Chapter 3 - The transition was not a fade, but a violent jerk of reality. When the light finally died down inside the private world, Ran's father, Randolf, and his mother, Aurora, stood like statues.
For several long seconds, the only sound was the rustle of leaves and the rhythm of waves from the vast ocean before them. Their eyes were wide, pupils dilating as they took in the impossible: a sky the color of a polished sapphire and greenery so vibrant it looked painted. The water was crystal clear, lapping against shores of pristine white sand.
"Is this... really another world?" Randolf whispered. He lifted his hands, turning them over as if checking to see if his skin was still made of flesh and bone.
"It feels more real than home," Aurora added, her voice trembling. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the air.
They were so entranced by the majesty of the island that the biological reality of their arrival didn't register—until a sudden, biting gust of wind swept through the clearing. The temperature dropped instantly.
"Eek!" Aurora let out a strangled gasp, her eyes snapping downward. She immediately folded into herself, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Oh my goodness! Randolf! Why are we—?!"
"I—I don't know! Ran! Ran, what is going on?!" Randolf's awe vanished, replaced by frantic panic. He did a clumsy sort of dance, trying to cover himself with his hands while his teeth began to chatter. "Why are we—who—why are we naked?!"
Ran and Mia, having anticipated the "clean slate" arrival of the System, had already spun around. Mia had her eyes clamped shut, her face a shade of red that rivaled a sunset.
"I'm not looking! I promise! I'm looking at a very interesting tree!" Mia yelled, her voice hitting a pitch that startled the local birds. She peeked through a tiny gap in her fingers for a micro-second—just to make sure everyone was okay—before squealing and spinning 180 degrees. "Gross! Dad, cover up!"
"Don't panic, I'm handling it," Ran said, his voice strained but focused. His fingers blurred across the glowing blue interface only he could see. *Marketplace... Basic Apparel... Buy.*
"Here, catch! Put these on quickly so we can actually have a conversation!"
Without looking back, he tossed two bundles of coarse linen over his shoulder. He heard the frantic sounds of fabric snapping and limbs being shoved through leg-holes. Once the shivering subsided and the family was decently dressed in basic tunics and trousers, Ran turned to face them, his expression alight with excitement.
"So, let me get this straight," Randolf said, cinching his new belt and looking at the dense forest behind the white beach. "This is the private world you were talking about? Your Martial Innate Soul brought us here?"
"Exactly," Ran said.
Ran wished he could transfer his knowledge to them instantly to save himself the long explanation, but the *Complete Beginner Knowledge Book (Lvl 1000)* was a consumable item; only the player who used it could benefit from its contents. He had to explain everything from the start.
"Now that I've become the Lord of this island, we can grow stronger together. We can level up here just like in the real world, but much faster. We can also obtain our own Martial Innate Souls once we capture the inhabitants of this island. In the real world, you'd have to pay an enormous price just to get one. Plus, we have three years of protection to grow stronger."
"Three years?" Aurora asked, clutching her elbows. Her voice was small. "We only have three years of safety?"
"From outside players, yes," Ran explained. "The protection around this island is absolute for three years. But that shield doesn't care about what's inside. The inhabitants here? They're our problem. We have to subdue them."
"And the other players?" Aurora's voice grew even more nervous. "The millions they selected... are they also starting from zero?"
Ran's expression grew grim. "No, Mom. Some started earlier. Some have advantages we can't see yet. That's why we can't relax. When that protection drops, they won't come as neighbors. They'll come as conquerors."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"Okay, enough gloom!" Mia suddenly shouted, breaking the tension. She stepped forward, puffing out her chest and throwing a shaky but determined punch at the air. "I'm going to get so strong I'll kick anyone who tries to touch our island! I'll protect you, Brother!"
Aurora's eyes softened, and she pulled Mia into a fierce hug. "My brave girl."
"So, how do we start the 'getting stronger' part?" Randolf asked.
"Everything gives experience," Ran said. "Gathering, building, even meditating. But the fastest way? Hunting. We need to clear the island's inhabitants."
"Inhabitants? What are we talking about? Wolves? Goblins?" Aurora asked, tensing again.
"It's random for every Lord," Ran admitted. "Some get lucky with dragons—they're hard to kill, but once subdued, they provide shocking power. Others get weak beasts that are easy to kill but offer little advantage. We won't know what's in those woods until we step into them."
Ran raised a hand. "Before we move an inch, I'm initiating a Group Bond through the System." He tapped a few icons in the air. "The benefit is simple: we share the load. If I kill something, the EXP is split. If you build something, we all benefit. It ensures no one gets left behind. We grow as one."
He looked at his father. "The risk is that if the EXP gain is small, it slows the leader's progress. But I don't care about being the 'strongest' alone. I want us to be a strong family. We grow together, or not at all."
He explained the hierarchy—how they were technically his 'subordinates' in the System's eyes—though Mia just stuck her tongue out at the word.
"Let's focus on the first mission," Ran commanded. "It's basic, but necessary."
"We need a fallback point," Randolf suggested, scanning the tree line. "A defense site. Somewhere we can put our backs to the wall if something comes out of those trees."
"Right, Dad. We'll build. Once we level up and spend attribute points, we'll be faster, stronger, and tougher. But for now, we work manually. And we exit before sundown—we don't know what kind of nightmare this place becomes at night."
The family opened their shared mission panel: **[Mission: Gather Resources and Construct a Workbench]**.
What followed felt less like a struggle and more like a chaotic family camping trip. Mia was energetic, dragging branches and laughing even when she tripped over vines. Randolf and Aurora worked side-by-side, sharing quiet smiles. They didn't need to be master builders; Ran had a free blueprint for the workbench. They simply had to gather the resources, pile them up, and command the System to build.
They ended up building four benches—one for the mission and one for each of them. As the final notch was placed, a notification popped up in the air.
> **[Mission Complete: 350 EXP Distributed.]**
> **[Bonus: 100 EXP per construction (x3).]**
>
They also gained additional experience from gathering resources scattered across the island. It was enough for their initial levels.
"Dad, Mom... Mia? How do you feel?" Ran asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I feel different, but I can't explain it. But look!" Mia screamed, pointing at the glowing air. "My status says Level 5! I'm an Awakener now! I'm Level 5!"
She began jumping up and down, her fatigue forgotten. Though she hadn't awakened her Martial Innate Soul yet, she could already use her attribute points to improve her body.
"It's the same for us," Randolf said in awe. He had been stuck at Level 9, working as a carpenter because he lacked a way to level up. Now, he had broken through to Level 10, unlocking a new skill from his Innate Martial Soul: Double Jump.
Aurora had reached Level 10 as well. She had previously been fired from the hospital because she couldn't upgrade her Mild Healing skill, but now it had evolved into Minor Healing—more than enough to get her job back. But looking at her family, she realized she had no desire to return to that life.
"Don't just look at the numbers," Ran coached. "Check the plus signs next to your attributes. Strength, Agility, Intelligence... you get 5 points per level. Use them, and you'll feel the change instantly."
"Oh! It's this!" Mia giggled, tapping the air rapidly. "Plus, plus, plus! Done!"
"Careful!" Ran warned. "Attributes are hard to reset. Balance is key, Mia! Don't just dump it all into—"
*Ding!*
A chime, louder and more melodic than the others, rang directly in Ran's mind.
> **[Ding! Congratulations! You have performed a Unique Action: Family Bonding.]**
> **[System Analysis: Action is unique and saturated with high-level emotional resonance.]**
> **[Reward: Passive Skill – Family]**
>
Ran froze. He pulled up the skill description, and his heart nearly stopped.
"Hahaha... Yes! Unbelievable!"
The three looked puzzled by his outburst. "What's the matter?" Randolf asked.
Ran calmed himself. He couldn't reveal his status as a transmigrator, so he framed it as a Lord's reward. "The System just gave us a massive edge! It's the 'Family' passive skill. Instead of dividing EXP between us, we all get the full amount. If I earn 1,000 EXP, I get 1,000—and you all get 1,000 too! We aren't sharing anymore... we're duplicating!"
The realization hit them like a physical weight. The shock was only broken by a sudden, loud stomach growl. Mia blushed and raised her hand. "I'm sorry... I haven't eaten yet."
Everyone laughed. Ran immediately gathered a glowing red berry nearby. It was a spiritual fruit, delicious and capable of instantly fulfilling the body's nutritional needs. These were scattered all over the island.
"With these, we don't have to worry about food," Aurora said, beaming.
"Right! Mom and Dad, you don't need to work anymore!" Mia cheered.
"Actually," Randolf said, looking at Aurora and Ran, "this is the time we should work more."
"Right, Dad," Ran agreed. "Since we are leveling up here, the work outside will be much easier to handle. We'll continue our daily lives so the world doesn't see our instant progress. If people see how fast we're growing, it will bring us nothing but trouble."
"Wise as expected of my son," Randolf smiled.
Meanwhile in the The Sayan World.
While Ran's family celebrated their first levels, the universe was proving to be much larger and more terrifying than they could imagine. In one of the Advanced Worlds, where the limit reached Level 10,000, the Sayan World hung in the cosmos like a golden sun.
Here, power was measured by the length and color of one's hair:
* **Lvl 1-3,000:** Yellow
* **Lvl 3,001-6,000:** Purple
* **Lvl 6,001-9,000:** Red
* **Lvl 9,001-10,000:** White
"The Dragon Lord is recruiting!" a cultivator screamed, his voice a thunderclap that shook the sky-high city.
"It's my chance! I'll finally leave this dirt behind!" one man shouted.
"Your chance? Look at your hair, peasant!" another jeered. "The Dragon Lord wants warriors, not trash who can't even fly straight!"
High above the clouds, the Dragon Lord (Lvl 7,010), Rank 95 on the Heavenly Ranking, stared down a Majestic Red Burning Phoenix. The heat was so intense the clouds were evaporating.
"Tsk! Tell your master to talk to me in person," the Dragon Lord spat, his red hair waving like a flag of blood. "I don't negotiate with pets."
"You arrogant worm!" the Phoenix shrieked, her wings beating with the sound of crashing mountains. "You think your dragons in the private world make you untouchable? My master will crush you!"
"If he wants a fight, I'm right here!" the Dragon Lord roared.
The Phoenix screamed, and the sky turned into a nightmare as red-hot magma poured from the heavens, drowning the world in fire. The Dragon Lord didn't flinch. His eyes turned into glowing slits, and his red aura exploded outward with a force that shattered the nearby clouds.
The Phoenix recoiled in sudden terror. In the blink of an eye, a man appeared, standing perfectly still atop the Phoenix's head.
"That's better," the Dragon Lord smirked, his aura finally stabilizing. "Now that you're here, let's make the trade."
The man nodded, his silence more terrifying than the Phoenix's scream.