[Post-Court — ??? Realm]
Everything vanished.
The courtroom. The monks. The screaming cultist who passed out from secondhand embarrassment.
Gone.
Yomen blinked into darkness.
"…Am I dead again?"
Silence.
Blackness.
Panic.
"Oh no. Oh HELL no. Did that damn judge vaporize me?! I knew I shouldn't have done the shirt thing—why do I always ruin everything with the shirt thing?!"
Then—light.
Not dramatic holy light. More like a painfully slow rendering of reality.
Buildings faded into existence. People materialized like Sims loading into a laggy server.
And in the middle of it all…
A massive, god-tier tower.
So tall it pierced the clouds. So radiant it glowed like a divine Instagram filter. At its base, holy symbols, glowing marble statues, and at least three doves doing suspiciously synchronized flight patterns.
Above it all, a golden sign read:
THE CHURCH
Yomen squinted. "...Bro. That's just called 'The Church'? What kind of lazy isekai worldbuilding—"
He snorted.
Then laughed.
Then muttered to himself, "God, this world really was written by an unpaid intern."
[City of Auralis — The Walk of Confusion]
Yomen began walking, hoping the scenery would distract him from the existential dread.
Nope.
More confusion.
There were people everywhere—and not just people.
There were furries.
Literal walking, talking animal people. Fox girls, wolf dudes, a tiger man arguing with a kebab vendor.
Yomen stared. "They're… weirdly cute. But also weirdly weird."
He kept walking, brain doing backflips.
Alright, focus. I need aura. I need to survive. I need… maybe a circus? Or a TikTok channel?
'Clown's Blessing: Sponsored by Emotional Damage™' — I could brand that. Go viral. Become a meme mage.
But there was no time to screw around. He needed a real plan. Something with actual results.
And then—
"YOMEEEEEEN!"
He turned.
A guy that looks like an npc from genshin was sprinting toward him like he owed him money and a hug. Shaggy brown hair. Aura cloak. Big dumb smile.
Yomen braced for impact.
The guy skidded to a stop. "BRO. YOU. ARE. THE. GOAT."
"…Huh?"
"I saw you in the courtroom!" the guy panted. "You did the TUNG TUNG SAHUR technique! That's, like, forbidden-level cringe magic! You're a natural."
Yomen blinked. "You mean the part where I took off my shirt and yelled nonsense at a monk?"
"Exactly! That move only works for high-aura users. I thought you were gonna die, but you thrived, man!"
Yomen scratched his head. "So… I might actually survive?"
The guy grinned. "Maybe. If you're lucky."
He extended a hand. "Name's Gilbert. Aura Seeker. I've got 1,000 aura, just started farming it last year."
They shook hands.
Yomen sighed. "Nice to meet you, Gilbert. I literally died yesterday. I don't know how anything here works."
Gilbert slapped him on the back. "Say less. I got you."
[Gilbert's Lore Dump™: Aura for Idiots]
"First off," Gilbert said, "this world runs on aura. It's our money, power, social status, job system—everything. 1 aura = 10 coins. You wanna be rich? Aura. You wanna eat? Aura. You wanna flirt with an elf barista without getting kicked out? AURA."
Yomen's eyes widened. "Bro. I need to make, like, a million dollars' worth of aura just to stay alive."
Gilbert nodded. "Yep! And fast. But there's a catch—"
He pointed ahead.
"In this world, power is controlled by familias—groups that serve one of the seven gods. Every continent has its own god, and every god has dozens of familias under them."
Yomen squinted. "Sounds like a giant, divine MLM scheme."
Gilbert grinned. "It kinda is. But here's the real tea: familias are ranked."
✦ Low-tier Familias — Broke. Weak. Struggling. You get three potatoes and a prayer.
✦ Mid-tier Familias — Stable. Competitive. Decent food. Good training.
✦ High-tier Familias — Rich. Famous. OP. Sponsored by gods and skincare brands.
Gilbert lowered his voice. "It's hard to get into a mid-tier, let alone a high-tier one. They only accept people with talent, aura potential, or noble blood. Most of us get rejected before we even hit the gate."
Yomen: "So I'm gonna have to fight for clout just to join the world's version of spiritual Costco?"
Gilbert nodded solemnly.
[Reality Check]
"So," Yomen asked, "how am I supposed to eat, sleep, and farm aura if I'm broke, homeless, and spiritually useless?"
Gilbert smiled. "Lucky for you, every year they hold an open test: The Adventurer Entry Exam. If you pass, you get accepted into a familia. You live for free. Train for free. Eat for free. And if you perform well, you gain tons of aura."
Yomen blinked. "So it's like spiritual college with less debt but more risk of dying?"
"Exactly. But the exam is hard. And dangerous. People fail. Some… never leave."
Yomen paused.
Okay. So I join a familia.
Use my clown powers to gain aura from emotional reactions.
Climb the ranks.
Don't die.
Profit.
He looked at Gilbert. "You taking the test too?"
"Hell yeah!" Gilbert fist-pumped. "I'm aiming a decent familia."
Yomen nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's team up."
They dapped up with perfect comedic timing.
[Party Formed: Gilbert – Aura Seeker – 1,000 Aura]
[Aura Quest Updated: Pass the Familia Exam]
[Deadline: 29 Days Remaining]
Yomen stared at the massive golden church in the distance.
"Alright," he muttered. "Operation: Aura or Die trying… begins tomorrow."