Arthur Arrives at Liana's House
It was already late in the evening when Arthur finally reached Liana's house. The cool night air carried a quiet stillness as he stood before the wooden door and knocked.
…No response.
Arthur frowned and knocked again, harder this time. Still, silence.
Hyorinmaru, who had been lounging lazily on his head throughout the journey, scoffed. "Is that all you've got? Hit it harder! Your baby hands can't even shake a door properly."
Arthur twitched in annoyance. "Excuse me?! You've been sleeping this whole time while I was walking! You didn't help, didn't carry a thing, and now you're complaining? You lazy lizard—"
"HOW DARE YOU?!"
Before Arthur could react, Hyorinmaru spun around and kicked him in the stomach with his small but deceptively strong legs.
BAM!
Arthur soared backward, right at the moment Liana finally opened the door.
"Sorry for the wait—"
Her words froze mid-air as Arthur crashed into the house, slamming onto the wooden floor with a groan.
Hyorinmaru landed gracefully on Arthur's stomach, standing triumphantly. "Who did you just call lazy, huh?! Take this!" He smacked Arthur with his tail.
At that moment, Mira and Luca ran into the room, eyes wide in shock.
"M-Mom! A small lizard is attacking Big Brother Arthur!" Mira shrieked.
Liana's face darkened. "What?! A bad omen?! LUCA, GET THE PESTICIDE!"
Arthur barely managed to lift his head before—
WHACK!
Liana smacked him with a stick, mistaking his dazed flailing for Hyorinmaru's attack.
Arthur groaned in pain while Hyorinmaru burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "PFFT—HAHA! Oh, this is gold!"
"Mom, it can talk!" Mira gasped, pointing at Hyorinmaru.
Liana's face went pale. "A TALKING LIZARD?! This is definitely a bad omen!"
Just then, Luca came running in, holding a bottle of pesticide.
Arthur, still recovering from the beating, blinked. "Wait, hold on—"
PSSSSHHH!!!
Luca sprayed the pesticide directly at Hyorinmaru.
The tiny dragon screeched in horror, flailing his limbs. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! IT BURNS!"
Arthur burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Hah! Serves you right!"
Hyorinmaru, eyes red and twitching, whipped his tail—SMACK!
Luca lost control of the bottle, and the pesticide sprayed straight into Arthur's face.
"AAAAH! MY EYES!" Arthur screamed, stumbling toward the kitchen.
Hyorinmaru wheezed with laughter, rolling on the floor. "This thing… is a treasure… I shall name it 'Arthur's Warning Tool'!"
Liana, Mira, and Luca just stood there, completely speechless at the chaos unfolding in front of them.
---
Clearing Up the Misunderstanding
A few minutes later, Arthur returned, his face red from washing out his eyes. He sighed, picking up Hyorinmaru.
"Alright, that's enough. He's not a lizard, he's my partner."
The room went silent.
"…Partner?" Liana raised an eyebrow.
Arthur scratched his head. "Yeah… I guess I forgot to mention that before I left for the Sage Academy."
After some (very reluctant) explanations, Liana finally sighed and dropped the stick. "Fine. But no more causing trouble."
Arthur smiled in relief.
PSSSSHHH!!!
Arthur screamed again as Hyorinmaru sprayed him in the face with the pesticide.
The tiny dragon grinned. "Ah… I really like this thing."
Arthur, rubbing his burning eyes, glared at Hyorinmaru. "Are you trying to make me blind before the tournament?!"
Liana and the kids just watched in amazement as Arthur chased Hyorinmaru around the room.
---
Arthur's Discovery: The Storage System
Later that night, as Arthur entered his room, Hyorinmaru tossed the pesticide bottle at him. "Here. Keep it in your storage."
Arthur caught it and blinked in confusion. "Why do you even need this?"
Hyorinmaru grinned. "It's my new warning tool. Keep it."
Arthur sighed and opened his drawer, bending down to store it.
SMACK!
Hyorinmaru kicked him. "Not there, you fool! I said storage!"
Arthur groaned. "But I don't have a storage! So I was putting it in my drawer!"
Hyorinmaru clicked his tongue. "Do I have to teach you everything?! You have a storage system in your stats, idiot!"
Arthur's eyes widened. "Wait… really?"
"Of course! Take it as a cheat code. Now do it."
Arthur, still unsure, muttered, "Stats."
A blue holographic screen materialized in front of him.
Arthur stared in disbelief. "I had this all along?!"
Hyorinmaru pushed him aside and tapped on the screen, selecting the storage. With a flick of his tail, he tossed the pesticide bottle inside.
[Arthur's Warning Tool Secured.]
Arthur twitched. "Even the system agrees with that dumb name?!"
Hyorinmaru nodded proudly. "Of course."
Arthur sighed, muttering to himself. "So… the system is like a laptop from my old world. It has other functions too…"
SMACK!
Hyorinmaru kicked him again. "Stop daydreaming and get ready!"
Arthur sighed. "Alright, alright!"
---
Dinner and Storytelling
Shortly afterward, Arthur walked downstairs, a towel draped around his neck. Hyorinmaru jumped onto his head, lying down comfortably.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you start joining us for dinner? Oh… I see. You're hungry too, huh?"
Hyorinmaru smacked his face. "Don't get the wrong idea! I just want to discover more."
Arthur chuckled as they reached the dining table, which was lined with delicious food.
As Arthur started eating, he handed Hyorinmaru a bowl. The tiny dragon hesitated, then took a bite… and his eyes widened.
"This… is delicious!"
Arthur laughed. "What have you even been eating all this time? Well, enjoy!"
As they ate, Luca and Mira eagerly asked Arthur about life at the Sage Academy.
Arthur leaned back, a grin on his face, and started telling them his adventures. The room filled with laughter as they talked late into the night.
---
Ironheart Mansion – Leo's Determination
At the Ironheart Mansion, Leo stood before Magnus Ironheart, his father.
Magnus's gaze was sharp. "I heard about the dungeon incident. What do you have to say for your weakness?"
Leo clenched his fists.
"I know I was weak. But that's exactly why I'm here. I will get stronger… and I will win the tournament. Just wait and watch, Dad."
Magnus smirked. "Good. Strength is born from defeat. The pain of losing breeds power.Training starts tomorrow. Be prepared."
Leo nodded. As he walked away, he whispered to himself:
"Just you wait, Arthur. I will surpass you for sure."