A few meters distance lay a city Ri-hyun has ever seen.
Walls of polished colored stones, adorned with intricate carvings, encircled a city where slender spires pierced the sky and buildings graceful, curving roofs.
He approached it cautiously. The air hummed a subtle, musical energy, a far comparison to his homeland.
The individuals were elegant, in flowing outfits of rich fabrics and vibrant hues. Some traveled in ornate carriages pulled by sleek, well groomed steeds, the carriages themselves inlaid with gleaming metals and polished wood.
"Everything feels similar but also new."
Ri-hyun continued to observe as he walked the roads before he noticed the stares of the people.
He immediately realized the situation he was in. The tattered white hanbok and already dried brown blood on his clothes gave him the expression of a beggar to the people.
He paid it no mind and continued to walk.
Right after, a small man wearing a hood made of cheap cloth pulled him in the alley.
"What do you think you are doing!?"
The voice of a young teenage girl spoke to him.
"What?"
Ri-hyun replied, not understanding the language.
The screen then flickered in front of him, saying,
[Activating skill: Universal Language]
A skill that allows the user to understand and speak the language of the world.
"Did you not hear me!? Why were you out in the open!? We could've been in trouble by the boss if they saw us."
"What why?"
"What do you- Wait your face, I don't remember somebody like you."
Ri-hyun looked at her with a cautious gaze.
"Are you new here?"
"I am."
"Come with me."
The girl then pulled her deeper inside the alley, before reaching slums, south of the central city.
Ri-hyun felt excited, a first after hundreds of years devoid of emotion from the countless wars. He allowed himself to get caught, by a girl from a world where the Martial God didn't exist.
"We're here."
They entered a slightly larger house compared to the house beside it.
Despite its rundown exterior, the interior was fairly clean.
People of shady pasts sitting on the tables, playing cards and other gambling games.
She pulled him to the upper floor, where it lead to a single office.
Two guards that looked like criminals stood in front.
"I'm here to speak to the boss, please let us inside."
They opened the door, allowing the both inside.
"What do you want?"
Said by the man sitting in the chair in the middle of the room.
Ri-hyun remained unfazed.
"I found this foreign man, and not only that, he's a beggar too. Please, let me go, just take this man with you instead."
"What?"
Ri-hyun soon realized her intention.
"To think you'd go as far as involve an unknown man..."
The man laughed.
"I hardly even feel a speck of aura. At most, he can only be part of the village slaves."
"I'll let you off, but if you ever return again. I won't spare you."
The man waved his hand, signaling her to take the man to the carriage cage.
"T-thank you sir Caras!"
She bowed before pulling Ri-hyun once and lead brought him to a carriage where the other beggars who were about to be part of an illegal crime.
"Just sit there tight okay, once you reach your destination, they'll give you food and shelter."
She said before covering her face with the hood and leaving.
"Did I just... get sold?"
Ri-hyun asked, looking dumbfounded in the air.
"Don't worry kid, it's our fate for being poor and weak, we'll soon be part of their business."
The man beside him looked down, not a sign of hope or life in his eyes.
The sound of a whip soon came, the beggars beside him shook in fear.
"We're leaving, you better not try anything or else we'll skin you alive."
The man looked at them with scary look before riding the horse.
The carriage started to move. Ri-hyun watched as the carriage exited the southern gate of the city, entering into the forest, followed by 3 other men riding horses.
"All four of them are at most, third-rate."
Night soon fell and darkness filled the forest, causing the carriage to stop.
The four men camped and ate meat while the beggars were left to endure their hunger inside the carriage.
"To think they won't even give a single bread."
Ri-hyun said.
The others looked at him with hopeless looks.
Ri-hyun looked back at them and thought of getting food.
They were then shocked as they watched Ri-hyun walk to exit the carriage.
"Stop, are you trying to get us killed!?"
They tried to stop Ri-hyun but were far too weak, all they can was watch Ri-hyun.
He walked to the four men.
"Hey, return to the carriage!"
The bald man brought out his whip but he remained unfazed.
"I'm here to ask for food. If you're planning to keep us, you should think first if we are going to survive the journey or not."
Ri-hyun said with a stern look.
They laughed.
"These crazy fucker- Hey, has feeling hunger made you crazy?"
The short haired scar faced man leaned his face close to Ri-hyun, attempting to scare him.
But he froze, ceasing his actions as he met with Ri-hyun's eyes.
"Hey, you okay?"
The bald man tapped him, checking his response.
The scar faced man took a step back with eyes widened in fear.
"Tch, coward, all you gotta do is whip this bastard back in their place!"
He said with a confident smile before it disappeared.
As he swung the whip towards Ri-hyun's shoulder. Before it could even make contact, half of the whip disappeared.
"What?"
The bald man sweated as he witness an unusual scene.
The other two stood with cautious looks at Ri-hyun.
"Give us food, or... this will be your final meal."