The morning sun slowly pierced through the thin fog that enveloped the village. The sound of roosters crowing echoed, signaling the start of a new day.
The villagers began to emerge from their homes, carrying buckets, weaving tools, and baskets of crops. Children ran back and forth on the dirt roads, their laughter echoing between the wooden walls of the village houses.
In the village hall, the students had already gathered.
Some sat in a circle with the villagers, enjoying a simple breakfast served by the village head: warm porridge, coarse bread, and vegetable soup. Among them, the students also took out their own food: packets of instant noodles, biscuits, and various snacks from their world that looked foreign to the villagers.
The villagers stared with curiosity, and even some small children approached, intrigued by the colorful packages.
In a short time, the initially awkward atmosphere became lively. The villagers and students began to exchange food, and small laughter and quiet conversations could be heard in every corner. Even though they did not understand each other, it was enough to prove their warmth.
However, behind that warmth, there was still a sense of loss.
Of the twenty-eight students who had initially survived the first incident, only twenty remained. Eight of them had died in the cave, several others were still injured, and the rest had just regained consciousness.
Kevin sat among them, his face still pale, his movements stiff as if forcing his body to stay awake. Next to him, Rahel had just regained consciousness. Her hair was still messy, but her eyes slowly regained focus.
Near the door, William, Theo, Erik, and Leon were seen talking.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Raven's group, Kyle, Lisa, Hana, and Karin, were also sitting together, looking silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Only one person was missing from among them.
"Hey, Theo," Erik called out, glancing around.
"Do you know where Raven is? I haven't seen him since this morning."
Theo shook his head slowly. "I haven't seen him either."
"Shouldn't he be here? He's the one most involved with those bandits," said Erik, his voice half anxious.
Theo sighed briefly. "Maybe he left the village."
Leon, who had been sitting on the other side, chimed in. "I don't think so. I saw him earlier... out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to be watching us from a distance."
"Where?" Erik asked quickly.
"In the corner of that building." He nodded toward a wooden house not far from the village hall.
"He stood there for a moment. Just watching... then left before anyone noticed."
"Watching?" Theo repeated softly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Leon nodded. "Yes. Like he was making sure of something, I think."
Erik was about to say something else, but a soft but firm voice cut off their conversation.
"All right, everyone," said Riana as she stood up.
"The village chief wants to speak. So, I ask you all to listen carefully."
The chatter around them immediately stopped. All eyes were now on the village chief and Riana.
The village chief stepped forward slowly, his face looking tired but determined. He took a deep breath, then began to speak in Murim.
Riana translated each word carefully, her voice calm and clear.
The Village Chief explained everything about his village's relationship with the Ash Serpent Union, about how the bandits used to come and take their harvest as tribute, and how some residents were forced to help them as bandits.
It was a long and sorrowful story, and there was fear, suffering, and helplessness etched on the faces of the villagers who listened.
Some of the students looked shocked, even horrified. They looked at each other, trying to digest the fact that the place they had considered a "peaceful village" the night before had actually been living under threat for a long time.
On the other hand, William, who had been their guide, finally stepped forward. His face was serious, but there was guilt in his eyes.
"Thank you for the explanation," he said slowly, then turned to Riana to translate.
"We also have an explanation for what happened last night."
He began to tell their version of how the bandits attacked them in the cave, how some of the students were killed, and how they were finally rescued.
However, William refrained from mentioning anything related to their true origins. He hid everything about the modern world and the strange events because even if he talked about it, they would not believe or understand, and it could backfire on them as they would be seen as an even more dangerous threat.
The villagers listened intently, some shocked, some bowing their heads with guilty expressions.
The village chief nodded slowly after hearing everything, his face growing gloomier. Riana paused for a moment after translating, then looked at William with a heavy but understanding gaze.
Silence enveloped the village hall for a few seconds, only the morning breeze could be heard coming through the window, shaking the bamboo curtains and bringing the scent of wet earth into the room.
Finally, the village head spoke again.
After translating his last sentence, Riana lifted her face. Her voice was a little hoarse, either from exhaustion or from the burden that had not completely disappeared since last night.
"The village head thanks you for your honesty," she said softly, looking at each of the students gathered in front of her.
"But he wants to know... what exactly is your purpose in coming to a place like this?"
Some of the students looked at each other. No one was ready to answer that question.
William took a deep breath before stepping forward half a step.
"We got lost," he said finally. Slowly, but firmly.
"We're not from here, and we don't know how we got here. We're just trying to survive."
Riana translated the words carefully. The village chief was silent for a long time, staring at them all with a look that was difficult to interpret, somewhere between pity and suspicion. But finally, he nodded slowly.
"He said we can stay longer in this village," continued Riana.
"But... the situation around the village is still unstable. They are worried that if we stay here too long, it will attract the attention of the remaining bandits. They will help as much as they can, as long as you also help maintain the security of the village."
William nodded politely. "We understand. We will help," he said, and Riana translated again. The village chief smiled faintly, then stood up slowly, patting Riana on the shoulder before leaving the place with several guards.
After that, the atmosphere in the village hall relaxed a little. Quiet conversations began to be heard in various corners. Kevin sat leaning against a tree, his face still pale. Rahel sat pensively with a blank stare, as if her mind had not yet fully returned. Lisa and Karin helped distribute the remaining food to the residents, while Hana stood a little further away, staring at the village road that led out of the settlement.
Theo approached William.
"We need to talk about the next step," he said quietly. "We can't just stay here without a plan."
William looked at him for a moment before sighing deeply. "I know."
He crossed his arms over his chest, thinking. "But right now, the most important thing is to make sure everyone is safe first. If there really are still remnants of that group of people, we have to be ready immediately."
Theo nodded slowly. "Yes... and to be honest, I didn't expect the people who attacked us to be just a group of robbers. They killed for valuables." He shook his head in disbelief, then added in a heavier tone, "And from the beginning... they were targeting us."
William was silent for a moment upon hearing this. His jaw tightened.
"Yes... I didn't expect it either," he finally replied, his voice lower.
"Not to mention what Rahel said... about the abilities of the people in this world. We don't really understand what those powers are yet."
Theo was silent for a moment. "So what's the plan?"
"We gather everyone," said William firmly.
"We discuss it together. Everyone must know the situation."
Shortly thereafter, William asked all the students to gather near the village hall courtyard. Erik, Leon, and Riana sat on the right side waiting, while Rahel, who had just recovered, stared blankly at the ground. They began to discuss the information Erik and Rahel had shared about the murim world and possible ways to survive if they had to face another threat.
Meanwhile, on the path leading to the village head's house, the morning breeze blew softly, carrying the scent of damp earth. The village chief walked slowly, thinking about his earlier conversation with the foreign guests. But his steps stopped when he saw a figure standing at the edge of the road, a young man dressed unusually with sharp eyes like an eagle's.
"Ah, aren't you... that young man?" greeted the village chief warmly.
"Can I help you?"
He smiled awkwardly when he saw Raven's cold and expressionless face.
"Ah, sorry... you don't understand my language, do you? Maybe it's better if I call the girl from your group, the one who can translate." The village head pointed towards the village hall, trying to gesture his meaning so that it would be understood.
Before he could take a step, a low voice cut through the morning air.
"No need."
The village chief turned his head.
"Hey, Old Man," Raven continued calmly, "let's talk."
The village chief was stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief when he heard Raven speaking fluent Murim.
"E-eh?" he muttered in surprise.
"Don't you guys understand our language? Only that girl can, right?"
Raven smiled slightly, but the smile was colder than the morning dew.
"Not really," she said softly.
"But I hope you don't tell anyone about this if you still want your head to stay on your shoulders, and this village not to be filled with corpses."
Her tone was flat, but it contained a threat that made the village chief's blood run cold. Cold sweat began to form on his temples.
"Who... who are you, really?" his voice trembled, almost inaudible.
Raven didn't answer immediately. He just stared for a few seconds longer, as if assessing how far the old man was able to understand the situation.
"We don't need to discuss who I am," he said finally.
"What we need to discuss is what will happen next."
He glanced briefly at the village road, making sure no residents were too close.
"Let's talk somewhere safer," he continued quietly.
"This kind of conversation shouldn't be overheard by just anyone."
The village chief hesitated for a moment, then nodded stiffly.
They walked towards the fields on the edge of the village, away from the wooden houses and the sounds of morning activity. The wind blew gently, rustling the grass and leaves.
Under the large tree that shaded the open field, the two of them finally stopped.
It was just the two of them.
And the conversation that would determine the direction of the relationship between the small village and the foreign visitors.