that reminded Ryo of himself. He smiled slightly, feeling strange because Luna's attitude was so similar to his own—stubborn and curious.

  Finally, he took a deep breath and decided to tell his story. He explained everything, from when he was summoned to this world, meeting the King, being treated like trash, to finally ending up in prison.

  Luna listened intently, her face showing various expressions from surprise, anger, to sadness. When Ryo finished speaking, Luna suddenly grabbed his hand.

  Ryo reflexively pulled his hand away, worried that Luna would faint again like before. However, Luna only smiled and said softly, "Don't worry. I just want to give you a little strength. It won't make me faint."

  Ryo looked at her doubtfully, but finally nodded. Luna then told him to try using magic by saying, "Status Open."

  Ryo initially felt silly, but his curiosity overcame his doubts. In a low voice, he said, "Status Open."

  Instantly, a transparent screen appeared in front of his face, displaying information about himself. Ryo's eyes widened when he saw the statistics listed.

  [Status]

  STR : 4

  DEF : 3

  AGI : 5

  MP : 0

  HP : 5

  Ryo was surprised. Compared to other summoned people, his numbers were quite high. However, what confused him the most was his MP which was 0.

  "So... this is why I can't use magic," he muttered.

  He then moved to the next page, which showed a list of his abilities.

  [Skill]

  1. Jump Boost (Lv 6)

  2. Wind Slash (Lv 8)

  Ryo was curious about his first skill, Jump Boost. He tried pressing it. As soon as the virtual button was touched, his body shot high into the air, almost 6 meters from the ground.

  "W-What?! I jumped this high?!" he exclaimed in panic.

  The wind blew hard around him as he floated in the air. However, as soon as he realized that he was going to fall, Ryo panicked because he didn't know how to land safely. He could only close his eyes and surrender.

  When his body hit the ground, he was surprised because he didn't feel any pain at all. However, the side effects of his jump were still felt—his legs felt temporarily paralyzed.

  Ryo sat on the ground with a gasp. Although his body was a little weak, his face was filled with joy and amazement.

  He turned to Luna, his eyes sparkling. "Luna, thank you. Now I understand my power better!" he said excitedly.

  Luna just smiled warmly, feeling happy to be able to help Ryo understand his potential.

  With renewed vigor, the two of them continued their journey in search of the spring, unaware that a great fate awaited them ahead.

  After the side effects of the high jump wore off, Ryo and Luna continued their journey. They walked non-stop for two hours until they finally found a clear river.

  Ryo let out a sigh of relief and said, “Luna, you can clean yourself here. I’ll be on guard.”

  Luna nodded, then walked to the edge of the river to take a bath. Meanwhile, Ryo wandered around, looking for something to eat. He explored the edge of the river in hopes of finding fruit or fish. Not long after, he saw a tree bearing abundant fruit. The fruit was shaped like a cross between an apple and an avocado—quite strange, but it looked refreshing.

  Without thinking, Ryo climbed the tree and managed to grab one of the fruits. However, before he could get down safely, the branch he was standing on suddenly broke.

  “Aaa!”

  Ryo lost his balance and fell. However, instead of hitting the ground, his body was slammed into the water. As soon as he surfaced, he realized something that made him freeze in place.

  In front of him, Luna was taking a bath.

  The two of them stared at each other. The clear river water, the sunlight shining through the trees, and Luna’s shocked face made the atmosphere even more awkward. Several seconds passed without anyone speaking, until finally their faces both turned red at the same time.

  “AAA!!”

  Ryo immediately turned around and swam to the edge of the river as fast as he could. As soon as he reached land, he immediately ran away while shouting, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I really didn’t see anything!”

  After a while, Luna finished cleaning herself and walked over to Ryo. Her face was still a little red, but she tried to act normal.

  Ryo, who still felt guilty, hurriedly apologized again. “I really didn’t mean to, I fell from the tree, then suddenly—”

  Luna sighed softly. “Just forget about what happened earlier.”

  As Ryo breathed a sigh of relief, Luna suddenly asked, “But… you saw it, right?”

  Ryo’s body stiffened. His face turned red again, and he stuttered, “N-no! I really didn’t see anything!”

  Luna narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. Quickly, she swung her hand and slapped Ryo's cheek.

  Smack!

  Ryo fell silent, holding his reddened cheek. Luna folded her arms across her chest and said in an annoyed tone, "I forgive you... but don't expect me to forget."

  Although the atmosphere was still a little awkward, they finally sat down by the river and started eating the fruit that Ryo had found earlier. Ryo first tried to bite it to make sure it wasn't poisonous. The sweet taste that resembled watermelon made him sure that this fruit was safe to eat, so he gave half of it to Luna.

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  Calmly, Luna started to eat. Although she occasionally glanced at Ryo with a sharp gaze, over time, the tension between them slowly melted.

  After finishing eating, Luna stood up and said, "Alright, we should get going before nightfall."

  Ryo nodded. "Yes... let's continue our journey."

  They started walking again, leaving the river behind them. Although the incident earlier was a little disturbing to Ryo, he tried to stay focused on their journey ahead.

  After walking for a while, Ryo and Luna finally found a fairly large dirt road. They decided to follow it, hoping to find a settlement or shelter.

  As they walked, Ryo began to think about something that had been bothering him for a while—why did he get a temporary paralysis debuff when he used Jump Boost, but he didn't feel any side effects when he used Wind Slash?

  However, Luna denied that assumption. She explained that almost all skills in this world had side effects, only some had mild effects, while others were more severe.

  "Wait, look at your dagger," Luna said.

  Ryo took out his dagger and examined it carefully. His eyes widened when he saw a small crack on its surface.

  "Don't tell me this is…"

  Luna nodded. "That's a side effect of Wind Slash. Every time you use it, your weapon will degrade faster. If used too often without maintenance, the weapon could break."

  Ryo sighed, realizing that all skills did have risks. Luna then continued her explanation.

  "In this world, there are two main ways to use magic. First, directly through your physical body, such as Jump Boost which utilizes your own muscles and internal strength. Second, by using an intermediary such as a weapon, wand, or artifact, such as the Wind Slash you used with that dagger."

  Ryo listened intently, trying to digest this information. He then asked, "Then… how many types of magic are there in this world?"

  Luna thought for a moment before answering, "There are many types of magic, but the main ones are five: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Electricity. In addition, there are two special types of magic, namely Light and Darkness."

  "Darkness?" Ryo frowned.

  "Yes, although many believe that dark magic is not actually magic, but rather a curse," Luna replied.

  Inwardly, Ryo wondered where Luna had learned so much of this information. However, he chose not to ask now, as he felt it would be rude to dig into Luna's past without permission.

  With their minds increasingly filled with questions, Ryo and Luna continued their journey along the dirt road, hoping to find something that could help them survive in this strange world.

  After walking for a while, Ryo and Luna saw a figure from a distance. However, the closer they got, the more suspicious the figure looked. Luna suddenly grabbed Ryo's clothes tightly, her body trembling, and her face filled with fear.

  "Ryo... that person... his aura is so terrifying... cold as ice..." Luna whispered in a trembling voice.

  Ryo glanced at the figure. The mysterious man was wearing a tattered brown robe that completely covered his face. Both of his hands were wrapped in bandages so that not a single bit of his skin was visible. What was more striking was that on his back was a large sword, also wrapped in bandages, as if hiding something dangerous.

  Even though Luna was clearly scared, Ryo still walked towards the man. When he got close to him, Ryo stopped without hesitation and asked, "Excuse me, is there a village around here?"

  Luna panicked even more, her body trembled even more. However, the man was only silent for a moment before finally answering in a low and heavy voice, "Ahead, about seven kilometers from here, there is a T-junction. Turn right, then walk about three kilometers."

  After saying that, the mysterious man started to walk away. However, after a few steps, he suddenly stopped. He was silent for a few seconds, then in a more serious voice, he said,

  “It’s best when you reach the T-junction, turn left for about two kilometers. After that, turn right for three kilometers, then turn right once more. You’ll find a village there.”

  Ryo frowned, feeling that there was something strange about the man’s change of direction.

  “If you keep following the first path—seven kilometers straight then turn right—you’ll most likely encounter a C-class monster.”

  Hearing that, Luna became even paler, while Ryo was silent for a moment before finally shouting, “Thank you!”

  Without answering, the mysterious man walked away again, leaving Ryo and Luna still staring at his back with various questions in their minds. However, without wasting any time, they continued their journey according to the new directions given.

  As Ryo and Luna walked along the path that was starting to be filled with wild grass, the sound of horse hooves could be heard from behind. Ryo turned and saw an old man riding a horse pulling an old wooden cart, filled with various goods. His shabby robes fluttered in the wind, and his wrinkled face reflected his long experience as a traveling merchant.

  As he passed them, the old man briefly made eye contact with Ryo, just a short, wordless greeting. He continued on, leaving tire tracks on the dusty ground.

  After a fairly long journey, Ryo and Luna finally arrived at a T-junction. Ryo was about to walk left, following the instructions of the mysterious man they had met earlier, but suddenly Luna tugged at his sleeve anxiously.

  "Wait," Luna whispered. She looked down and pointed at the tire tracks on the ground. "These tracks are fresh. They look like they came from the merchant's cart. Maybe we should just follow this path?"

  Ryo studied the tracks for a moment, but finally shook his head. "I believe what the mysterious man said more. Let's take the left path."

  Luna seemed hesitant, but eventually nodded and followed Ryo.

  After a rather tiring journey, they finally arrived at the village the mysterious man had mentioned. The village wasn't very big, but it was quite bustling with people going about their activities. Wooden houses lined up neatly along the main road, and several children were seen running around laughing. The aroma of baked bread wafted from one of the houses, making Ryo's stomach growl softly.

  Without wasting any time, Ryo immediately looked for the hunter's guild. However, after walking around, he didn't find any signs of the guild. The only guild in this village was the adventurer's guild.

  They entered the adventurer's guild building, which was quite crowded with adventurers chatting and posting missions on the bulletin board. A young receptionist with long brown hair greeted them with a professional smile.

  "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How can I help you?" she asked politely.

  "I would like to register as an adventurer," Ryo said without hesitation.

  However, the receptionist's expression changed slightly. "To register, there is a fee of 13 silver coins," she said politely.

  Ryo fell silent. He didn’t have any money at all, let alone that much.

  “Then… is there a hunter’s guild in this village?” he asked, trying to think of an alternative.

  The receptionist shook her head. “There’s no hunter’s guild around here.”

  Ryo frowned. “What’s the difference between an adventurer’s guild and other guilds?”

  The receptionist smiled faintly and began to explain, “Each guild has its own specialty. The hunter’s guild only accepts hunting missions, the discoverer’s guild focuses on finding valuables in ruins like artifacts, and there’s also the herbalist’s guild that’s in charge of finding medicinal herbs. Meanwhile, the adventurer’s guild covers all types of missions, from hunting, exploration, to escorting.”

  Ryo finally understood the difference, but the main problem was still not solved—he had no money.

  “If I need money fast, is there another way to get it?” he asked.

  The receptionist nodded. “You can gather materials and sell them. Gemstones can be sold to a blacksmith, leather or thread to a clothing store, and meat to a food store.”

  Hearing that, Ryo felt a little relieved. At least there was a way out.

  After thanking the receptionist, he and Luna exited the guild. Ryo took a deep breath as he looked around the village.

  "We need to make money fast," he said.

  Luna nodded in agreement. "So, what's your plan?"

  "We'll hunt," Ryo answered without hesitation. "Let's get out of the village and find something we can sell."

  They walked out of the village, heading towards the forest on the outskirts that looked a little dense. Their steps were steady, ready to face whatever awaited them there.

  Ryo and Luna walked along the dirt road, occasionally glancing towards the forest, hoping to find a forest rat or other small prey. However, after walking for quite some time, they realized that they had moved away from the village. As they were about to turn around, Ryo saw a large silhouette in the distance, covered in a thin mist.

  "That's... a cart?" Ryo muttered, narrowing his eyes.

  Curious, they approached the cart. Once closer, Ryo recognized it immediately—it was the same cart as the one the old man had used earlier. Instantly his mind spun, connecting this incident to the mysterious man's words from earlier.

  "This road is connected to the T-junction earlier... If this cart is here, maybe..."

  When he examined it closer, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Large claw marks were clearly imprinted on the wood of the cart, and on the ground and on the surface of the wood were fresh blood splatters.

  "This blood is still fresh..." Ryo whispered, his body tensing up.

  Without thinking, he immediately grabbed Luna's hand and ran as fast as he could.

  "Luna, hurry!" he shouted.

  However, Luna could not keep up with his speed. Reflexively, Ryo immediately carried her and continued running towards the village.

  After arriving, they went straight to the guild and reported the incident to the receptionist. The guild quickly deployed a group of adventurers to investigate, and Ryo was asked to be the guide.

  When they arrived at the location, a mage from the group used plant magic to detect the presence of the monster. However, his face immediately turned pale.

  "This... is not an ordinary monster..." he said in a trembling voice.

  Suddenly, from within the forest, the sound of trees falling was heard. A giant figure emerged from behind the bushes—a gray bear with a glowing red crystal on its chest.

  "Hide now!" shouted one of the adventurers to Ryo and Luna.

  Ryo immediately retreated, but his eyes remained fixed on the ongoing battle. The group of adventurers were being cornered, it was clear that they were no match for the monster.

  'They will lose...' Ryo thought, his hands clenching into fists.

  He was well aware that he was weak, but he could not stay silent.

  With a heavy sigh, he opened the transparent screen in front of his face, his fingers trembling towards the dimly glowing skill icon.

  "I'll use Wind Slash!" he shouted. "But I can only do it once! You guys have to bait it!"

  Hearing that, the adventurers immediately coordinated, trying to create an opening for Ryo to attack.

  When the opportunity arose, Ryo took a deep breath, stared at the transparent screen in front of him, and with determination, he pressed the Wind Slash skill icon.

  In an instant, a sharp wind slash shot towards the monster. However, his attack missed its target by a little. Even so, the wind was strong enough to cut the bear's arm, making it howl in pain before finally fleeing into the forest.

  Ryo gasped for breath, his eyes dropping to his dagger—it was broken.

  The adventurers approached him with faces full of gratitude. They knew that without Ryo's help, they would probably be dead. Quickly, they returned to the guild to report the incident.

  At the guild, the receptionist confirmed that the monster was indeed a C-class. Ryo, who was initially discouraged because his attack missed, was encouraged by Luna and the adventurers.

  "Failure is common," Luna said softly. "The important thing is that you tried."

  However, something felt strange to Ryo. He looked around and noticed that one of the adventurers was missing—the man with the large axe. When he asked, the group leader only replied that the man was resting. Ryo didn't want to argue about it, so he just nodded.

  Shortly after, the receptionist handed him 10 silver coins as a reward for his report.

  Ryo was surprised, but he accepted it happily. Even more surprising, the group of adventurers he helped also gave him 26 silver coins to pay for his and Luna's registration fee to the guild.

  At first they refused, but eventually accepted it with gratitude. The receptionist told them to come back tomorrow morning to pick up their badges.

  With the money they had, Ryo and Luna decided to find food and lodging. They bought two large loaves of bread for 3 silver coins, then visited a supply store.

  When Ryo wanted to buy a new weapon, he was surprised to find that the weapons were very expensive. Even the worst ones were around 20 to 30 silver coins. Realizing that they didn't have enough money, they went to a clothing store.

  Seeing that Luna was still wearing shabby clothes, Ryo bought her a new dress for 4 silver coins. Luna initially refused, suggesting that the money be saved, but Ryo insisted. With a happy face, Luna finally accepted.

  After putting on her new clothes, Luna immediately hugged Ryo tightly. "Thank you," she said in a soft voice.

  With only 3 silver coins left, they looked for a place to stay. Unfortunately, there were no cheap inns in this village. The cheapest inn they found was exactly 3 silver coins per night.

  With no other choice, they had to share a room and a bed.

  When night fell, they ate a little of the bread they had bought, trying to save it until morning.

  “Go to sleep first,” Ryo said to Luna.

  Luna fell asleep.

  Meanwhile, Ryo stood in front of the window, looking at the night sky. In his heart, he remembered Uncle Garreth’s words—how important it was to manage money wisely.

  He smiled slightly, then lay down on the floor so as not to disturb Luna. Not long after, he fell asleep.

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  Note:

  Sorry for the delay, because I don't have enough time to write this story, it will probably be late again in the future, but I will try to update the chapter as soon as possible.