The night sky stretched endlessly above them.
Muran sat by the glowing embers of their concealed campfire, wrapped in his cloak, the twins asleep beside him. Mu Chongyuan and Mu Chongyu—tiny bundles of warmth—breathed softly, their sleeping faces lit by the quiet silver of moonlight. The third, Mu Shuyin, was gently strapped to his back, resting with her small hands pressed against his shoulders.
He looked up, eyes tracing the sky.
There, just above the trees, hung the full moon—luminous and vast. But near it, glowing faintly like a companion star, was a second shape. A *half-moon*, tilted on its side, forever chasing or cradling the larger one.
A hush settled over the world. For the first time in days, Muran allowed himself to feel something beyond urgency.
*"A moon with a half-moon beside it…"* he thought.
It wasn't just symbolic. It was a sign.
*"God of Moon… you really granted it,"* he whispered.
He looked down at the two boys beside him and Mu Shuyin on his back. Their tiny hands rested against his chest. They were warm. Alive.
His second wish. A family that chose him.
He brushed a curl from Chongyuan's forehead and let out a slow breath. "I'm not alone anymore."
Behind him, Chun Li and Chu Yi huddled beside a map spread on a mossy log, whispering about routes and danger zones. The knight known only as **Fog** stood guard silently at the edge of the tree line.
"Chu Yi, we're here," Chun Li said, pointing to a pass. "If we follow the trade routes, we can reach the coastal provinces within weeks."
But Muran walked over, his voice firm. "No."
He pointed to a dark, jagged area at the far west corner of the parchment—**the Mountain of Mysteries**, a land veiled in death and myth.
Both maids turned pale.
"Young master, that place—" Chun Li began talking.
"—Even the Five Great Empires don't dare enter it!" Chu Yi added quickly. "It's cursed. A sanctum of Unknown and forgotten gods."
Muran only nodded. "Exactly. Which means it's the one place they won't look for me."
"But..." Chu Yi frowned. "How would we even survive there?"
Muran smiled faintly. *Because I know what lies in that mountain. And I know how to safely go there.*
He looked to the babies.
"They inherited both."
A heavy silence fell.
Then, for the first time, *Fog* moved.
He stepped forward. "You'll die in there."
Muran met his eyes. "I won't."
With a low sigh, Fog pulled off his obsidian mask.
A scar sliced across his left brow. His eyes—sharp, golden, and unreadable—pierced through the gloom like a predator's.
Muran's eyes flared crimson. The *Appraisal Eye* activated.
═════════════════════════════
STATUS WINDOW — Fog
═════════════════════════════
Name: Fog
Sex: Male
Age:33
Mun: Black Panther
— Type: Rare Mark
— Mun Type: Transformation Mun
— Traits: Stealth, Lurking Power, Night Ambush
Abilities:
• Shadow Rend — tears through barriers under the cover of darkness
• Silent Prowl — movement undetectable even by most Muns
Talents:
• First Aid [B-Rank] — skilled in stabilizing wounds mid-mission; can treat Mun disruptions and minor curses
• Ninja [S-Rank] — master of infiltration, terrain blending, and silent takedowns
• Smoke Veil [A-Rank] — creates a spiritual mist that disrupts enemy perception and weakens sensory-based tracking
• Pressure Point Mastery [A-Rank] — expert in disabling targets with minimal force; can paralyze, silence, or disarm with surgical strikes
Estrella Stage: Pito
Internal Level: Peak 3
═════════════════════════════
Muran blinked.
*"Definitely not in the novel. A deviation? A new variable? Or something else…"*
Still, he met Fog's gaze calmly.
"You're welcome to leave," Muran said.
Fog didn't reply. He stared for a moment longer, then turned back to the trees, resuming his silent guard.
The Five Great Empires
As they packed their gear and prepared to move, Muran asked the group, "Tell me what you know about the Five Empires."
Chun Li began. "First is the Zhong Empire… the one you escaped from, Young Master."
"It has stood for more than 600 years," she added solemnly. "Where Esmar, the army of iron-blooded elites, rules the land. Their strength lies in strategy and sheer power."
Muran nodded. "They're brutal, but not invincible."
Chu Yi continued, "The Second Empire is Kaelthar, the Cradle of Flame and Forge. They're famous for blacksmithing and alchemy. Their weapons are enchanted, their cities powered by crystal arrays."
Muran thought of flame-forged swords and explosive dust. "Innovation is their weapon."
Chun Li took over. "The Third is Ashavelle, the Spirit Empire. Not much is known… they use a mysterious energy called Spiritism—a power that speaks to souls, echoes, and ghosts."
"They are secretive," Fog added. "But dangerous. Their whispers can kill."
Chu Yi gestured upward. "The Fourth is Skydome—a floating empire in the clouds. Only those with **flying-type Muns** may enter freely."
"They don't meddle in lower-world matters," Chun Li said, "but they see everything."
"And the Fifth?" Muran asked.
Chun Li hesitated. "Thalorinth. The Sea Empire. Entirely underwater."
"They breathe like whales," Chu Yi whispered. "And only water Muns appear among their kind. Their society… is completely unknown to surface dwellers."
Muran exhaled.
Five empires. Five vastly different powers. But they were not his enemies. Not now.
Only one of them hunted him.
Only one empire—the Zhong Empire—was the place he had escaped from.
But he wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.
The Forest of Solace
Ten days into their escape, the trees thickened. Branches twisted into spirals. Roots coiled like serpents. Birds no longer sang.
They had entered the **Forest of Solace**—a woodland so immense that some said it dwarfed the mountains because of how big the trees were.
"This is it," Muran murmured. "The beasts that live here… this is their sanctum."
The air was heavier here. Magical. Ancient.
Chu Yi's owl Mun twitched uneasily.
Chun Li clutched her blade tighter. "We should not be here…"
Muran simply smiled and looked at the sky.
There, once again, the moon and its half-shadow lingered together.
An omen. A promise.
He looked down at his children, held safe in his arms.
"Let the world chase ghosts," he said. "We'll build a new story from the ashes."
They stepped forward together, eyes filled with quiet but fierce resolve. As they walked into the ancient wilds, their Muns pulsed softly—resonating in unspoken harmony. Fog followed silently, his presence trailing like a shadow, his blade and senses ready to shield the ones who dared walk the unknown path.
And so they vanished deeper into the Forest of Solace, each step carrying them further from their past—and closer to a destiny yet unwritten.