Chapter 3: The Family Secret
Ran took a deep breath, unlocked his bedroom door, and stepped back into the tiny living room.
The atmosphere in the apartment was still suffocating. His mother, Aurora, was standing by the stove, mechanically stirring the meat stew. She wasn't even looking at the pot; she was just staring blankly at the peeling wallpaper. His father, Randolf, hadn't moved an inch. He was still sitting at the wobbly wooden table with his head in his hands, looking like a man who had just been handed a death sentence.
Mia was sitting on the floor in the corner, quietly tracing patterns in the dust with her finger.
Ran felt a lump in his throat. He hated seeing them like this. It was time to flip their world upside down.
"Mom. Dad. Mia. Can you guys come here for a second?" Ran asked, his voice crackling with excitement.
Randolf slowly lifted his head, his eyes red and exhausted. "Ran, please. Go back to bed. We know you are upset, and we are not mad at you. But pacing around and shouting isn't going to fix anything."
"I'm not upset, Dad," Ran said, walking over and placing his hands firmly on the table. He couldn't keep the massive smile off his face anymore. "I didn't fail today. My Martial Innate Soul wasn't trash. It's actually a key."
Aurora stopped stirring the stew. She turned around, a look of deep worry crossing her face. "A key? Honey, what are you talking about? The screen said it was a Basic Orb."
"It lied, Mom. Or at least, it didn't understand what it was scanning," Ran explained, speaking quickly. "The orb is a key to a Private World. It's a whole separate, hidden dimension! I am the Lord of this dimension, and we can go there to gather resources, level up, and get stronger in complete secret. And the best part is, I can bring you all with me!"
Randolf sighed heavily, exchanging a heartbroken look with Aurora.
"He's lost his mind," Randolf muttered, rubbing his face. "The stress of the ceremony broke him. Aurora, maybe we should take him to the clinic—"
"I am not crazy!" Ran interrupted, laughing slightly because he knew exactly how insane he sounded. "I can prove it right now!"
"I believe you, big brother!"
Everyone turned to look at the corner. Mia stood up, brushing the dust off her knees. Her young face was full of determination. Unlike their parents, who had been beaten down by years of poverty and disappointment, Mia still had the bright, burning fire of hope. She walked right up to Ran and grabbed his hand.
"If you say you have a secret world, then I want to see it," Mia said bravely.
Ran smiled down at her. "Hold on tight, Mia. Don't let go."
Ran focused his mind and opened his Lord System interface. He navigated to the 'Party' tab and selected his sister.
[Detection: Non-player contact.]
[Lord 'Ran' wishes to invite 'Mia' to be his subordinate in the Private World. Accept?]
Mia's red eyes went wide as a holographic, glowing blue screen suddenly materialized right in front of her face. "Mom! Dad! I see it! There is a floating blue box in the air! It's asking me if I want to be a player!"
Aurora dropped her wooden spoon into the stew with a splash. "A floating box? Mia, step away from your brother!"
"Say yes, Mia," Ran urged, ignoring his panicked parents.
Mia reached out and tapped the floating word 'Accept'.
In an absolute instant, with a quiet *whoosh*, Ran and Mia vanished into thin air right in front of their parents' eyes.
Aurora screamed, stepping back and knocking a ceramic cup off the counter. It shattered into pieces on the floor. Randolf leaped out of his chair, his chair flipping over backward, staring at the empty space where his children had just been standing.
***
Inside the Private World of Sayfrid, Mia gasped as her bare feet hit the warm, sugar-white sand.
The transition was instant. One second she was in a cramped, smelly apartment, and the next, she was standing under a brilliant blue sky. The ocean stretched out forever, sparkling like liquid glass. The air smelled incredibly fresh.
"Wow!" Mia breathed out, looking at the vibrant green jungle behind the beach. "Brother, this is beautiful! It really is a whole other world!"
Then, a cool ocean breeze swept across the beach.
Mia suddenly felt very chilly. She looked down at herself and realized the harsh, unforgiving rule of the system. The Private World did not allow outside items to enter—and that included clothing.
"Ahhhhh!!!" Mia shrieked at the top of her lungs. She instantly dropped to the sand, curling into a tight ball and wrapping her arms around her knees. Her face turned as red as a tomato. "Brother! Do not look! Close your eyes right now!"
Ran, who was also completely naked, groaned loudly. "Not again! I forgot about the spawn rule!"
He immediately snapped his head around to face the opposite direction, staring intently at the jungle. "I'm not looking! I promise! I am currently staring at a very fascinating coconut tree!" he yelled back. He had completely forgotten to warn her. His sister was thirteen; this was a total disaster.
"Fix it!" Mia cried from the sand.
"I'm fixing it! Give me a second!" Ran frantically opened his System Store.
Because he had rejected the 100-credit loan for the survival manual earlier, his credit limit was still open. He quickly selected 'Accept Loan' and scrolled down to the basic apparel section. He bought two sets of coarse linen clothing for 50 credits each.
With a flash of light, two folded piles of brown cloth appeared on the sand.
"Here! Put this on!" Ran said, tossing one of the bundles over his shoulder without looking back. He quickly pulled on his own rough linen trousers and a simple tunic. It was scratchy and uncomfortable, but it was a million times better than being naked.
He heard the frantic rustling of fabric behind him.
"Okay. You can turn around now," Mia said, her voice still trembling with embarrassment.
Ran turned around. Mia was wearing a baggy brown tunic that went down to her knees, tied at the waist with a piece of rope. She looked like a tiny, angry peasant. She was crossing her arms and pouting fiercely.
"I am so sorry about that," Ran chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "The system strips all outside items when you enter for the first time. I totally forgot."
"You are the worst Lord ever," Mia grumbled, though a small smile was starting to break through her pout. She uncrossed her arms and looked around again. "But... this place really is amazing. What are we going to do here?"
"We are going to gather resources," Ran explained. "The soil on this island has never been touched by humans. It is pure, raw magical land. That means even the most basic things here are highly valuable in the real world."
As he spoke, Mia noticed something near her feet. Where the white sand met the edge of the jungle, patches of lush green grass were growing. But this grass wasn't normal. It was glowing with a soft, pulsing, emerald-green light.
"Brother... the grass," Mia pointed. "Is it supposed to glow like that?"
Ran looked down. His Golden Finger knowledge instantly identified the plant.
"Spiritual Blade Grass," Ran gasped, his eyes widening. "I can't believe it's just growing like weeds on the beach!"
"Is it valuable?" Mia asked, kneeling down to look closer.
"Mia, in Glory City, cultivators use this grass to make healing potions and energy pills. The cheapest blade of Spiritual Grass sells for fifty silver coins," Ran said, his voice shaking with excitement. "Fifty silver coins is exactly what Dad makes in an entire month of breaking his back at the construction site."
Mia's jaw dropped. She looked at the massive patch of glowing grass stretching along the tree line. There had to be hundreds of blades. "We're rich?" she whispered.
"Take as much as you can hold in your hands," Ran smiled broadly. "We are going back right now to show Mom and Dad."
Mia didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled over to the grass, carefully plucking the glowing green blades. She gathered a massive bouquet of them, cradling them in her arms like a precious treasure. Ran grabbed a handful for himself as well.
"Ready?" Ran asked.
Mia nodded eagerly.
Ran tapped the exit button on his system interface.
***
Back in the apartment in Glory City, total chaos had taken over.
Randolf was standing in the middle of the living room holding a large, sharp kitchen knife. He looked completely unhinged, spinning around in circles as if trying to find the invisible monster that had kidnapped his children.
Aurora was on the floor, hyperventilating. "They're gone! Randolf, they just vanished! My babies are gone!"
"I'll kill whoever took them!" Randolf roared, gripping the knife so hard his knuckles turned white. "Show yourself!"
Suddenly, the air shimmered, and with a familiar *whoosh*, Ran and Mia reappeared in the center of the room. They were no longer wearing their school and casual clothes; they were wearing rough, brown linen tunics.
Randolf yelped and nearly dropped the knife.
"Mom! Dad! Look!" Mia shouted happily.
She held out her arms, showing off the massive handful of glowing, vibrant green grass. The moment the grass entered the real world, its magic reacted with the stale air. The tiny, depressing apartment was instantly illuminated by a beautiful emerald light. A refreshing, sweet medicinal aroma filled the room, completely erasing the smell of rust and boiled cabbage.
Just breathing in the scent made Aurora stop crying. Her panicked breathing slowed down, and she felt a sudden rush of energy enter her tired body.
The room fell dead silent.
Randolf slowly lowered the kitchen knife. He walked forward, his hands trembling. He reached out and gently touched one of the glowing blades of grass. He could feel the raw, pulsing spiritual energy humming against his calloused fingers.
Tears began to stream down Randolf's rough face. But this time, they were not tears of sorrow or stress. They were tears of pure shock, relief, and salvation.
"This... this is Spiritual Blade Grass," Randolf whispered, his voice cracking. He looked up at Ran, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Where did you get this? This handful... Ran, this is worth more than I make in a year."
"I told you, Dad," Ran smiled gently, putting a hand on his father's shaking shoulder. "I didn't fail today. The system gave me an entire untouched world. And this grass is just the weeds growing on the beach."
Aurora slowly stood up from the floor, wiping her eyes. She walked over and hugged Mia tightly, careful not to crush the precious glowing grass. "It's really real," she sobbed into Mia's shoulder. "You weren't lying."
"I would never lie to you about something this important," Ran said. He looked at his parents, his expression turning serious. "Mom, Dad, we don't have to be poor anymore. We don't have to starve, and Dad doesn't have to break his back for pennies. But I can't do this alone. If we are going to survive and protect this secret, I need your help."
Randolf wiped his face with his sleeve and stood up straight. The defeated, exhausted look he had worn for the past few years was completely gone. In its place was a fierce, protective fire.
"What do you need us to do, son?" Randolf asked.
Ran smiled and opened his Lord interface again. "First, I need you to accept my party invite. Then, I need you to help me build a fortress."