The room was filled with silence once again.
Neo was still standing where he was, but his thoughts kept returning to the dream he had just experienced.
Suddenly, something crossed his mind.
“I just remembered something…”
Diana, who was standing not far from him, immediately turned around.
“What?”
Neo looked at her.
“Before I woke up… I had a dream.”
Hearing that, Diana’s father and mother also began paying closer attention to Neo.
Neo continued,
“In that dream, I met someone.”
Diana furrowed her brow slightly.
“Someone?”
Neo nodded.
“I don’t know who they were. I can’t remember their face clearly, either.”
Neo fell silent for a moment.
He could still remember the figure shrouded in light, but the more he tried to recall their face, the blurrier the image became.
“But they told me something.”
Diana stared at Neo intently.
“What did they say?”
Neo looked at Diana, then glanced at her father and mother.
In a quiet voice, he answered,
“They told me… to find the Demon King.”
The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
No one spoke.
Diana’s father, who had seemed calm until then, suddenly froze.
Shock appeared on his face.
“T-The Demon King…?”
Neo nodded.
“Yes.”
Diana’s father stared at Neo as if trying to make sure he had heard correctly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Neo answered firmly.
“I’m absolutely sure.”
Diana’s father remained silent for quite some time.
His gaze slowly turned serious.
Then he said,
“Ten years ago…”
Neo looked at him.
“The Demon King came to this village.”
Neo’s eyes widened slightly.
Diana’s father continued,
“He destroyed this village and injured many people.”
The man’s voice sounded heavy.
“At the time, we didn’t have the power to fight him.”
He slowly clenched his fist.
“Fortunately, several S-Rank Knights from the kingdom arrived in time and managed to save the village.”
Neo remained silent.
“Hmm…”
He lowered his head.
So the Demon King wasn’t just a name that had appeared in his dream.
That figure truly existed.
And even ten years ago, his power had already been enough to destroy a village.
Neo didn’t know why he had been ordered to find that creature.
He also didn’t know what it had to do with everything that was happening.
But one thing was becoming clear.
The name Demon King was not one that could be mentioned carelessly.
Antrika Village
A short while later, the atmosphere inside the house began to settle down again.
The conversation about the Demon King came to a temporary stop as well.
Diana’s mother then stood up and looked toward her daughter.
“Diana, please find some mushrooms for dinner tonight.”
Diana nodded.
“Okay, Mom.”
She then turned toward Neo.
“Neo, come with me.”
Neo looked confused.
“Where?”
“To find mushrooms.”
Diana gave him a mischievous smile.
“If you don’t come with me, you won’t get any dinner, you know.”
“Hehehe…”
Neo fell silent for a moment.
He didn’t know whether Diana was being serious or just teasing him.
In the end, Neo let out a small sigh.
“All right…”
He rose from his seat.
“Lead the way.”
Diana smiled brightly.
“Then let’s go!”
She walked toward the door of the house.
Neo followed behind her.
For the first time since waking up in that unfamiliar world, Neo left Diana’s house and set foot on the road toward Antrika Village.
He had no idea that the simple trip to find mushrooms would become the beginning of a far greater adventure.