Isekai Murim In The Apocalypse

Inside, the seating arrangement was luxurious. A polished wooden table laden with snacks stood at the center, surrounded by plush, cushioned seats.

Despite their disheveled appearance, neither seemed to care about the contrast between their looks and the opulent surroundings. Surprisingly, they smelled rather decent—something that caught Aziel off guard.

"Why are we here?" Aziel asked, irritation evident as he settled into his seat beside Xun.

"To celebrate you becoming my disciple, of course," Xun replied with a mischievous grin.

"Bullshit," Aziel shot back, narrowing his eyes.

"Now, now~ you're a young man, aren't you? Just enjoy yourself while you can. You won't have this luxury once we begin training."

'Training? Right, I planned on leaving after completing the quest and finding a way home, but this guy thinks I'm going to stick around as his disciple. As if I'd want him as my teacher… What would he even teach me? How to pick up girls? Girls get you killed in the apocalypse,' Aziel mused, frowning to himself.

While most men would have been thrilled to be in a place like this, Aziel felt impatient and eager to leave. Just as he was about to voice his dissatisfaction, four young women arrived, derailing his thoughts.

They were stunning—jade-skinned beauties with long, flowing hair and pearl-like eyes, their delicate figures wrapped in elegant silk. Without hesitation, they gracefully took their seats, two on Xun's side and two on Aziel's, one positioning herself between him and the old man. Each carried a bronze wine jar, pouring drinks into small jade cups before offering them to their guests.

"Oh my, aren't you adorable~"

"Aw, he's so cute~"

As soon as they sat down, the women turned their attention to Aziel, their voices dripping with admiration. One leaned slightly against him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. His arms remained crossed, and his expression was clearly unimpressed.

He turned to Xun, silently pleading for an escape, only to find the old man fully indulging in the attention of his two companions, giggling as he admired their generous curves.

'That old pervert…!'

"What's your name, young man?" one of the women asked sweetly.

"Aziel," he replied flatly.

"Such a cute name~"

"Here, have something to drink."

She poured a golden liquid into a jade cup and offered it to him with an expectant smile.

"I'm not old enough to drink. I'm still a kid," Aziel stated matter-of-factly.

"That's okay, this is orange juice," she said with a proud thumbs-up.

Skeptical, Aziel hesitated before taking a small sip. To his surprise, it was indeed orange juice—sweet, refreshing, and bursting with flavor. He couldn't recall the last time he had something so pleasant. Silently, he continued sipping, thoroughly enjoying the drink.

The two women beside him watched in a daze, their cheeks tinted pink as they observed him drink with such delight. His seemingly innocent enjoyment only made him appear more endearing to them.

Aziel, however, found their stares unsettling. It made it slightly more difficult to savor his juice in peace, but he decided to tolerate it—at least they weren't as invasive as the ones draped over Xun. Still, he had no patience for this nonsense. He needed to find a way back home as soon as possible. Why was Xun wasting time? Why couldn't he just assign another quest?

His patience reached its limit. Without warning, he placed his cup down and abruptly stood, drawing the attention of both Xun and the women.

"Listen, old man, I'm not going to rush you, but if you want to waste your money here, be my guest. I'll wait outside. Besides, look at me. I'm not even old enough to drink," Aziel declared.

Xun regarded him silently, seemingly on the verge of responding. However, before he could speak, the sharp sound of breaking glass shattered the atmosphere, followed by a furious shout from outside their room.

Seizing the opportunity, Aziel strode toward the door and peeked into the hallway. Down the corridor, he spotted a woman sprawled on the floor, her cheek reddened and slightly swollen.

"Damn it! I told you to bring me the finest women this place has! What good is a woman who can't handle a little groping?!"

The young man who had shouted stood over her, his face twisted in drunken frustration. Aziel instantly recognized him.

'That's the guy I stole the pouch from earlier. No wonder he's in a foul mood. His friends are all here too—just sitting back and grinning like fools.'

A woman, likely the establishment's owner, swiftly approached, her expression composed as she addressed the aggressor.

"Excuse me, young master, I apologize if my worker has offended you. I assure you it was not her intention. However, I must ask that you refrain from causing further disturbance. If this continues, we will have no choice but to ask you to leave."

The young man's fury intensified. "Huh?! Are you serious?! Instead of begging for my forgiveness, you're threatening to kick me out?! Do you even know who I am?!"

Aziel's gaze drifted away as he contemplated returning to his room. He had already made the guy's day worse by stealing his pouch—he had no desire to get involved now.

'She's trying to resolve this peacefully? That's her problem. Not mine. I'll just use the commotion to slip out—'

"Ah, you said you wanted something to do, right?" Xun's voice rang out from behind him, stopping Aziel in his tracks. "Alright then, here's your first task as my disciple. Go sort that young man out."

A vein twitched on Aziel's forehead as he turned back, glaring at Xun. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.

[You have unlocked a Quest: 'A Disciple's First Task.']

[Objective: Resolve the commotion.]

Aziel's irritation melted away, replaced by a sharp grin as he read the quest details. His opportunity to progress had finally appeared.

"I thought you'd never ask," he murmured, anticipation brimming as he stepped into the chaos.