Liam spent the entire morning exploring Gangnam with a calm curiosity he rarely allowed himself to feel. He walked without a destination, letting the district unfold around him naturally.

Glass buildings shimmered in the winter sunlight. Cafés spilled warm air onto the sidewalks. Fashion stores blasted soft K-pop through open doors. Even the crowds felt vibrant.

Liam took it all in with a small smile.

He'd always thought Earth was predictable… almost dull. Compared to the magic universe and the cultivation universe, countries like South Korea seemed painfully normal.

But now—actually walking through Seoul calmly, without purpose or pressure—he finally understood something he had been too focused to notice before.

Earth had its own charm. Subtle, quiet charm.

There were no dragons, no elves, no mana beasts, no ancient ruins leaking spiritual energy… but there were golden mornings like this. Streets full of life, cities built from ambition instead of power. People laughing, living, struggling, growing.

He had never really looked at Earth with that perspective before.

"Maybe I was wrong," he murmured to himself.

He stopped in front of a street map.

He thought of the shapes of the mountains surrounding Seoul and chuckled lightly, and Mount Everest crossed his mind.

He could climb it easily. Without an oxygen mask, gear or training. Just his raw physical stats and endurance.

Another small goal for later. But right now… food first.

Liam turned his head and spotted a chicken restaurant on the opposite side of the street, steam fogging its windows. A familiar thought made him grin.

"Korean fried chicken and beer," he said softly. "Why not experience the famous combo?"

He crossed the street and walked inside.

The bell chimed brightly. A few customers glanced at him—mostly curious because he was foreign and young—but he ignored it.

He chose a table beside the window and sat down.

A waitress hurried over, smiling politely.

"H-Hello… w-what would you like?" she asked in English, stumbling a little.

Liam responded in native-level Korean, flawless and casual.

"한국어로 말해도 돼요. 주문 받을 수 있어요?"

(You can speak Korean. Can you take my order?)

The waitress blinked in surprise.

"Y-You speak Korean… that well?" she asked, stunned.

"I try," Liam smiled.

Her cheeks reddened slightly, embarrassed she had assumed he couldn't.

She composed herself and took his order. Liam ordered a full bucket—then changed his mind and ordered two. And two cans of beer.

A short wait later, she returned carrying a large tray. The chicken smelled incredible. Perfectly crispy, golden skin coated in sauce. The beer cans were cold enough to frost.

Liam thanked her and turned to the feast.He took one bite and his eyes closed instantly.

"Oh… wow," he muttered under his breath.

The crunch. The juicy heat. The seasoning. It was addictive.

He didn't even realize he finished the first bucket until he reached down and felt nothing but bones. He laughed quietly at himself, wiped his mouth, then reached for the second bucket without hesitation.

He opened a beer, tasted it, and nodded.

"I hope I don't get addicted," he murmured.

Thirty minutes passed. Three empty buckets sat on his table like trophies.

Liam leaned back with genuine satisfaction.

"That was worth the hype," he breathed out.

People still glanced at him—now mostly shocked at how much he ate—but he didn't mind. He stood, walked to the counter, paid the bill, and thanked the staff politely before stepping back outside into the cool noon air.

He resumed walking with no direction in mind.

Then, he heard a sound.

Thud.

It was a muffled sound of flesh hitting flesh, echoing from a narrow alley nearby.

Liam paused and listened closely to confirm he heard right. And

Another dull strike followed, and a pained grunt.

He sighed internally. He could ignore it. He should ignore it. But curiosity pulled at him.

And so he walked toward the alley.

The moment he stepped into the shadows, he saw them clearly:

Five teenagers—maybe around his age, maybe older—surrounding someone on the ground. Kicking, punching, swearing under their breath. Their victim curled up, arms shielding his head.

Liam's footsteps were soft, so they didn't notice him until he was standing directly behind one of them.

He placed his hand lightly on their leader's shoulder.

He stiffened, startled. He spun around and frowned deeply when he saw Liam.

"What the hell?" he snapped in Korean. "What's a white boy doing here? Mind your business."

He tried to shrug off Liam's hand, but it didn't move.

Liam smiled politely.

Behind the boy, the victim on the ground lifted his head—another teenager, bruised and bleeding slightly, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

Liam glanced at him briefly, then looked at the leader.

"Let go," the leader growled.

He grabbed Liam's wrist and tried to forcefully push it away.

Liam increased the pressure by the slightest degree.

The leader's knees buckled.

"What—" he hissed in pain.

He snapped his fingers and gave his group an order.

"Get him."

The other four turned and rushed at Liam, shouting, but hey never reached him.

Liam flicked his finger, tapping their foreheads in a flurry of movements they couldn't make out, and each one collapsed unconscious with a soft thud.

Silence filled the alley.

Only Liam and the leader remained conscious now.

The leader looked horrified when he saw that his friends had been dropped like flies before they even got close.

Liam released his shoulder finally, letting him stumble backwards. He dusted his fingers casually.

"We should talk," Liam said in an almost friendly tone.

The leader swallowed hard. He had no idea what kind of monster he just provoked.

Liam crouched slightly and his presence alone made the boy feel like the walls were closing in.

"Why were you beating him?" Liam asked, tilting his head.

The leader resisted answering at first, jaw clenched, pride fighting with fear in his eyes.

Liam only watched him silently. And that alone was enough, as the leader cracked.

"H-He deserved it," the leader muttered.

Liam lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh? And you get to decide that?"

The boy looked away.

Liam sighed softly, straightened up, and walked past the leader toward the injured boy on the ground.

He crouched beside him.

"You alright?" Liam asked gently.

The boy on the ground, nodded weakly, wincing.

"Good," Liam said.

He stood again and looked at the leader.

"You seem like you enjoy acting tough around people weaker than you."

The leader flinched and Liam gave a small smile.

"So now you and I are going to have a little conversation about choices."

The leader tried to stand tall. He tried to hold onto the last piece of his street bravado but Liam's eyes alone crushed whatever courage he had left.

Because Liam wasn't angry. He was calm.

And something about that terrified the boy more than shouting or threats ever could.

Liam stepped closer.

"You have two options," he said softly. "We can talk here… or we can talk somewhere private."

The leader's voice broke.

"H-Here," he said quickly. "Here is fine."

"Good choice," Liam said.

He leaned slightly forward.

"So tell me… why were you attacking him?"

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