Chapter #1

–Allies–

He sleepily walked to a town near his hometown after he visited his old unused house at his hometown yesterday. With his half-opened eyes, he looked around to see his surroundings. He just hit a tree few minutes ago so he didn’t want to do the same mistake again in the next minutes.

When he looked up, he just realized he was already in front of the small village he wanted to visit. He honestly liked this village. A village that’s being surrounded by forest with soft wind blows, simple houses that was built from woods, nice people who like to help each other and almost everything here are cheap.

Without wasting any time, he walked slowly inside the village while yawning. His right hand held his backpack while his left hand was inside his pocket in order to keep his hand warm. Even though he already wore black thick jacket and grey scarf, the autumn wind didn’t fail to make him shivered in cold.

He lazily walked towards the inn and once he arrived at the inn, he walked towards the receptionist. The young girl from the receptionist greeted him while asked, “Is there something I can help you with?” The young girl smiled while took a pen just in case she needed it.

He smiled back at her. “I want to meet Lee Hyori,” he said while putted his backpack on the floor for resting a bit. “I hope you could call her for me, Miss...,” he paused to look at her nametag, “Miss Lee Hayi.” He smiled widely after he noticed the receptionists’ name.

The young girl looked at him confusedly. “Well… Madam Hyori is busy now. Did Madam already know about your visits?” she asked while getting ready the phone to call Hyori. “May I know your name, sir? I will tell Madam about your visit.”

“Lee Howon is my name,” he said while smiled at her. “I hope you could convince her to come to the lobby now,” he continued while chuckled. After the receptionist hear his name, she immediately recognized him but she just smiled and signaling him to wait for a minute because she already pressed the call button.

“Madam… Someone here at the inn lobby to meet you,” the receptionist said after she heard a response. She waited for awhile to listen and speak once the other line stopped speak, “Madam, it’s Lee Howon. He wants to meet you…” After she spoke those words, Hoya could hear the other line shouted even he wasn’t the one who’s calling her. “But–” Her words were cut and she immediately put the phone back at the place.

“I’m sorry, Howon-ssi… Madam said she was busy and she wasn’t at the inn right now. She was at her home… well… being the owner of this inn wasn’t a really easy job…” She shrugged a little then smiled at him, “You’ve grown up, Howon-ssi… It’s been six years since we last met.”

He chuckled, “I’ve never thought you would work here, step sister. You’ve grown up, too.” He patted her head while ruffling her hairs. “And, you don’t need to call Aunt Hyori as Madam. It made me creeps out. Oh, I almost forgot!” He snapped out and pointed at her while pouted, “Stop calling me ‘Howon-ssi’. I’m your brother for heaven’s sake.”

It was true. She was his step sister from the same mother, different father. Hoya’s father died due a very serious disease when he was three. So her mother married again. Well, it wasn’t a big deal for him anyway. He was somewhat happy for having a little sister anyway. But, her parents–or you could say, Hoya’s mother and step father–died on a train accident.

She quickly repaired her messy hair thanks to him, “I honestly don’t recognize you earlier. Well, I think you should get going now. Aunt will get mad if you don’t hurry. Plus, I’m begging you to help our aunt. She seems… in a big trouble.”

“Are you shooing me away?” He sighed while holding his chest like he was hurt, “I finally paid a visit to you and you shooing me away? You really are a cruel family…”

She laughed at him, “So do you. Now go before Aunt Hyori gets mad.” He nodded at her words and quickly took his bag before taking his leave. “Bye bye!” He shouted while waved at her before he was out of her sight.

After visiting the inn, he quickly walked to a house he very knew so well. He knocked the door without hesitating and waited for an answer. After a while, the door was open and a middle aged woman standing there in front of him. And the first sentence she said, “What do you want?” Oh, her tone was terrifying angry.

He just shrugged his shoulder and smiled, “I wanted to visit my aunt. Is that a problem?” He asked her in a very casual tone and without her permission, he casually entered which he could hear her aunt groaned in return. “What’s the problem, auntie? I’ve lived here for years before,” he rolled his eyes while making his way towards the living room.

When he arrived at the living room, he looked surprised at the sight of the messy living room. There are many papers everywhere. When he looked at the center, he was surprise. “Oh? You use an archive magic at this time… but for what?”

Archive Magic allows the user to convert information into Magical data, which can be stored, enabling the user to gain access to previously stored information, such as other types of Magic. It is mainly used by flat-screens which are projected into the air. These screens are very durable and can be used as a shield. It also allows the user to transfer information from person to person more quickly than through verbal communication.

“It’s none of your business.” She said while crossing her hands in front of her chest. Feeling annoyed, he looked at her while raised an eyebrow. His facial expression showed that he is indeed annoyed.

“Hey. Spit it out. I know you wouldn’t use your magic for some useless things,” he demanded an answer while turning his head to look at her archive. “Better explain, auntie,” he raised his voice a little bit while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“I was trying to locate someone,” she said. He could hear her scoffed, “But I haven’t pinpointed the magical source yet. If you ask why I haven’t, it’s because I sensed a strong magic–not really that strong–but it faded slowly before it disappear. It’s pretty confusing and I’m afraid the user was hurt.”

“Ah… I see…,” he said while looking around. “But are you sure that’s all?” He looked at the archive and saw two loading page. “There’re two…,” he said while pointed at the archive. When he pointed at the fact, she groaned in frustrated.

“Many people kept complaining at me! They say, ‘Oh help us, there’s a damn thief,’” she said in mocking tone. “Oh come on! They needed to give me a break! I’m so busy! I’m the owner of the inn and also their head village and I’m–” She frowned and sat at the sofa angrily while muttering some… well, you could say bad words.

He looked at his own aunt while raising an eyebrow at her, “Do you need my help?” He asked that with a very careful tone, afraid he might anger his aunt. His aunt raised her gazes from the floor to look at him. And seeing her face, he could know what she would say about this.

“You better damn do it for me before I kick your out of here!” Uh-oh, he doesn’t have any other choices doesn’t he? “Well, what are you waiting for you dumb kid!? Are you waiting for me to kick you out for real!?” She shouted at him while glared.

“But aunt, why didn’t you search it manual?” He asked that while scratched his head in confusion. But when he saw her expression, he damn regretted what he said. So, without wasting anytime, he tried to fix his word, “I mean–”

“So you’re asking me to look around at the forest!? I have a lot other works to do!!” She growled at him while stood up from her chair. He shook his head while mouthing ‘nothing’ and ran away from her house to find either the thief or the magic source. Wait a second, how could he find something that even an archive magic couldn’t find? Oh, he really is fool.

He quickly made his way towards the nearest wood to find something–or maybe a little clue–about what he’s looking for. First, he looked around the nearest wood before he started to go deeper. After fifteen minutes looking, he decided to go a little bit deeper.

And there, he saw an injured teenage girl. Feeling panicked, he rushed towards the girl and quickly carried her to her aunt house. Well, that’s what he wanted to. But unfortunately, someone stopped right in front of him while signing him to stop.

“What do you want, miss? Can you see she’s hurt?” He asked the girl who’s oddly looking like… a cat?

“Stop right there and handed me your money, meow!!” She threatened him while getting ready to attack him. “Or I’ll make you regret for not following my orders! I need to buy fish, meow!” She shouted at him.

Suddenly, they both could hear a sound right above them, or you could say at the tree, “Naeun-ah. It’s not nice.” A man’s voices said while throwing an apple towards the oddly looking girl, “I apologized for her, mister.” He sighed and jumped down, and now Hoya could saw clearly what he looked likes.

Pointed nose, black hair, fair skin, wore a black jeans, black jacket, and also a black hood. Is he black maniac or something? While observing him, he didn’t realize he was being observed by that guy. “Your friend is hurt? You should hurry and take her to the nearest hospital,” his voice made Hoya startled. The girl nodded in agreement while looked at him.

He observed her a little. She’s thin, has wavy hair, fair skin, beautiful face, and beautiful figures. She wears a black wool hat that covering her upper hair, black sweater with long sleeves, and a tight short that cut in mid tight.

“Oh yeah…,” he said. But then he realized something, “Hey! Aren’t you guys the thieves!?” He shouted while glared at them. Surprisingly, the girl shook her head vigorously like she was denying while the boy pointed at his own friend.

“Well then you both are coming with me!” He said while walking passes them. The boy was practically dragging the girl while the girl was whining and pleading the boy to let her go.

“Myungsoo-ya! Let me go, meow!”

“I didn’t expecting this. Well, well… you really are something,” his aunt praised him while drinking her coffee to calm her nerves down. He scoffed at her words and stared at her while leaning on the wall, muttering under his breath something that they didn’t understand.

“So, mind explaining why you steal on my village?” she asked in unfriendly tone while staring at the two unfamiliar faces.

“It’s not my fault. I didn’t steal,” the guy said while glaring at the girl. “You can say, she’s the one who steal,” he said matter-of-factly, didn’t really care about what will happen to his own friend. Such a bad friend, isn’t he? Well, most of people like to save their asses first before saving others in some circumstances, right?

The girl looked at her with teary eyes, “I’m really sorry, Madam Hyori… Don’t ask where I know your name and back to the point, I didn’t mean it… We–I mean me…,” she shuttered when she saw the guy besides him glared at her, “I’m starving… and we don’t have money… W-wait, I mean me–not both of us… He didn’t do anything wrong…”

“Look, I won’t punish you if you tell me the truth right here and right now,” Hyori said while sighing. “But I hope you both won’t do it again okay?” She stared at them both while they just nodded their heads.

“Hey, what kind of magic did you use? My aunt can’t even detect you…,” Hoya spoke as he observed them both. “If you both don’t have really special magic, maybe my aunt is lacking her skill,” he grinned when he said that while his aunt sending a death glare at him.

“Mine~? I use Dark Sky Demon Slayer Magic,” the girl happily said while clapped happily, like she proud of her magic so much.

“A lost magic… What a surprise…,” Hoya said while looking at the girl. “How about you?” he turned his gazes towards the guy next to her. “Care to explain?”

“It’s none of your business, mister,” he said while looked at Hoya with uninterested faces.

Before Hoya could speak, the girl interfere their conversation, “Myungsoo has a great magic! He used Take Over magic!” She happily said while clapped her hands a little. “Take Over: Persona Soul. He’s the best!” she happily said while grinned at him.

The boy looked at his friend while chuckled. “You should keep your mouth shout a little, Miss Son Naeun,” he sighed.

“You guys have an incredible magic! Why don’t you three make an ally?” Hyori said while looking at all of them. The words that escaped make the three of them look each other to observed their physical appearance, afraid that their new allies don’t have a good physical body such as muscles.

“Hmm… I guess I don’t mind about it…,” The boy that being called Myungsoo said while nodded slowly in approval. “Well, how do you say Naeun?” he asked his friend while looked at her.

“Yay! I have a new friend and ally!” she happily exclaimed. It seems she already approved about it without thinking any further. “Oh! By the way, my name is Son Naeun. And this guy is Kim Myungsoo. What’s your name?”

“My name’s Hoya. Nice to meet you both,” he said while smiling at them. He turned to his aunt in curiosity, “Shall we take her as well?” he said while pointed at the unconscious girl that have many band aid. He turned his gaze towards his aunt to ask her permission.

“Well, it’s up to you. If you want to take her, you should wait for her to recover for a while,” she said while looking back at him.

“I think… I already recover…,” a voice made them turned their heads towards the sound source. And there, they found the girl already trying to sit straight while looking at them one by one. “I’ve… already wake up… since Ahjumma took care of my wound… But I decided to rest… because of my fatigue…”

“Ahh… Glad to know then… But may I ask why you’re hurt awhile ago?” Hyori asked curiously while looked at her. The girl just smiled in return while shaking her head. “Fine if you don’t want to tell me then. You all should go to an adventure then!” she said while looking at them.

“Wait. I’ve been wondering about your magic, Hoya and also you too. Before that, mind if I ask your name?” Naeun asked while looked at Hoya and also the girl.

“My magic is Thunder Magic…,” Hoya said simply.

“My name is Jung Eunji… And my magic is White Ice Magic. Nice to meet you all.”

Sorry for the long update. I've been busy lately~ Mianhae! :O

I hope you like this chapter though! Until then, Bye!