New home.

'Maybe this was where Kim got her looks," Alec thought when Karg introduced a  short blonde-haired old lady as his wife.

Kim was a complete replica of her mom, taking after her in as many ways except that she got the green eyes of her father.

"You are welcome to our home, Alec. I'm Harley, Kim's mother," Harley welcomed Alec with a genuine smile after Karg gave her a brief explanation of how he came across the boy.

"Thanks for welcoming me into your home, ma'am," Alec equally responded, touched at how good the entire family has been to him so far, except Kim of course.

Kim greeted her mother with a peck on the cheeks before heading to the dining table, being the first to enter before the two.

"Dinner is ready. We can now proceed to the dining table for dinner," Harley said gesturing to the table that was set up at the side of the room.

While heading to the dining table, Alec couldn't keep his eyes to himself. The house was relatively large with a nicely decorated interior that added more complexity to it. The sight was just too good that couldn't help but feast on it with his eyes.

At the dining table, Harley passed the food to everyone's plate while also initiating small talks to avoid silence because she despises it.

"You should eat more vegetables, Alec, you kinda look malnourished," Harley said when she observed that he has been taking in lots of meat while leaving the vegetables behind. 

Alec nodded with a smile before rolling some vegetables into his mouth.

Strangely, he felt a completely different taste when eating vegetables now. The once sweet taste it gave him in the past was gone. Vegetables now tasted like he was chewing a piece of paper. 

In Azalea, since meats were costly goods, he had forcibly become vegetarian.

"This must be the work of the system," Alec inwardly sighed. Anyways, it wasn't bad since he was able to eat what he now craved.

The table fell silent since everyone focused back on their food.

However, not too long into the meal the whole family stopped eating to look at Alec when the sound coming from became unbearable.

Alec's concentration was on his meal and he didn't notice the sudden pause.

However, having heard no sound of the cutleries of the other people at the table, Alec raised his gaze to see the reason for the sudden pause. Slowly raising his gaze, he was surprised to see the trio keenly staring at him with an 'I can't believe this look' on their faces.

"Sorry, I-I guess my table manners aren't that top-notch," Alec apologetically said with a half smile. His face was red in embarrassment.

"No, not at all. I was just a bit surprised to see you eat carefreely like that. And who said my table manners are top-notch? Come on, I really don't care about those things," Karg said with a smile before he continued eating.

"Me too," Harley added with a smile.

"Very well then," Alec muttered before continuing his meal.

With an expressionless face, Kim returned her gaze to her plate. 

Looking at Kim's expressionless face, Alec wondered if she was like that or was just so because of him.

After the meal, Kim excused herself to go up to her room. 

"Alec, Kim will show you to your room," Karg announced loudly. Turning over to Kim who halted at the sudden announcement, he said with a gentle yet meaningful look.

"Kim, guide our guest to his room."

Kim's anger knew no bounds when she heard her father's command. Had it been it was anyone else, she could have ignored his words.

"You aren't planning on sitting down there all night, are you? You can follow me if your answer is no," Kim said, before continuing her pace upstairs.

Giving a brief thanks to the couple for the meal, Alec quickly ran after Kim.

Looking at Alec running to catch up with Kim, Karg couldn't help but utter,

"I don't know who she got that from, 'cause I'm sure it wasn't from me."

"You mean I'm the one?" Harley asked, pointing at herself.

"I never said that, honey. By the way, thanks for the meal, and meet you upstairs," Karg said, planting a kiss on her chin before heading upstairs.

"What else did he mean by that?" Harley muttered under her breath.

****

After a short walk in the hallway on the first floor, Kim stopped in front of a large double door.

Alec marveled at the length of the door. The door was nothing comparable to the weak and old door of his room in Azalea. Merely looking at the door, he could tell it was of high quality.

"I guess I don't need to tell you that this is your room." 

That was all Kim said before turning around and walking to her room which was on the second floor.

"A little nicer miss," Alec mumbled under his breath before swinging the large door open and entering the room.

Unlike his small room back in Azalea, this one was a lot more spacious and wide.

At the center of the room was a king-sized bed dressed in a dull blue mattress. The curtains also had the same color as the mattress.

"This is just perfect," Alec rejoiced inwardly before he slumped on the bed.

'If only this place was as safe as my village, Azalea, I would have felt relaxed. But I need to get stronger to fight for myself. What if Kim and her father weren't there to save my weak ass, I could have been dead by now,' Alec thought.

'This life is not just peaceful at all. Back in my village was the problem of my frustrating uncle and here is the fear of being killed by a humanoid monster, demon,'

'Maybe I should just ask Kim to teach me her dagger skills, that way I will be able to kill any demon that comes my way and as well as to gain Xp to level up,' Alec thought, still not forgetting how he felt stronger after leveling up.

Having nothing else to think about, he decided to check out the [skill] tabs to see if he could be able to unlock another skill but as usual, almost all the [Division class] were empty.

'Maybe each level up comes with a skill? I think so,' Alec thought. It'd made sense since after he leveled up he got a new skill [Mystique reading] maybe another level up will eventually grant him another skill.

"Just can't wait to level up in the future to acquire more skills," Alec muttered, with eyes full of expectations.

Just then he heard a gentle knock on his room door. Wondering who was there, he said,

"Who's there? Come in."

To his greatest surprise, the door opened and Kim stepped inside the room.