《Black Mist: Daniek of the Black Blood》 Chapter 1: The Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family NOT FOR KIDS This is an original work. All of the names and places are purely coincidental; everything is a product of my imagination. I strongly recommend those with a weak heart not to read this. You have been warned, okay? Leave your feedback(s). I greatly appreciate such things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter 1: The Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family It started two days ago. The Leopold Family had openly declared to assassinate the Pope. The media was in uproar from the sudden preposterous revelation. It was an unheard of feat before: openly declaring to assassinate the highest official of the Church. Still, the Leopold Family was heralded as the largest and strongest group in the underground world, and they, without a doubt, have enough power to back their words. Everyone was in outrage. Numerous speculations on how the family would try to achieve their declaration spammed the internet. The best soldiers in the entire world were gathered together to protect the Pope. Choppers hovered above the Apostolic Palace, and tanks were deployed. The netizens were ecstatic on the appearance of the family¡¯s trump card; a name known even by peace-born individuals. It was a name long accepted as synonymous to death itself. The Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family¡ªHades. Hades, the Grim Reaper of the infamous family, was known for never failing an assassination. Just as the name Hades implied, he was one of the rulers of the underground world. Three years ago, two Prime Ministers were killed by the Leopold Family¡¯s assassin, and that very same year, the name of Hades reverberated all throughout the world. Another aspect that made the Grim Reaper famous was that before the assassination, the Leopold Family would openly declare the death of their target. It created a massive euphoria that originated from the recorded visuals of the assassination. Numerous CCTVs were implanted in each nook and cranny of the designated place. In turn, everyone in the entire world was able to watch the recorded scenes unfold before their very eyes. It was like watching a horror film, but the fact that it happened in real life sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. Still, no matter what kind of preparations the previous targets made, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family always came out succeeding in the end. Though the act of killing sent bitter taste to everyone that had watched the videos, somehow, Hades had become an infamous star. It was to the point that people were actually anticipating his next target. The fact that the Pope of the Church was the prey of the Grim Reaper sent everyone to their edge. People were so ecstatic of the surreal event that sixty percent of the world¡¯s population did not go to work during the day that the assassination was to take place. Everyone was on their seats, anxiously waiting for what was about to happen next. **** ¡°Your Holiness, please¡­,¡± One of the fifteen Swiss guards spoke. ¡°We should go to the Borgia Apartments. It¡¯s safer there.¡± The Pope gently smiled and waved his hand in response, ¡°It is fine. The Church shall not be intimidated by such declaration. God will protect his people.¡± The guards looked at each other. Trickles of sweat were evident on their foreheads as they traversed through the Clementine Hall. Numerous renaissance frescoes were imprinted on the ground, and the colors seemed to amalgamate, creating a larger and more grandiose appearance. A statue of St. Peter was seen beside an arched entrance, just in front of a pedestal. The group entered through the arched path, and they were immediately greeted by the paintings of the previous Borgias. The paintings depicted surreal divine-like images. Peculiarly enough, the contrasting colors¡ªmainly black and yellow, seemed to belie the imagery desired. It was like the painter himself was forced to do such artwork. After a few more minutes of walk, they entered the Papal Chapel. On the ceiling were paintings made by Michaelangelo himself. The imagery of angels seemed to hover on top of the pristine chapel, creating an atmosphere that was without a doubt divine. At the very front of the silver-gold pedestal was the image of Christ on the cross. ¡°I shall pray,¡± The pope said. His garb, a pallium over a chasuble, slightly fluttered as he turned to the Swiss Guards behind him. He added, ¡°I want to be left alone for now.¡± The Swiss guards were stuck at a dilemma. The entire world was afraid of the Pope¡¯s death, and as the one directly guarding the highest official of the Church, every one of the Swiss guards felt the weight of the responsibility upon their shoulders. Though each one of them was with great capabilities, they still have the inevitable fear of the unknown. The unknown known as Hades, the Grim Reaper. The guards glanced at each other. ¡°We¡¯re sorry your Holiness,¡± One of the guards lowered his head. ¡°But we cannot leave you alone. Please, just for this day, allow us to accompany you as you pray.¡± The pope gently smiled. ¡°I understand. Let us pray together¡ªfor this world¡¯s love and prosperity.¡± Everyone heaved a sigh of relief at those words. Filled with gentleness, the Pope placed his ferula topped with a crucifix on a wooden rectangular table, and placed his Tiara beside it. Afterwards, he knelt down before the crucified figure of Christ, and clasping both hands, he began praying. The Swiss Guards stood in array behind the Pope, warily gazing at their immediate surroundings. Any time now, Hades would come to attempt to assassinate his Holiness¡ªthat was if he was able to get pass through the absurd security outside. Surrounding the entire Apostolic Palace were thousands of veteran soldiers fully armed to the teeth. All were ready to kill Hades at a moment¡¯s notice. Though as expected, the CCTVs were not implanted inside the Apostolic Palace; it was sacrilegious. Still, the very best soldiers in the entire world were tasked to personally oversee the Pope¡¯s safety: the fifteen Swiss Guards. It was ten o¡¯clock in the evening. Once the clock hits twelve, the day would be over¡ªsignifying that Hades had failed to kill the Pope in the designated time. Each ticks of the clock sent everyone in the Swiss Guards to their edge. It seemed that time had slowed down, almost frozen. Numerous trickles of sweat flowed down the faces of the battle hardened individuals. Still, everyone had resolved themselves to die for the Pope, no matter what. Pope¡­ A whisper was heard by the kneeling leader of the Church. It was faint, and was heard by only him. Still kneeling, he looked up towards his front, and what greeted him was the figure of the crucified Christ. Pope¡­ He heard the whisper again. Peculiarly, it seemed to come from the figure of Christ himself. Slowly, the ash-haired Pope stood up; his stare was transfixed on the figure. The Swiss Guards stood in attention as they watched their Holiness walk towards the statue. Everyone thought that the Pope was going to kiss the feet of the crucified Christ. Pope¡­ Another whisper. The Pope touched the body of the life-sized figure, and reverently spoke, ¡°My God¡­.¡± The Pope¡¯s eyes slightly widened when he saw the eyes of the crucified statue of Christ move¡ªit stared directly at him. Immediately, as quick the blink of an eye, the statue moved and detached itself from the cross. With the sound of a wind, the aged man¡¯s head fell and rolled over the floor. Everyone was stunned speechless at the sudden scenario. It had never occurred to them that the famous statue would suddenly move and decapitate its faithful servant¡¯s head. Mouth slightly opened, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in great disbelief. After a few more moments, the statue formed numerous cracks, and shattered into dust, revealing the figure of a masked man in black get-up. Without waiting for the stunned soldiers to have a time to react, he dashed towards them at a surprisingly impossible speed. And using his twin blades, he beheaded one guard after another. After ten seconds, half of the Swiss Guards slumped onto the ground¡ªbeheaded and lifeless. The extreme bloodlust emitted by Hades sent everyone into the brink of insanity. Using their halberds, the remaining Swiss Guards charged towards the sole decapitator. All knew that their efforts would be in vain after seeing just once the surreal strength of their opponent. Still, they dashed forward. Everyone knew that it was their duty, and they were more than glad to accompany their Holiness to his resting grounds. Hades dodged a gash from a halberd above, and after a quick sidestep, he slashed horizontally towards the head of the guard. Its skull split open, and slid down the ground. Its brain splattered with a horrifying ~shak sound. Multiple slashes were aimed at him, and he dodged each of it by a whisper. Using the momentum of his evasion, he slashed the neck of a guard, and pierced the neck of another. Somehow, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family always aimed for a one-hit kill. Forty seconds after his appearance, the number of Swiss Guards dwindled to just one. The remaining soldier was paled face as he tried to buckle his knees before the diabolic apparition. ¡°D-demon!¡± The guard uttered. He knew that the fifteen guards assigned to personally protect the Pope were the strongest ones possible. Still, the Grim Reaper seemed to belie all of that. In less than a minute, almost all of the so called strongest guards were decimated. It was a cardinal rule that firearms were not allowed inside the Apostolic Palace, and even during such time of peril, the Church had chosen to adhere to the rule. The guard knew that he was about to die. Dashing towards the Grim Reaper, he prayed. ¡°Oh God in heaven, forgive me¡ªforgive us for failing to protect the Vicar of Christ.¡± Raising his blessed halberd into the heavens, he vertically slashed at the apparition of a demon. The slash hit nothing but an after image. After the sound of the wind, his head fell down the ground, all the while he saw his headless body quiver for a moment before kissing the frescoes imprinted on the Apostolic Chapel. His vision blurred, and he was embraced by the soothing sensation called death. Hades stood there; his eyes were partly covered by his night black hair. His black cloak was speckled with large blots of blood, and his twin blades glimmered underneath the grandiose chandelier¡¯s blaze. He glanced towards the scene of carnage before him, and his gaze darted towards the headless body of the Pope. The scent of fresh blood lingered in the air. ¡°¡­¡± He slightly bowed down his head. His eyes flickered of sorrow for an instance, belying the previous bloodthirsty appearance of the demon. After such act, he walked towards the Apostolic Chapel¡¯s only entrance, and opened the thick oaken door. As expected, numerous guards greeted him; all were wearing a stunned and mortified expression as their eyes darted from him and to the scene of carnage, and back. Without hesitation, he immediately beheaded each and every one of them. The divine hall was tainted with large splatters of blood with his every swing of the blade. He moved at a frightening speed, all the while decimating everyone he encountered along the way. Somehow, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family disappeared without a trace after that. The thousands of soldiers stationed outside never had the chance to catch a glance of even his shadow. Only those inside the Apostolic Palace had encountered the diabolic apparition, and everyone that had seen his blood-filled figure did not live to tell the tale. That day, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family¡¯s name reverberated further all throughout the world. A bounty of 300 million dollars was placed upon his head, and he was branded as the worst criminal in history. **** A bearded man sat on a red-black fauteuil chair. In front of him was a rectangular mahogany table with a glimmering glass cover. On the ceiling was a medium-sized bronze-colored chandelier that gave a light hazel illumination. At the side of the table was a three feet size antique nikosthenic amphora vase. ¡°You¡¯ve been so popular lately. I¡¯ve seen the news,¡± the bearded man said. His eyes were twinkling as he gazed at the man in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ve never laughed so hard in my life! Kukukuku!¡± The bearded man kept chuckling. His face formed numerous wrinkles from his each and every smile. He grabbed a bottle of Dow Vintage Port wine, and poured it on his wineglass. Afterwards, he grabbed the glass and stood up, his face looking towards the windowpane. A breathtaking scenario of the night city was seen from their position of forty stories above the ground. Innumerable dots of neon red and yellow declared themselves, filling the eyes of the two with spectacular sight. ¡°I guess this is the end huh?¡± The bearded guy uttered. He took a sip on the light crimson wine on his left. ¡°Today marks the death of Hades, and the birth of Sazi Leahmic¡ªcorrect?¡± The moon was in full bloom, and the dark azure night sky was devoid of any stars. Clouds were hovering aimlessly above the life-filled city. A moment of silence enveloped the two before the man spoke. ¡°Yes,¡± Sazi said. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and added, ¡°For all your teachings¡ªfor everything. Thank you.¡± The bearded man heaved a loud sigh and turned towards the man. His eyes stared directly into Sazi¡¯s. ¡°Congrats¡­ and good luck on your new life, my son,¡± He again turned around and stared at the bustling city. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your brother, how is he? Heh~ such an adorable kid¡ªI can still remember.¡± ¡°He is fine, father. Dan¡­ he is growing up. As his only family, I wish to be there to watch him grow. I will fill the gap left by the loss of our parents.¡± Sazi lightly clenched his fists. ¡°Hades¡­ no, Sazi¡ª¡± The bearded man softly spoke. ¡°The Leopold Family will always be your family. Whenever you need help, we¡ªall of us will come to your aid. Sazi smiled at the remark. ¡°I know father. I know. To you guys, to this family¡ªI am eternally grateful.¡± A few minutes passed by after those words. Only the muffled sound of the lively city was heard. The chandelier above continued to illuminate the room light hazel, and the two remained there motionless, both gazing at the spectacular view of the night. The beard guy sipped his wine and broke the silence. ¡°Mmmm, 1955? As expected of a Dow Vintage Port wine. The taste¡ªoh ho ho. Want some?¡± ¡°No, thank you,¡± Sazi politely said. He was still standing in the room. Two blades were hidden behind his black tuxedo. ¡°Still hate the taste of liquor huh? You¡¯re 21 now my child, you should at least try. Who would have thought that the legendary Grim Reaper of the family is weak to alcohol? Hahaha! I¡¯m sure the entire world will be stunned when they find out!¡± His beard moved along his laughter. ¡°Let me ask you one last question,¡± The bearded man paused. He was still gazing at the city lights. ¡°Did you regret killing the Pope?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sazi immediately responded. It was said without hesitation, without remorse. ¡°For my brother, I will do everything¡ªeven if it means forsaking my humanity. For him, I am more than willing to be branded as a mass murderer.¡± ¡°An expected answer. Still, I am glad. A thousand assassinations. You are free now my son.¡± He pulled out a bank note, and walked towards Sazi. ¡°Here. It should be enough to support you and your brother for a lifetime¡ªprobably up to the fifth generation? Losing our greatest assassin is a serious blow against us, but we of the Leopold Family will be able to manage somehow. Enjoy life my son. You deserve it.¡± ¡°Thank you father. I wish the family the very best,¡± Sazi said after receiving the check. Afterwards, he bowed down till his waist, his hair dangled before his fair-skinned face. After a few more moments, he raised his head and exited the room. The sound of the door shutting softly resounded. The bearded man was left there standing and staring at the shadow of his family¡¯s greatest soldier. ¡°It has been ten years since I¡¯ve first met him huh? Nostalgic.¡± He turned towards the spotless windowpane. The view of the bustling city remained unchanged. ¡°Hades¡­ who would have thought that the child I met in the slums would one day become the strongest assassin? Really, life is full of unexpected things! Hah!¡± The Godfather of the Leopold Family raised his wine glass as if in toast. Grinning from ear to ear, he exhaled after the reminisce. The numerous city lights were reflected upon his aged sapphire eyes. **** It was evening, and the light downpour of snow filled the streets with white blanketed ground. Sazi was walking down the street of Pica Avenue, and his every step sank a good two inches underneath the piled up snow. A red scarf was twined around his neck, and on his right arm was a box wrapped in red cover. His brown furred overcoat covered his body down his knees. With his every breath, a subtle steam was created. He was fondly gazing before the road, eyes filled with longing. He passed by a restaurant that has a ¡®Sorry we¡¯re closed¡¯ sign. After crossing over an intersection, he turned left and continued walking. Occasional drops of snow that made contact with his body sent a cold chill down his warm skin. His dark black hair was covered with partial white as he stopped in front of a large house. The light beige color of lights was seen from the windows. The set of green curtains was swept to one side, revealing the house¡¯s tidy inside. He walked over the pedestal-like ground, and knocked on the mahogany-colored door. After three seconds, the voice of a child was heard. It was beaming with anticipation. ¡°W-who is it?!¡± The gentle voice said as he opened the door, creating a squeaking sound. His grey eyes peered towards the looming figure before him, and his lips immediately formed into a smile. ¡°Brother!¡± The small seraph leaped towards his brother¡¯s arms and hugged him tight, not willing to let go. ¡°Finally! You¡¯re here!¡± The child said. His voice was muffled by the rough furred overcoat of his brother. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± Sazi said. His eyes were smiling. ¡°Merry Christmas Dan!¡± ¡°Merry Christmas to you too brother!¡± Dan responded. The child¡¯s tiny hands grabbed the callused hand of his brother, and ushered him to the living room. A six feet tall Christmas tree was positioned at the left corner of the room, beside the taupe-colored couch. A 72 inches LED television was positioned directly in front of the couch, and was separated by a glass center table. ¡°Sorry Dan, I¡¯ve been gone for a week. So many busine¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Dan interjected. He was still smiling, showing a missing tooth. He looked towards the food placed on top of the center table. The light from the LED screen created a bright azure illumination. The aroma made the stomachs of the two grumble in hunger. ¡°You made all these?¡± Sazi asked in disbelief. He placed a hand on the child¡¯s shoulder. His eyes glimmered with pride. ¡°Yep! I¡¯ve been practicing cooking you see. Since my brother¡ª¡± Dan smugly smirked at his brother. His eyes were dancing. ¡°Is practically useless at stuffs like this! I mean totally¡ª¡± ¡°Dan, you little!¡± Sazi mischievously said. Ha grabbed Dan by the waist and lifted him up to the air. Afterwards, using his fingers, he tickled the squeaking child. ¡°Hahahaha! Brother, stop! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the useless guy huh? Come on, say it!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! It tickles! Okay okay you win!¡± Sazi placed Dan on the ground; the child was huffing. His eyes were moist from laughing. The two of them silently stared at the food on the table, only the sound of the LED television filled the room. ¡°Dan,¡± Sazi said. His eyes remained transfixed on the food. ¡°I know.¡± The two immediately grabbed the plates placed on the right side of the table. Afterwards, they filled it with all kinds of food available on the table. The lavish appearance of the food served seemed to belie the fact that a mere nine year old child made it. The two began stuffing themselves with the Christmas banquet, all the while the countdown seen at the LED television reached zero¡ªsignifying that it was now Christmas. A muffled sound from a child¡¯s trumpet was heard from the house next to them, accompanied by series of greetings and laughter. The snow continued to pile up outside, and the flickering blaze from the fireplace gave ample warmth to the family of two. The two were eating silently, all the while silently watching the LED television that displayed dancing celebrities. Still, the silence was not awkward; rather, it was beautifully serene¡ªit was soothing. ¡°I know you¡¯ve long wanted one of these,¡± Sazi broke the silence. He picked up the red box from before and handed it to Dan. ¡°Come on, open it.¡± Dan munched his food, and gulped it down. Afterwards, he received the gift with two trembling hands. The words ¡®I know you¡¯ve long wanted one of these¡¯ kept resounding in his mind. Somehow, he has an idea on the content of the gift, and he can¡¯t help but be anxious from anticipation while opening the wrapper. A silver-black device that resembled a helmet greeted him after opening the box. The words ¡®Immortal Seed¡¯ was imprinted in gold. The child¡¯s eyes widened as he glanced towards the device and to his gently smiling brother, and back. ¡°T-thank you!¡± The child leaped into his brother¡¯s arms. His petite body quivered as he held the device with both hands. ¡°It¡¯s the latest VRMMORPG of the Immortal Seed!¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t let that get in the way of your studies, okay?¡± ¡°Of course! But bro, did you know that Immortal Seed has a 95% realism? All of my friends wanted one of this, but it¡¯s too expensive,¡± Dan said. ¡°Bro, you never told me the kind of work you do. Whenever I ask, you¡¯ll automatically evade the topic.¡± Dan glanced towards the house¡¯s interior. ¡°This house is absurdly large for just two persons¡­ and this VRMMORPG set¡ªa single one of this is enough to buy a second hand car.¡± ¡°I told you a while ago right? I¡¯m a messenger,¡± Sazi said, and he meant it. Though he did not imply the full meaning of the job of a messenger¡ªthe messenger of death, Hades. ¡°Absurd! Such job shouldn¡¯t have enough money to buy one of this! And look at this house; it¡¯s full of expensive antiques and up-to-date appliances!¡± Sazi patted the child¡¯s head. ¡°Does it matter? Christmas comes just once a year. Let¡¯s just be grateful that we¡¯re together Dan.¡± ¡°Mmmm...,¡± Dan mumbled. Afterwards, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to Sazi. ¡°My gift. Hehehe.¡± Sazi opened the envelope. Inside was a portrait drawn using charcoal pencil. It was an image of Him and Dan. Surprisingly, it was well drawn¡ªso good that it wouldn¡¯t come as a surprise if it was sold off as professional work. Without a doubt, Dan was dexterous with his hands. Unbeknownst to Sazi, tears began to flow down his left cheeks. Dan stared at him as he continued to gaze at the drawn portrait, all the while a gentle smile was plastered on his face. ¡°Thank you Dan,¡± Sazi said, breaking the silence. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome brother¡ª¡± Dan smiled. ¡°Again, Merry Christmas.¡± **** The day after, the two of them went out to the amusement park. It was their simple way of celebrating Christmas. Still, the time that they spent together during such occasions meant the world to them. It was during such times that they were able to appreciate the meaning of the word family. ¡°Wuuaaahh.¡± Dan said as he leaned on the couch. The two of them were inside a hundred meter diameter Ferris wheel, and the glass-walled cart gave both of them a clear view of the city. ¡°This is the only place in the city where you can see such sight,¡± Sazi said. He was smiling while looking at his wide-eyed brother. ¡°The best part is the sun set. Dan, once you get yourself a girlfriend, be sure to take her to this particular ride. The view should be romantic enough.¡± ¡°Says the guy who never once had a girlfriend. 21 years old and still a virgin. Hahaha!¡± ¡°H-hey! Where the hell did you get those words from?¡± Sazi was stunned. ¡°And I had girlfriends before! Two of them!¡± Dan turned around and mockingly grinned at his brother. ¡°Yeah two of them. I remember. One month each right? No girl lasted more than that. Everyone says you¡¯re too serious for your age.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s because¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re working hard for the two of us.¡± Dan remarked. ¡°I was just messing with you. Brother, to you, I am forever grateful. Both of us are children of the slum, but you changed all that. I have no idea what kind of work you do, but every time you return after being gone for a few days, the light in your eyes continues to diminish. It is gradual, but I do think that you are losing your true self. ¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sazi was speechless. The little brother he had worked hard all his life to shelter and protect had grown up to be something beyond his expectations. Dan gazed directly into Sazi¡¯s grey eyes. ¡°Whatever it is¡­ you don¡¯t have to continue doing it for my sake. We¡¯re family. We should help each other out. Brother¡ªyou can rely on me.¡± The sound of muffled gun shot was heard, and Sazi eyes widened as he saw Dan¡¯s head burst open. The sound of the chirping birds slowed down, and time stood still. The numerous speckles of blood that spurted off from the child¡¯s head seemed to have stopped in midair. He stood there slack-jawed as Dan¡¯s body kissed the metallic ground. ¡°D-dan?¡± Sazi said. His mind was unable to process everything that had just happened. Somehow, he knew that a sniper was aiming at him from a distance. Still, he paid it no heed. He had only one purpose in life¡ªto make sure that his only family was able to enjoy everything life has to offer. For his only family to become the happiest person in the world. ¡°DAN!!!¡± Tears streamed down his gray eyes. His face distorted into pure agony, and his cheeks sunk as he watched the lifeless corpse of his brother. He was his life¡¯s purpose, the air he breathes. And now, he was gone. The feeling of sorrow was too great that the strongest assassin of the Leopold Family was unable to feel anger. His mind went blank, and he willingly awaited his death. He knew that multiple people were currently aiming their scopes at him, and he was more than glad to be killed as of the moment. The agony from losing his only family was so great that he wanted everything to be over with. Revenge would never bring back the dead, that much he was sure. With another reverberating sound of ammunition against the glass wall of the Ferris wheel¡¯s cart, Sazi¡¯s body fell down the ground. Embraced by death¡ªin the split second wherein his mind was still intact, he gazed at his only family¡¯s body. A gentle smile formed across his face. It was an anti-climactic death, seemingly absurd for someone so infamous. That very same day, the Leopold Family was crushed to cinders. Chapter 2: A New Family Chapter 2: A New Family Darkness. Only the perpetual darkness of the abyss was what greeted him the moment he opened his eyes. And he continued to float there for what seemed like eternity. Suddenly, a string of light passed by him, and though without reason, he grabbed the unending string. He flew through the perpetual black, and his soul passed through multiple universes. It was a spectral sight, yet it seemed pristinely divine. An orb of light passed through him, and with a single finger, he touched it. Multiple streams of light embraced his body, and the soul¡¯s life flashed through his mind. Pain, happiness, sadness¡ªall kinds of emotion unfolded themselves before him. Tears streamed down his eyes as he realized that it was his own life he was watching. A large swirling vortex appeared in front of him, and he was sucked by the translucent white. **** Ortas was a small village located at the outskirts of the Empire of Kulaima. Blessed with peaty soil, it was a village dedicated to farming. Composed of only a handful number of residents, the entire village was one big family. And today, a ¡®big¡¯ event was happening inside the household of the village¡¯s blacksmith¡ªhis wife was giving birth to their first child. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the new member of their humble village. ¡°GUUUUUAAAAAHHH!¡± Cried the woman lying on a mattress. Her legs were spread wide open, all the while an elderly woman have her hands placed in between her thigh. ¡°Just a little bit more! You can do it Minerva!¡± The white-haired woman said. ¡°GUUUUUAAAAAHHH!¡± The woman named Minerva cried. Her legs were cramped, and the intoxicating amount of nausea made her want to stop. ¡°Finally!¡± The midwife exclaimed. She gently held the newborn on her palm. The child was filled with speckles of blood, and the midwife used a smooth satin cloth to wipe it away. She wore a complex expression; jubilance and confusion. The child was not crying, still, she was able to subtly hear its lightly beating heart through her fingers. It was without a doubt alive. She lightly spanked it with her fore finger, but it still refused to cry its first. Everyone in the room looked at the white-haired woman as she held the body of the newborn child in her wrinkled hands. ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± The blacksmith inquired. He was standing at the corner of the room all along, too mortified to move as he watched his wife scream of pain and agony. ¡°It¡¯s male,¡± She uttered. The blacksmith and his wife Minerva squeaked a sound of joy as they heard that it was male. In a farming village, males were highly regarded. ¡°It¡¯s alive, but it¡¯s not crying. At this rate¡­ it might die.¡± The couple became dumbfounded as they heard the words uttered by the midwife. Everyone knew that a healthy child would cry the moment it was out of the womb, but the child seemed different. ¡°I-it¡¯s not crying? Krisse!¡± Minerva anxiously looked at her husband. Tears immediately streamed down her eyes as she repeated the words over and over inside her head. She covered her eyes with both hands, and she began sobbing. ¡°That can¡¯t be! I can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Krisse declared. He walked towards the elderly woman, and gently took the child in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw the pale body of the child. It was thin, and was definitely dying. It was in desperate need of air, of which only crying could actually amply provide. Tears flowed down his eyes as he watched his first child succumb to its death. ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­ please¡­ Daniek¡­ Dan.¡± The child¡¯s eyes slightly widened as it heard the words uttered by his father. The name given to him was something he was very much familiar with. His tiny lips quivered, and his face distorted into a soft wrinkle. And as if boldly declaring his appearance to the world, he cried with all his might. ¡°UUUUUUUAAAAAAHHHHHH!!¡± **** It had been five years since his birth. The child was sitting on top a hill that overlooked the entirety of the village. The sun was setting, and its light crimson rays that seeped through the clouds gave ample illumination. Beyond the horizon was a gargantuan fortress of a wall that was filled with battlements on top. It spanned four hundred meters in height; it almost touched the clouds. From his position, he could see the endless gold that continued to sway along with the wind. It was the village¡¯s pride and joy: Miraka Wheat. ¡°Here you are,¡± Krisse said. He sat beside his only son, and his gaze darted towards the fortress before them. ¡°You really like looking at the Great Wall huh?¡± ¡°Nnnn¡­,¡± Daniek replied. The short grasses that canopied the ground swayed eastward, along with the wind. It was not actually the Great Wall he was interested in; it was what was beyond it. In his meager life of five years, he found out that he was born in one of the poorest village in the continent of Tal. It was a village that was not even recognized as existing by the Empire. It took him five years to finally accept the things as they were. Still, his mind was filled with questions, questions about the reason of his existence. He was more than grateful that fate allowed him to carry the name of his brother, but he would have long preferred to have not been reincarnated. He would have preferred to not have retained his memories. ¡°The Great Wall¡­ the wall that enclosed the entire Empire of Kulaima. My son, only those recognized by the empire can enter through that. Our village is so minute that we are left to fend for ourselves. Even during times of peril, the Empire will just watch as we all succumb to our deaths.¡± Krisse said. His callused hands were touching the dewy ground. His heart continued to tighten as the thought of their stature resonated inside his mind. Why can¡¯t he give his only child the solace he wanted? Why was he so powerless? His lips quivered as he tried to suppress a wallow. Daniek knew of the thoughts that were currently resounding through his father¡¯s mind. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am more than happy enough that I have a family¡­ that I have you and mom with me.¡± Krisse warmly smiled and he patted his son¡¯s red-haired head. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your mother baked us some high quality breads.¡± Daniek stood up, and his tiny hands were held by his father¡¯s. The chilly breeze continued to blow, and their tunics cut till their knees fluttered aimlessly. Below the hill were arrays of houses that were several meters apart. The brown-black road was wide, and numerous goats were tethered at a corner. It took them ten minutes to go down the small hill adjacent to the village. ¡°Oh Krisse! How¡¯s the shovel I¡¯ve asked you to make?¡± A man with a bald head greeted the two of them. He was carrying a wooden bucket on his right arm. ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon. Probably tomorrow,¡± Krisse replied. Behind him was Daniek, and the child wore a polite smile on his snow-colored face. ¡°Dan¡¯s birthday¡¯s soon huh?¡± The bald man said. He bent his body and leaned towards the five year old child. ¡°What do you want as present for your birthday young man? Ask away! Ask away!¡¯ The villagers that saw that scenario lightly chuckled. Everyone knew that the bald man was very fond of Daniek. After all, he was the child¡¯s uncle. He was the older brother of Minerva. ¡°I wish that I won¡¯t grow bald like you when I grow up, uncle Vale,¡± The child jeered. Everyone burst laughing after the child¡¯s remark. ¡°Nice birthday wish Dan! We¡¯re definitely not fond of bald men in this village! HAHAHA!¡± ¡°Yeah, Vale is more than enough. Oohhh, just the thought of another bald guy inside this village makes me shiver!¡± ¡°Preposterous! This bald man that you guys spoke of is the most handsome bachelor in this area!¡± Vale remarked as he flexed his muscles. Daniek chided with the villagers and joined in the laughter. Somehow, such scenarios were his simple pleasures in life. It was a far cry from his usual slaughter back when he was still Hades. Back then, everywhere he went through was filled with blood and great agony. But now, it was different. Though the village he was born in was small, the peace that lingered inside filled him with comfort and peace of mind. It was something he cherished with all his heart. It was something that money cannot definitely buy. After the merry greetings, the two of them turned left after a tailoring shop. Afterwards, they continued walking forward until they stopped by in front of a small shack. The scent of freshly baked bread emanated in the air, and the two grinned at each other. Krisse knocked on the door twice. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back!¡± Minerva cheered. She was wearing a blue frilled apron that covered her dark olive dress. Her face was filled with occasional trickles of sweat. ¡°We¡¯re back, mom,¡± Daniek said. He placed his palm on his chest, and lightly bowed his head. During his five years of life, he had learned of the world¡¯s customs, and it was one of it. ¡°Oh, what an aroma!¡± Krisse entered inside and kissed the forehead of his fragile wife. His muscular arms twined around her waist, and he hugged her tight. ¡°I¡¯m sure the two of you are hungry,¡± Minerva said. She placed her hand on Daniek¡¯s shoulder and added. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± The three of them sat before a spherical wooden table. A large bread was placed on top of a wooden plate, right at the table¡¯s center. The bread was cracked open, and its inside was filled with steamed cattle meat. It seemed that the world he was reincarnated in have animals very similar to the previous one, though this time, instead of technology, the world was ran with magic. ¡°At the hills again I suppose?¡± Minerva asked her child. She was distributing the large bread to the two. ¡°Yes, mother,¡± Daniek said. ¡°The Empire of Kulaima, how large is it?¡± Krisse and Minerva looked at each other. They have noticed it before. Intellect wise, their child seemed to be a cut above the rest of the kids in their village. He had learned to speak at the age of one, and he had learned to read and write at the age of two. And now, he was asking something that even most of the villagers haven¡¯t thought of. Somehow, everyone in their village was complacent of the serene life that they have. ¡°I¡¯ve been inside the Empire once, when I delivered the spears I made for a Marquis.¡± Krisse replied. He gulped down the tea on his left and continued. ¡°It is large. Absurdly large. You could fit tens of thousands of this village of ours, and there would still be enough space left.¡± ¡°And there are three more others like it? Four empires in total. The continent of Tal sure is vast,¡± Daniek said. He elegantly split his meal in half, and using the trident-like fork, he stuffed his food into his mouth. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why the Empire of Kulaima does not bother with the villages at its outskirts. Just the villages located at the fifth district are more than enough of a problem for them. Surely, a tiny village like ours is nothing but a speck of dust for the Great Empire,¡± Krisse said. The fire inside the rectangular lamp at the wall flickered for a moment, and their shadows danced along with it. ¡°You said a week before that you wanted to see magic, right?¡± Daniek paused and tilted his head in surprise. ¡°Yes, but no one in the village knows how to use magic.¡± ¡°A convoy from the city of Urek is going to come here to restock on supplies,¡± Krisse grinned. ¡°I was asked to fix their weapons upon their arrival. And guess what?¡± His eyes twinkled, ¡°They agreed when I asked for a day of tutorials as payment! A single day of magic lessons from a rank B magician!¡± Minerva was silently listening to the conversation of the two. She wiped her lips with a napkin, and refilled Krisse¡¯s tea cup. She uttered, ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been so excited these last few days huh? No wonder.¡± ¡°But father, is it alright? You won¡¯t get any Yilian as payment for that one,¡± Dan worriedly replied. Yilian was the name of the currency used in his current world. It was divided into four kinds. Kelt, which is equivalent to copper; Ors, which is equivalent to silver; Wys, which is equivalent to gold, and Leki¡ªequivalent to a diamond. A hundred Kelt is equivalent to an Ors, and so forth. Krisse waived his hand in the air. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. That very same day is your birthday my son! Think of it as a birthday gift!¡± ¡°Thank you father,¡± Daniek said. Somehow, the feeling of a having a family again brought him to tears. The mere fact that his father was more than willing to give up the potential Yilian for his mere wish of seeing magic squeezed at his heart. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The couple was stunned when they saw the tears that streamed down their child¡¯s eyes. Immediately afterwards, they stood up, went towards Daniek, and gave him a hug. ¡°It¡¯s natural,¡± Minerva said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cry for such things Dan. We are family after all.¡± **** One week after, Daniek¡¯s birthday came. The entire village took part in the celebration, and along with it were the members of the convoy. Everyone was gathered in front of the blacksmith¡¯s house; all were inside encirclement. A mage was the center of attention. ¡°So, onto the magic!¡± A skinny man with a turban on his head declared. Contrary to his fragile appearance, he was a magician of B rank. He was one of the three magicians that was part of the convoy from Urek. ¡°Anguis,¡± The skinny man uttered. Immediately after, the air formed into a translucent snake that spanned twenty meters. It silently hissed its declaration of birth, and afterwards twined itself to its summoner. ¡°This is one of the three forms of summoning magic,¡± The man said. The crowd was agape at the divine-like summoned creature of the mage. Alongside them was Daniek, who was the reason for the performance. ¡°One can summon a creature using one of the three methods. First, summoning a creature of your very own creation¡ªthis viper here is a perfect example; second, summoning a creature from the ethereal realm, by that I mean the heavenly realm or the underworld. Such feat is the strongest and yet, the most dangerous. There is always the risk of summoning rejection¡ªyour summoned creature may turn against you if it deemed you unworthy. Lastly, you can summon a creature from this very world. That method is the simplest form, and the easiest one to perform.¡± ¡°How did you create such a creature?¡± Daniek asked. His eyes were transfixed on the white viper that was still twined on its caster. ¡°The process is difficult, mostly unending incantations. Personally, I was able to create this one here due to the help of many others.¡± He stroked the head of the hissing viper. ¡°Just a single creature of such caliber took me three weeks to create, and that was with the help of four other mages from the Ilian Academy.¡± ¡°Ilian Academy?¡± Daniek uttered. It was the first time he heard of it. ¡°Oh, now that¡¯s a surprise. Ilian is famous as the best school for mages in the entire Empire of Kulaima. Well, it¡¯s the only school for mages¡­ Still, it is long accepted to be the best one there is.¡± The man diligently replied. Somehow, he found the curious kid entertaining. ¡°They even say that it¡¯s better than the mage schools at the Empires of Elevon, Mortedh, and Helyaga.¡± ¡°In short, it¡¯s the best magical school in the entire continent of Tal?¡± Daniek¡¯s eyes glimmered with interest. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right kid! Glad that you¡¯re quick to take in the topic,¡± The turbaned man chuckled. Turning his head to his right, he nodded towards a bulky man cladded in red garb. His face was ridden with numerous scars, and a sour look was plastered on his face. The man walked towards the center, and positioned himself next to the summoner. ¡°Now, this man may look like a bandit, but he is an elemental mage!¡± He declared. The bulky man squinted his eyes at the mention of the word ¡®bandit¡¯, but the summoner paid it no heed. ¡°An elemental mage is one of the hardest classes to obtain. It basically needs inherent talent and hard work!¡± ¡°Ignis¡± The elemental mage uttered. Immediately after the utterance of the word, an orb of fire formed on his opened palm. It twirled violently, cruised upwards, and exploded. A loud bang reverberated all throughout the village, and everyone murmured in excitement as the transient blaze was reflected upon their eyes. ¡°Ehem,¡± The mage coughed. His voice was raspy. ¡°I¡¯m an elemental mage just like the skinny guy said,¡± He smirked at the summoner. ¡°Elemental mages are basically the strongest ones. At least, that is the generally accepted fact. Still, just like the stupid brat beside me said, it needs inherent talent and hard work, and most of all¡ªlarge amount of mana pool.¡± The bandit-looking guy pulled out a fist-sized marble. Its glimmering sapphire color has a swirling gray inside it. ¡°This one¡¯s an Orb of Mana. When you go to Ilian or other magical institution to enroll, you¡¯ll be sure to encounter one.¡± Still holding the fist-sized marble, he uttered, ¡°Quod.¡± The twirling gray inside the sapphire gemstone glowed for an instance, and from a gray color, it changed into a yellow one. ¡°A yellow color means a B rank mana pool,¡± He uttered. ¡°It is no exaggeration to say that the life of a mage is synonymous to its mana. The greater the amount of mana, the greater are the spells one is able to cast.¡± He looked towards Daniek. It was the child¡¯s birthday; everyone knew. ¡°How old are you now?¡± ¡°Six, sir,¡± Daniek replied. ¡°That¡¯s a good enough age,¡± The elemental mage said. He handed the orb towards Daniek. ¡°At age of four, an Orb of Mana is able to assess the amount of mana one is able to store inside his body. Utter the words Quod, and the Orb will assess your body¡¯s mana pool.¡± Daniek stared at the orb for a moment. A sudden memory resounded inside his mind. ¡®This is just like that time huh? That time when I was taken in by the Leopold Family. They also did some sort of assessment test too, and if my memory serves me correct, I got full marks at the test.¡¯ ¡°Quod,¡± Daniek muttered. The twirling grey inside the orb glowed a dim color, and after a few more moments, everyone was confused of the result. It remained unchanged. ¡°¡­¡± Daniek stared at the orb he was holding, and after a few seconds, he glanced at the elemental mage. Its eyes drooped down as it stared at the confused child. ¡°¡­Kid,¡± The elemental mage glanced at the skinny summoner. After getting a shrug as response, he continued. His voice was low. ¡°You do not have mana. To be exact, you¡¯re mana is too low that the orb is unable to react to it.¡± Silence embraced the entire village after those words. Everyone looked towards Daniek¡¯s direction. Everyone knew that the child was very interested in learning magic, and such revelation was like stabbing a stake into the child¡¯s heart. ¡°Dan¡­ everyone in the village is unable to use magic,¡± Krisse said in his attempt of comforting his son. He did not want Daniek to have such horrible birthday. Apathetic to the mood, a voice rang out from beyond the crowd. ¡°No change in color means that the kid¡¯s mana is at the bottom most level.¡± A tan-skinned man spoke. His furred coat has an insignia of a wing and sword in it. ¡°Lord Merlot!¡± The elemental mage spoke. Together with the summoner, the two of them bowed down to their knees. ¡°M-Merlot? As in the Lord of a Thousand Blades?¡± ¡°Heavens! It¡¯s the real thing! One of the fifteen S ranked mages in the Empire of Kulaima is here!¡± Numerous murmurs reverberated all throughout the village. Encountering one of the masters of the Empire was as hard as finding a grain of rice in a desert, especially for a poor farming village such as theirs. ¡°The schedule has changed. We depart in a few minutes. Prepare yourselves,¡± Merlot said. The two mages saluted in response. He turned towards Daniek and added, ¡°Stay a farmer all your life kid. You have no talent in the art of magic. And if you do have, your mana is too mediocre that whatever you do, you will always remain a bottom feeder.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Krisse snarled. His fists were clenched as he glared at the S ranked monster. ¡°Watch your mouth! That is my son!¡± Everyone in the village gulped down after Krisse raised his voice. They knew that Krisse was a gentle person, and it was the first time they saw the blacksmith become genuinely angry. ¡°Oh, the blacksmith, correct? I beg your pardon, but what I¡¯ve just stated is the truth¡ªit will never change. There is no sense in sugarcoating things. It¡¯s better if that child comes to accept his reality as early as now,¡± Merlot maintained his stance. The two mage from before were now beside him, both were ready for the departure. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. But that child will never obtain greater power. He is someone destined to be a mere farmer, a mere villager¡ªall his life.¡± Krisse was about to retort at the remark when a gentle and calm voice made the murmurs die out in an instant. The words uttered made everyone¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It was words that they would have never thought they would hear from a child. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I do not have to be great. I have no need for that,¡± Daniek said. He looked towards his father and smiled. ¡°Standing at the top¡ªit¡¯s too lonely. I¡¯d rather be with my family here and enjoy the simple joys everyday life has to offer. That is more than enough of a gift for this meek life of mine.¡± Everyone was stunned speechless from such words. Suddenly an unruly chuckle broke the embracing serenity. ¡°Kukukuku!¡± Merlot chuckled. His right hand was covering his face as he continued to mockingly laugh at the words uttered by the child. ¡°Standing at the top is lonely? Hah! Child,¡± His gaze was now transfixed on Daniek, ¡°You speak like you¡¯ve been there. You speak like you¡¯ve experienced what being at the top feels like. A child? Heh! Preposterous!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been there, and believe me¡­ it¡¯s lonely,¡± Daniek mumbled. Those words were uttered so low that no one in the village heard it. Still, it seemed that Merlot understood the words uttered by the child just from the movement of its lips alone. His eyes glinted with great interest when he realized that the child was not lying. Merlot had been to thousands of battles before, and he was more than confident of his ability to judge the truthfulness behind a person¡¯s words. And his instinct was screaming at him that the child before him was not lying. ¡°Child,¡± Merlot walked towards Daniek. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Dan,¡± He simply replied. At the corner of his eyes, he saw his mother pale in anxiety. Most of the villagers had heard of the S ranked monster Merlot before, and all of the rumors were nasty ones. The Lord of a Thousand Blades was infamous for his sadistic tendencies. ¡°Dan huh?¡± Merlot combed his blonde hair towards his back. ¡°Listen kid. I don¡¯t know what kind of experience you¡¯ve gone through, but believe me, this is a world where the strong literally tramples the weak. Inevitably, there will come a time wherein a peace cherishing individual like you will have no choice but fight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dan did not reply from the remark made by Merlot. He knew where the man was coming from. He had been there, and he knew firsthand how terrible the world can be. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Merlot said towards the two mages. The three of them walked towards the direction of the Great Wall, and the crowd immediately parted into two to give way to the party. The two mages gave an apologetic glance towards the villagers, and afterwards, they followed suit. At the end of the path, five carriages were in wait. Merlot and the two mages boarded the second carriage. ¡°Dan huh?¡± Merlot muttered. The two mages looked towards his direction. ¡°What a peculiar kid. Those eyes¡­.¡± The summoner and the elemental mage glanced at each other. Eventually, the summoner asked, ¡°What do you mean my Lord?¡± The sound of horses neighing reverberated, and the carriage began moving. Merlot looked at the opened window; his eyes gazed at the still clustered villagers from a distance. With his cheeks slumped on his right hand, he said, ¡°Such eyes¡ªthose are the eyes of someone that have killed hundreds of lives before. With my innumerable life-and-death experiences, I have no doubt about it.¡± The horses neighed again, and the carriage picked up its pace. The village disappeared from their sight, and the sea of trees greeted their eyes. Two weeks after the encounter, an event that would later on be described in the history of Tal Continent as ¡®The Roar of Krukas¡¯ took place. It was an event that forever changed the history of the Empire of Kulaima. It was an event that sparked the birth of the monster known as Daniek of the Black Blood. Chapter 3: The First Roar of Krukas Chapter 3: The First Roar of Krukas ¡°Dan¡ªhere,¡± Krisse handed his son a twin dagger. Each was almost a feet in length, and its scabbards have spiraled ornamental designs embedded. Dan took the two bronze colored daggers from his father. After glancing at the twin weapons, he looked up and stared at his father¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. What¡¯re these two for, father?¡± Krisse scratched his temporal. A trickle of sweat flowed down his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday gift for you Dan. I know that you like those things. I¡¯ve seen you practice using wooden daggers before.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already given me one, right? The magic feats.¡± Dan tilted his head. ¡°Father, if you¡¯re still feeling uneasy by the events that happened that time, then be at ease. I¡¯ve repeatedly told you, I am okay.¡± ¡°Of course! Of course!¡± Krisse repeatedly stated. His heart thumped fast as he looked towards his wife. The two of them was under deep remorse at the fact that their child had close to zero mana. They both knew how interested Daniek was to learn magic. ¡°Now, now,¡± Minerva said. Her red hair was tied at the back. ¡°That was something that happened two weeks ago. We should forget about it. Besides,¡± She touched her belly with her left hand, ¡°We should celebrate.¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Daniek immediately said. His eyes glimmered in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a younger brother or sister soon right? I can¡¯t wait!¡± A week ago, the family found out that Minerva was pregnant. The entire village was delighted of the news. It meant that their meager population was soon to increase by one. Krisse in particular was unable to contain his joy after he found out that his wife was pregnant. He even went as far as assume the role of cook in order to not overwork his wife. ¡°Ohoho! If it¡¯s a boy, then we should name him Rafael! If it¡¯s a girl, Muan.¡± Krisse kept pacing about inside the humble shack. ¡°Father,¡± Daniek grimaced after stuffing the bread into his mouth. ¡°This is horrible. I think we should let mother do the cooking for now.¡± Krisse stopped in his thoughts as the revelation of his absurdly horrible cooking made him come to his senses. ¡°N-No! Minerva should rest for now! I¡¯ll get better at cooking soon, I promise!¡± Minerva fondly smiled at her husband. She walked towards him and gave him a hug from the back. Her belly started to subtly grow lately, and her pale skin was now blooming with radiance. ¡°You¡¯re such a sweet husband,¡± Minerva said. Her voice was muffled by Krisse¡¯s skin. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky.¡± Dan warmly gazed at the scenario in front of him, all the while he still held the twin blades in his hands. In his previous life, he had lost his parents at the age of nine, and he was left with nothing to fend for himself. His younger brother was only a year old that time, and he made it his life¡¯s purpose to make sure that the pure infant survived the apocalyptic-like world they grew up in. He even went as far as sold his soul to the devil¡ªLeopold, eventually becoming known as Hades himself. He was about to join in the heartwarming scenario when suddenly, the ground shook, and the sound of fleeing birds filled the air. The ground trembled again, and the sounds of shouting from the outside were heard. Krisse and Minerva immediately opened the wooden door and peeked outside. ¡°Heavens¡­,¡± Minerva uttered. Her right hand covered her mouth. She glanced towards Krisse and gave an immediate nod. Krisse took Daniek¡¯s hand and led him to where Minerva was. ¡°Dan, listen,¡± His voice was trembling. ¡°Get away from the village as quick as you can. Take your mother with you.¡± The ground shook again, and the sounds of screaming intensified. The evening sky outside was illuminated with fiery crimson. The blaze was felt even from their spot. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Dan asked. The sounds of anguish from the outside continued to swell by each passing moment. The scent that filled the air was something he was very familiar with. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain,¡± He took Daniek¡¯s and Minerva¡¯s hand and led them outside their house. Immediately, the scorching village greeted their eyes. The scent of blood lingered in the air, and the moonless sky seemed to add to the mortifying atmosphere. ¡°Krisse! What are you guys still doing here?! Take your child with you and escape!¡± The bald Vale said. He was tattered all over. After a few more huffing breathes, he collapsed on the ground. He jerked twice and gave a croaking sound. Krisse¡¯s and Minerva¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°Go! Go towards the wall! Do whatever you can to get as near it as possible! The guards stationed there should take care of those creatures.¡± Krisse hugged his wife and kissed her on the lips. With moist eyes, he said. ¡°I love you Minerva,¡± His eyes darted towards her belly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I won¡¯t be there to guide you when you grow up.¡± His voice was filled with sorrow and regret. Daniek tied the twin daggers on his waist. Somehow, his instinct was screaming at him that those twin blades would mean his life and death. He asked his father, ¡°Father, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Krukas,¡± His father said. ¡°It¡¯s said that they would attack the Empire of Kulaima soon, but this is too soon. It¡¯s like five years earlier than the predicted date. GO! ESCAPE!¡± He shoved his family towards the Great Wall¡¯s direction, ¡°There should be someone to stop them here, even for a few second! Those beasts are fast, GO NOW! ESCAPE! PLEASE!¡± Minerva bit her lips, and she grasped tight the hands of Daniek. After a last glimpse at her husband, she ran towards the intended direction, all the while her hands held Dan¡¯s. Her frail hands trembled, and it was ice cold. The ground shook again, and numerous footsteps were heard coming from the direction of the village. Dan casted a quick look towards his father, and his eyes widened when he saw numerous giant beasts that spanned three meters in height. Each of them had four hands, and all were filled with green furs. Some of them held torn bodies of the villagers. Their absurdly large canines were overflowing with viscous saliva, creating a silvery thread every time they opened their jaws wide. Blocking the five beasts was a single bulky man that held a shovel on his right¡ªhis father, Krisse. ¡°Father!¡± Daniek shouted as he saw his father charge towards the rabid beasts. He felt his mother¡¯s grip tighten, and his face distorted in agony as he continued forward. Only the warmth from the hand that held his was what gave him enough strength to continue his escape. After several years of silently gazing at the horizon on top of the hills, he had come to love the peaceful life he was granted by fate. It was something that he would never exchange no matter the amount of Yilian he was offered with. Tranquil life and a loving family. It was what he, Hades of the Leopold Family, had long sought for. It was something akin to his utopia. But now, such paradise was taken away from him, and he heard the splattering sound of a crushed body subtly reverberate in his rear as he ran towards his escape. He remembered the words uttered by Merlot before it left the village. ¡°Listen kid. I don¡¯t know what kind of experience you¡¯ve gone through, but believe me, this is a world where the strong literally tramples the weak. Inevitably, there will come a time wherein a peace cherishing individual like you will have no choice but fight.¡± Those words left by the sadistic monster now resounded in his mind. ¡°I guess it¡¯s too much to wish a simple and peaceful life huh?¡± Dan mumbled under a huffed breathe. He felt the grip of his mother loosen, and he glanced at her face. She was heavily panting, and her face was pale from the unfolded nightmare. Still, the two of them kept running. It was all they could do to make sure that Krisse¡¯s last attempt of saving his family did not go in vain. ¡°We should rest mother,¡± Dan suggested after a few more minutes. It was evident that Minerva could no longer run. Her face was filled with gashes from the numerous branches of the forest, and her face was ridden with sweat. Everywhere around them were ominous trees that spanned several meters. Their thick canopies continued to flick against each other, creating consistent ~shhkk sounds. Even from such distance, the crimson inferno that continued to rise up was seen. Its smoke shrouded the moon above, and the violent chirping of birds echoed. ¡°No!¡± Minerva firmly said. The two of them were still running inside the forest, with the Great Wall as their goal. ¡°We will survive no matter what! Your father¡ª¡± She was unable to continue with her words. Tears streamed down her eyes as she buckled her wobbly knees. Only the sheer will to protect Daniek and the soon to be born child was what pushed her past her limits. Her voice was raspy, and the chilly forest breeze made her burning body shiver. The two of them heard numerous sounds from their rear, but they did not bother to look back. They both knew of the origin of the sounds. A loud roar accompanied by multiple galloping sounds was heard. It was very close to their direction. Daniek glanced towards the twin blades strapped on his waist, then to her pregnant mother. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a large hollow tree. The size of the hole was large enough for a person to squeeze in to. Dan casted a quick look at their pursuer; there were two of them. He gripped his mother¡¯s cold hands tight, and he ushered her to the direction of the hollowed tree. A howling sound was heard from beyond, and with heavy breath, Dan said, ¡°Stay inside. I¡¯ll lure the beasts towards the other direction.¡± Minerva shook her head twice, and with a firm voice, she said, ¡°No. You are coming with me. It¡¯s my responsibility to make sure that nothing bad happens to you!¡± Dan knew that Minerva would not back down from her stance. He pulled her hands and pushed her inside the hollow tree. With a smile, he said, ¡°I love you mother. I¡¯ll be back. I promise.¡± Before his mother could utter a word, Dan hit her chin with a swift strike, and she instantly lost consciousness. He pushed her body further inside the hollow tree, and after wiping the sweat on his forehead, he turned to their pursuer; they¡¯ve caught up with them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this body of mine could keep up with my previous self, but I definitely won¡¯t die without taking at least one of you guys with me,¡± Dan said. He pulled out the twin blades from their scabbards, creating a uniform ~shwk sound. ¡°There are things in this life worth dying for. These things are what make life so precious.¡± Dan quickly eyed his immediate surroundings. Everywhere was nothing but thick trees that seemed to have been there for centuries. He had never heard of Krukas before, but it seemed to be common knowledge; even their isolated village knew of it. All he knew was that he did not want to again lose something so precious. He did not want to lose his family again. A gust of wind blew, and the smoke that shrouded the moon above receded. The beasts roared, and Dan immediately dashed towards their direction. Even after being born in a different world, the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family continued to practice his martial art. The art of dual blade wielding was something that calmed his shrouded mind. It was his panacea. The beast on his right swiped its large claw towards him, and Dan dodged by ducking. With swift movements, he gashed at its arm in the split second given to him. Four consecutive strikes were made, and the beast roared as it felt pain from the sharp gift of Dan¡¯s father. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡®As I thought. The wounds are shallow. It¡¯ll take numerous strikes before I could kill a single beast at this rate,¡¯ Dan thought. His skills were impeccable, but his young body couldn¡¯t keep up with it. Dan dodged another strike from one of the beasts. He kicked the ground, and dusts flew towards the beast¡¯s eyes. He fearlessly leaped towards it, and using the full weight of his young body, he stabbed the dagger onto the beast¡¯s eyes. The twin blades hit their marks perfectly. He felt a gust of wind from his rear, and he lifted his body up using the hilt of the jammed blade as pivot; the claw of the other beast missed its mark. The beast roared as it felt the weight of the child. The blades remained stuck inside its eye sockets. Dan mounted the beast, and using a bone-breaking force, he jammed the blades further inside the beast¡¯s head. He twisted it numerous times, and green blood dripped down to the ground. The beast cried in agony, but Dan paid it no heed. The beast desperately tried to grab the mounted young body, but Dan kept evading, all the while he kept stabbing further his blades inside. After a few more moments of struggle, the beast fell down its knees, its body twitched, and it eventually kissed the ground. Dan quickly took out his blades; it was stuck. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the other beast charging towards him. It opened its jaw wide as it tried to bite his body. He rolled on the floor in desperation. The ground was surprisingly salty, and his face sunk half an inch into it as his body skidded. He saw a branch on his left and took it. His blades remained stuck inside the dead beast¡¯s eyes, and the other monstrosity blocked his path towards it. Without hesitation, he charged towards the remaining monster. He ducked as a swipe flung past him, and he side-stepped as it tried to bite his flesh off. With swift movements, he plunged the branch into the beast¡¯s left eye. It sunk an inch inside, and green fluid spurted in every direction. The beast howled in pain as it repeatedly strikes at Dan, all the while the previous Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family dodged by a whisper. The beast crouched for a moment as it groaned in pain. Dan used that opportunity and dashed towards the corpse; he plucked out the twin blades from its eyes. His meager strength made it hard for the weapon to be pulled out, but after successive attempts, the spherical flesh gave way in the end. The beast with an injured eye finally regained its composure. It howled and charged towards Dan. He heard numerous howling sounds from beyond as response, and Dan knew that he should kill the beast before its comrades arrived. Dan jumped into a boulder, and his feet landed on the bark of a tree. With uninterrupted momentum, he spun into the air and using the force of the pull of earth, he stabbed the twin blades into the beast¡¯s skull. Unfortunately, his weight and strength was not enough to pierce through such thick armor. The beast roared in pain as it felt the blade sunk deep into its flesh; it did not reach past its bones. Numerous green furs scattered everywhere as Dan pulled out his blades from the monster¡¯s flesh. Its metallic body was mucked with green blood. ¡°This body of mine¡­,¡± Dan mumbled as he felt his bones creak upon landing on the ground. His muscles ached, and his left arm was torn. Bruises formed all over his body; his movements were too much for his current body to handle. He glared towards the now one-eyed beast. With unsuppressed blood lust, he dashed towards it. He ignored the cries of agony of his body. Hi bones kept creaking and breaking, but he paid it no heed. With torn muscles, he spun around and gashed at the beast¡¯s neck. This time, the cut made was deep enough to inflict great injury. The gash was not lethal, but it was enough to grog the beast for a few seconds. Using that opening, he repeatedly stabbed his twin blades into the monster¡¯s thick armor. His young body kept begging him to stop, but his mind refused to obey. After a few more moments of excruciating pain for the both of them, the beast eventually quivered and kicked the bucket. The forest ground was blanketed with its green innards, and Dan stood there, his body covered with its blood all over. He was huffing, and with every breath, steam came out. With keen ears, he heard multiple sounds coming towards their direction. ¡°Mom¡­ I need to get her to a safe place. This forest is too dangerous,¡± Dan said under heavy breath. He glanced at his twin blades, and with a flicker of sorrow in his eyes, he sheathed it into the scabbards. They were the last gift given to him by Krisse. His body battered all over, he moved towards the hollowed tree. He casted a gentle smile as he looked at the unconscious face of his mother, then to her belly. She was pregnant, and he can¡¯t wait to see her child. The idea of having a younger brother or sister filled him with excitement. He heard the footsteps from beyond intensified, and he knew that they were now very close to them. ¡®It¡¯s too late to escape. At least, I¡¯ll make sure mother is safe,¡¯ he thought. He went towards one of the corpses, and with a blade, he cut out a chunk of flesh. The task was arduous for his torn body, but his will was more than enough for him to keep moving. He moved the chunk of flesh towards the hollowed tree then placed it in front of his mother. Using his hands, he wiped mucks of blood onto her frail skin, making sure that the scent was strong enough to conceal her human lineage. Just in time, he heard loud roars from behind. The ground slightly shook, and it was accompanied by innumerable footsteps of beasts that towered three meters. The blazing inferno that was used to be their village continued to rise to the sky, painting it crimson. Dan turned around, and what greeted him were dozens of the same beasts from before. Without a doubt, they came here after the beast¡¯s howl. ¡°Six years of life¡­ six years of living with a family¡­,¡± Dan said. A smile formed upon his young face. Somehow, although he knew he was about to die, he had no fear; he had no regrets. He had long resolved himself to do everything for his family, no matter what; dying for them was a trivial thing. ¡°It¡¯s such a pleasant feeling.¡± He readied his weapon and he firmed his footing. The wind blew westward, and the thick canopies of the trees that surrounded them conceded with it. No matter how skilled he was, he knew that there was no way for him to win against dozens of such monstrosities. With the thought of dying while taking as many of the beasts as he could, he charged head-first towards the bestial army. ¡°TWIIICKKKK!¡± The sound of a whistle echoed, and the beasts uniformly glanced at its direction. Dan stopped in his tracks as he felt the previous murderous rage of the monsters recede. The beasts casted a last look at the young meal before them then turned towards their rear. A few seconds after, they galloped towards the direction of the whistle, and Dan stood there as he watched their shadows fade into the darkness of the night. ¡°What was that?¡± Dan said. He was surprised by their sudden retreat. Suddenly, he felt the pain all over his body intensify the moment the threats were gone. His body felt heavy, and his legs kept wobbling. With his entire body aching, screaming, and trembling all over, he walked towards the hollowed tree. His head seemed about to burst open as he resisted the urge not to lose consciousness. ¡°Not yet,¡± He said to himself. ¡°I can¡¯t lose consciousness yet.¡± He climbed the hollowed tree and using his twin blades, he cut off branches one after another. With great effort, he placed the thick blanket of leaves right at the entrance of the hollow. After squeezing his tiny body inside, he closed it off with another leaves-filled branch. He dozed off into dreamland. **** It was morning, and the sounds of ravens chirping woke him from his slumber. He quickly glanced at his mother, and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing her sleeping face. Her breathing was faint but stable, and it brought him great joy that he was able to protect such seraph. He pushed the blanket of leaves forward, and it fell down the ground. He covered his eyes from the sudden flash of bright morning light, and he heard a sound beside him. ¡°Nnnn¡­,¡± he heard his mother say. She slowly opened her eyes, and she immediately squinted it upon contact with the bright rays from the outside. ¡°How are you feeling, mother?¡± Dan said. Aside from numerous gashed from the forest¡¯s trees¡¯ branches, her body was in a fairly good condition. ¡°Dan¡­ Where are we?¡± She said. As if a thought suddenly struck her mind, her eyes bolted wide open, and she frantically said, ¡°Krisse! Your father Krisse!??¡± Dan lowered his gaze. He paused before he replied, ¡°Mom¡­ he stayed behind the night before.¡± Silence filled the two after those words. Minerva¡¯s lips quivered, and she desperately tried to suppress a wallow. She wanted to look strong in front of her son. Deep inside, she knew that Krisse was gone. She saw the beasts herself; there was no way for a mere human to win against such things. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. It was tiny, but it held great strength. She looked up and saw her six year old son. His body was battered all over, but his gentle smile seemed to belie the pain accompanied by it. He spoke no words of consolation. Instead, he hugged her tight, and she felt his beating heart against hers. She sobbed and she wailed. She had lost someone precious, but she knew life had to go on. She had her two children with her. They were her life¡¯s new purpose. Eventually, her wailing stopped, and with a snot-filled face, she uttered, ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± Dan did not reply and instead went out of their abode. The morning sun seemed enraged, and it sapped at his strength the moment it touched his skin. It seemed to scorch everything around them. Minerva followed suit and she almost shouted in great fear the moment she saw the sprawled corpses of the beasts the night before. ¡°What¡­ happened here?¡± Her voice trailed off. She looked at her son¡¯s body; it was filled with bruises and gashes. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dan said with a shrug. ¡°Someone must have come here and killed the creatures. The Empire¡¯s army I guess?¡± Minerva knew that the Empire would not bother to traverse deep into such place. Somehow, she felt that her son was lying, but she dismissed the thought. She resolved herself to trust her son no matter what. ¡°Mother, where should we go?¡± Dan asked, though he knew the answer to his question. Personally, he wanted to go back to the village to find his father. He knew that the blacksmith was most likely dead, but he wanted to see even his corpse regardless. He was a doting father, and Dan knew that he gave his everything to provide for his family. He wanted to give the man a proper burial at the very least. Still, he gave up on the idea since his mother was his current priority. The living took precedence. Her mother looked beyond the trees that surrounded them. Despite the innumerable barks and leaves, the Great Wall was visible from their current spot. It spanned an immeasurable length, and its same towering height touched the clouds. Minerva touched her belly. With a firm voice, she said, ¡°The Great Wall. We¡¯ll go inside the Empire.¡± Chapter 4: The City of Molivia Chapter 4: The City of Molivia ¡°Mother, are you alright?¡± Dan asked. His eyes were squinted as he looked at the huffing figure on his left. Her mother was filled with sweat all over, and the green mucks from the beasts covered most of her skin. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Minerva replied. She was exhausted, but her resolve to appear strong before her son kept providing her strength. The two of them had exited the dense forest; occasional decapitated corpses were seen along the way. Till now, numerous clouds of smoke filled the sky. It created a surreal painting straight from a battle field. They were now on a grassy plain filled with overgrown weeds. The swaying grasses crept up till their waist, and its sharp blades kept gashing against their bodies. The pain was tolerable, but when coupled with the scorching sun above, it became excruciating. They were in desperate need of water, and they knew that such resource was impossible to acquire; everywhere around them were unending fields of weed. Minerva¡¯s memory the night before was blurry, but one thing was sure: Dan made sure of her safety. She had a vague idea on what happened the moment she lost consciousness; just the battered appearance of her son, his muck-filled body, and the blade marks on the corpses of the beasts were enough testaments to the events that occurred while she was ¡®asleep.¡¯ She had an inkling of the truth behind the veil, but she was afraid to ask. She was afraid of the answer. The two of them continued to traverse the seemingly unending field of overgrown weeds, and after a couple of hours, they eventually reached their destination. They were expecting to see a large army blocking the colossal gate of the entrance to the Empire, but reality gave them a different picture. The Great Wall and the Empire that governed it seemed detached from the nightmare that happened before. The wall remained unchanged, and guarding its colossal gates was a meagre amount of soldiers that hardly surpassed two dozen. They were positioned right before an outpost; surrounding its perimeter were stone blocks that made a clearing despite the unending grasses of the outskirt¡¯s meadow. Minerva glanced towards her son, and with resolve in her eyes, she grabbed his young hand and ushered him towards the outpost. The soldiers assumed a wary stance as the two figures approached their group. A soldier took a step forward and said in a loud and firm voice, ¡°Halt! State your purpose!¡± Minerva swallowed the lump in her throat and replied, ¡°We wish to seek refuge in the Great Empire of Kulaima, honourable soldier, sire!¡± Her left hand was on her chest, and her body was bent low in respect. The soldier scrutinized the two figure¡¯s body from head to toe. They wore battered looks, and the mucks that covered them gave an irksome appearance. The soldier cringed and assumed a slightly disgusted look on his face. He asked, ¡°Did you swim through mud or anything similar?¡± Minerva shot a quizzical look but still replied, ¡°Krukas sir. I¡¯m sure the soldiers stationed on top of the battlements saw the fire that ravaged our village?¡± The soldiers stationed bolted up the moment the word ¡®Krukas¡¯ came out of Minerva¡¯s mouth. They nervously glanced at each other, and some of them swallowed the lumps in their throats. The soldier from before paused for a long time before it reluctantly asked, ¡°K-Krukas? We did see a sea of fire miles from here. Numerous sea of fire¡­ separated from each other.¡± ¡®So our village is not the only one ravaged by those beasts? Still, I¡¯m surprised with the so called ¡®Great Empire.¡¯ They¡¯re not even aware that their enemies are lurking nearby. They¡¯re too laid back. They¡¯re worlds apart from the Leopold Family,¡¯ Dan thought. He silently listened on their conversation. ¡°Yes. Our village¡­,¡± Minerva¡¯s body trembled as she tried to continue with her words. ¡°It was attacked by numerous beasts the night before. Everyone was killed. We¡¯re the only¡­.¡± She was unable to continue the last bit of her story. Dan felt her grip on his hands tighten, and he casted a gentle look at her quivering face. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You have me with you, mother,¡± Dan softly said. His voice was low and hardly audible, but it held great strength behind it. Somehow, to Minerva¡¯s surprise, it filled her with strength. ¡°Are your words true?¡± a voice sprung out from beyond. They glanced at the source and saw a man cladded in white armor walking towards their direction. His black hair had tinges of white, and a well-kept beard lined up above his lips. Despite the numerous wrinkles, his face was firm and muscular. His eyes were deep and hazel. ¡°If it is, then we have to inform the Royal Family. We have to mobilize the army of the Molivia City.¡± ¡°Captain Jackslow!¡± The soldiers immediately assumed a respectful bow upon seeing the middle-age man. The so called captain of the soldiers wordlessly walked towards Dan and his mother. Afterwards, he raised his gauntlet-cladded right arm and mumbled a few incomprehensible words. An azure light enveloped the two, and it filled them with unexplainable warmth. ¡°Hmmm¡­ they¡¯re humans. There is no need to worry if these two are High Fenris that morphed into a human body,¡± Captain Jackslow said. He mumbled another few incomprehensible words, and the mucks that clung to Dan and Minerva¡¯s body dissipated. Their wounds closed on its own, and the fatigue that continued to embrace them vanished. They entire body was cleansed and rejuvenated. ¡°Wow,¡± Dan said in honesty. He had never seen such a convenient thing before. It was without a doubt a form of magic. Captain Jackslow turned towards his soldiers. He shouted, ¡°Coordinate with the City of Molivia! All soldiers stationed on the battlements are to ready their magic and arrows! Create a link with General Orbit! We are to immediately assume a tight defensive stance!¡± ¡°Yes sire!¡± the soldiers chanted in unison. Afterwards, they immediately scattered and assumed their roles. ¡°Thank you¡­ for believing us,¡± Minerva said while bowing. Her eyes were moist, and the feeling of having her son¡¯s injuries healed almost sent her to tears. She had the feeling that her son fought a battle she was unaware of during the time she was unconscious, but she was afraid to ask. All that she could do was stand beside him as they both traversed the unknown. ¡°Don¡¯t get mistaken. I don¡¯t believe you, but there is no harm in preparing for the worst, is there?¡± Captain Jackslow said. He stared at the twin blades strapped on Dan¡¯s waist. ¡°There is something peculiar with your kid. I cannot pinpoint it, but my instincts are screaming at me¡­ he¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°He¡¯s human! You said so yourself!¡± Minerva said. She nervously glanced towards Dan then to Jackslow. She was ready to run from the captain if the situation willed it. ¡°Relax. I didn¡¯t say that he¡¯s a Fenris. I¡¯ve confirmed it with magic: both of you are humans. There is no need to fret. It¡¯s just that¡­.¡± Jackslow¡¯s voice trailed off. He heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Nevermind. If what you said is true, then this area is no longer safe. We normally charge two Wys per person as entrance fee.¡± ¡°Two Wys?!¡± Minerva uttered in disbelief. It was an amount that would feed their entire family for half year. ¡°Yes. There¡¯re two of you, so the entrance fee is four Wys, but this time¡¯s an exemption,¡± Jackslow smiled. ¡°As exchange of the information you¡¯ve given, I¡¯ll give the two of you free entrance to the Empire. I won¡¯t be able to guarantee what happens to you guys after that though.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not really aware that monsters began decimating villages in the Empire¡¯s outskirts? Even though you¡¯ve seen the sea of fire the night before?¡± Dan asked. His question took Jackslow by surprise. His words seemed unbefitting of his age. ¡°The Empire¡­ I hate to say this myself¡­ but they do not care what happens to the villages that are not under their sovereign. Even if we see the entire Rul Forest burn before our very eyes, we will do nothing but watch. It is not part of the Empire¡¯s territory.¡± Rul Forest was the forest that surrounded the outskirts of the Empire. It was the forest where Dan¡¯s village was located. He remembered the looks of anguish of the villagers as they succumbed to their deaths. It was a gruesome sight, and the Empire did nothing but watch during that time of peril. Still, he somehow understood the stance the Empire took. It was the same stance of the Leopold Family: ¡°We do not involve ourselves to those outside our jurisdiction. It¡¯s part of the code of Separated Territories.¡± ¡®At least the Empire¡¯s soldiers are not scumbags. At least not this one,¡¯ Dan thought. He pertained to Jackslow. Dan smiled and lightly bowed his head. He said, ¡°I see. Then, Captain Jackslow, thank you for granting me and my mother entry to the Great Empire of Kulaima. Thank you very much.¡± Jackslow did not reply and instead just returned a smile. A soldier walked towards the captain and saluted. It said, ¡°Sire! We¡¯ve contacted Molivia! General Orbit is going to send an army of two thousand soldiers to guard the entrance to the Great Wall. A reinforcement consisting of five thousand soldiers is on stand-by!¡± ¡°I see,¡± Jackslow said. He turned towards the Dan and Minerva. ¡°Go. The soldiers shall grant you entry to the Empire.¡± Dan and Minerva again said their thanks. After that, they went towards the direction of the gates. It spanned a hundred meters in height, and a single side was two meters thick. It was made of pure iron. It opened inwards with a loud creaking sound the moment the two approached, and a shrouded view of a city greeted both of them. The gap created was enough for them to pass through side-by-side. After a confirmatory nod from a soldier, Dan and Minerva entered. The colossal gates shut afterwards. ¡°As expected of the Empire,¡± Minerva mumbled. Numerous structures that spanned three to four stories in height were seen. The ground was paved, and soldiers filled the streets. Some of them glanced at the two, but afterwards dismissed the sight. Murmurs and buzzes filled the air. The entire city was bustling. ¡°Captain Jackslow told me to escort you two to an inn,¡± a soldier from behind spoke. He was wearing the same brown leather armor as the rest of the soldiers. He seemed to be around early twenties. He removed the leather cap on his head. ¡°I am Hans. A trainee soldier. Welcome to the Molivia, the military city that guards the front lines.¡± ¡°SOLDIERS! GET YOUR ASSES UP AND READY! HURRY UP!¡± a shout from beyond was heard. Hans seemed apathetic to it and said, ¡°So, let¡¯s get you two to an inn?¡± Hans walked forward and Dan and Minerva immediately followed. He was humming, and he was calm despite the blatant tension that filled the streets. It was obvious that everyone were on their edges after knowing that Krukas was about to attack the Empire. The group entered an alleyway then turned left after reaching a corner. Numerous broken barrels filled the cramped path, and a cabin with a broken window was seen on their left. Eventually, they reached the end of the alley, and they found themselves in a different road. It was wider than the previous one, and a platoon of soldiers stood in attention before an officer. Hans waived for Dan and Minerva to keep following him. Eventually, they stopped in front of a structure made of polished lumber. It was three stories in height, and its entrance was a double door. Muffled voices were heard from the inside. ¡°Know what, the two of you are not the first ones who asked for entry to the Empire. A dozen refugees also went towards the wall to seek shelter,¡± Hans said. His voice was nonchalant. ¡°They wore torn garbs like you guys do, and their expressions were grim. They said monsters began attacking¡­ saying Krukas is on the move. The soldiers dismissed their story though. Can¡¯t blame them o¡¯ soldiers. The royal magicians said its five years from now.¡± He scratched his chin. ¡°The story became believable when the two of you came. I guess you two are like the confirmation of their message? You can¡¯t blame us. It¡¯s hard to believe strangers, right? Lucky for you guys that Captain Jackslow was stationed outside when you guys came. Otherwise, you would have been like the previous refugees.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Dan and Minerva did not utter a word. The words of Hans confirmed their suspicions. It was peculiar that they were the only ones that sought shelter inside the Empire¡ªothers did so too, but was refused entry. It seemed that they were lucky that the captain was a reasonable man. ¡°Here¡¯s the inn. It¡¯s the cheapest in the city. The food¡¯s bad. I mean¡­ it¡¯s really bad.¡± Hans chuckled. ¡°You guys look poor, so I guess this inn would serve as the best choice for now. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m discriminating. Just saying my thoughts, ¡®kay?¡± Minerva dismissed the rude remark. She said, ¡°Thank you, soldier Hans.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Madam, I¡¯m no soldier. Just a trainee. And thank God Mulavek that I¡¯m currently a trainee. Otherwise, I would have been forced to fight Krukas outside the solace of this city. Just the thought alone makes me shiver. Geez,¡± Hans replied. He walked forward and waived a hand. ¡°My job¡¯s done. See ya.¡± The two of them watched as Hans calmly walked away. He turned right at a corner and disappeared from their sight. They turned towards the inn and entered through the double doors. A cabin-like view greeted them upon entry. The tables and chairs were wooden, and at the corner was a counter; a fat lady wearing a spotted dress with frills at the edge stood behind it. Five people were sitting before a table at their left, and two were at their right. They casted a quick look at Dan and Minerva. Afterwards, they resumed their conversations. ¡°Welcome,¡± the fat lady said. She was wiping a wooden tankard. After seeing the hole-filled garb of her potential customers, she mumbled, ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Minerva took the initiative and said, ¡°Lodgings for two. A dinner right now would also be nice.¡± It was currently dusk; it took them half a day to reach the Empire by foot. ¡°Certainly,¡± the fat lady said. She continued to wipe the tankards before her. ¡°That¡¯s three Ors per night. Food¡¯s included. Down payment please?¡± Her voice lacked enthusiasm. Minerva fumbled inside her pocket. After a few seconds, she took out a golden Wys coin. It clanked twice after she placed it on the counter before her. The fat lady¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately assumed a big smile. She exclaimed, ¡°Oh! Dear customers! Lodgings for two it is!¡± Her smile was still plastered on her chubby face. Freckles adorned her cheeks. ¡°Please sit. Dinner shall be served in five minutes! Please take your order!¡¯ She went out of the counter and ushered the two towards one of the numerous vacant seats. After Dan and Minerva sat, the fat lady took out a small parchment and a quill pen. She said, ¡°Tonight¡¯s menu is Grilled Rakal. Yellow Feshlin is also available.¡± Minerva had eaten Yellow Feshlin before. It was a type of fish that grew in shallow water. She said, ¡°Two Grilled Rakal please. Double the servings for my son.¡± Dan was a big-eater despite his young appearance. ¡°Right away, madam,¡± the fat lady said. She added, ¡°An additional fee will be charged for the double serving.¡± ¡°Yes, please do,¡± Minerva politely replied. After those words, the fat lady returned to the counter. It shouted a few words accompanied by some cursing towards the cook inside. The voice of a man retorted, and the sound of a tankard hitting bones slightly resonated. Minerva looked at her sitting son. She said in worried tone, ¡°Dan, are you alright?¡± Dan stared back. He then glanced at the twin blades that dangled on his waist. Surprisingly, no one seemed to mind the weapons he carried. With a gentle face, he replied, ¡°Yes, I am fine, mother. Instead, I should be the one asking that question. You¡¯re pregnant. I don¡¯t want to lose my future sibling. Please, take care of yourself better.¡± No matter how many times, Minerva could never get used to his son¡¯s maturity. She was always taken by surprise whenever the child uttered words that carried weight. She was about to respond when she heard footsteps coming towards their direction. Upon looking, she saw the fat lady from before walking towards their direction. She carried a tray with her, and two wooden plates were on top. ¡°Grilled Rakal. Here you go,¡± the fat lady said as she placed the plates before the two. The plate before Dan was filled with a large serving. ¡°Enjoy.¡± She politely bowed and walked away. Dan thought on how money could instantly change the demeanor of a person as he stared at the fat lady¡¯s shadow. The memories when he was still Hades resurfaced on his mind. As if dismissing the thought, he shook his head once and scooped a large portion of the chunky flesh. He bit it off thrice, and gulped down the lump in his mouth in one go. He heaved a sigh of exhilaration and said, ¡°Uaah~, Mr. Hans told us that the food here is bad, but this one¡¯s good.¡± Minerva sliced a portion of the meat and chewed in an elegant fashion. She wiped her mouth with the cloth placed at their table¡¯s center. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. This is really good.¡± Her voice was loud and clear. The other customers glanced towards their direction after her words of praise. ¡°Woah. Seriously?¡± ¡°Who would have thought that there would come a time wherein someone would actually appreciate this inn¡¯s food?¡± ¡°Those two must have been used to eating worse stuffs. Amazing.¡± The two of them dismissed the comments and continued eating. The opinion of others hardly mattered. What was important was that they were enjoying the food on their plates. They came into contact with a life-and-death situation just a day ago, and the mere thought that they were able to have dinner again together made the Grilled Rakal akin to Food of the Gods. It was absurdly tasty, and each and every bite seemed to melt in their mouths. They wordlessly ate until their stomachs were unable to carry the load any longer. With a sound of relief, they leaned on their chairs and grinned at each other. ¡°Delicious,¡± Dan said. Minerva smiled in response. She rubbed her belly, and Dan stared at it. Her son asked, ¡°Mother¡­ I¡¯ve been hearing the word Krukas numerous times. It seems that everyone knows it.¡± Minerva paused for a moment but eventually decided to speak. ¡°Krukas. Dan, it¡¯s the term used to call those that belong to the army of the Demon Lord Vanarava. It¡¯s quite complicated. To make everything simple, the Demon Lord Vanarava died two centuries ago, but he left behind five descendants. Each of those descendants has the power to vanquish an entire army alone. They¡¯re the greatest threat in the Continent of Tal.¡± ¡°TWAGGG!¡± A loud sound reverberated inside the inn. The ground violently shook, and shouts were heard from the outside. ¡°TWAGGG!¡± Another sound echoed. Afterwards, the sound of asphalt cracking and breaking was heard. It was accompanied by neighing of horses. The ground continued with its violent quake, and the tables and chairs eventually tilted over. Those inside the inn immediately crouched to prevent themselves from falling to the ground; Dan and Minerva were included. ¡°TWAGGG!¡± Another sound was heard. The frantic voice of a soldier echoed afterwards, ¡°THE WALL! THE WALL WAS BROKEN THROUGH! ALL SOLDIERS ARE TO ASSUME FORMATION¡ªDEMON SUBJUGATION! THAT IS GENERAL ORBIT¡¯S ORDERS!¡± The customers inside the inn immediately went outside the moment the ground stopped trembling. Dan and Minerva immediately followed. Upon exiting the inn, they were greeted with the sight of a bustling street filled with pale-faced soldiers. Numerous shouts filled the air, and from their spot, the damage to the wall was unseen. It was as imposing as before. ¡°The wall¡¯s been broken through? Impossible!¡± they heard a soldier say. ¡°No, not the wall! The gates! The gates were reduced to smithereens the moment the Stone Dragon showed up!¡± ¡°What about the soldiers stationed outside? I heard that General Orbit sent two thousand men to personally oversee the outside. What is Captain Jackslow doing?!¡± ¡°Captain Jackslow is dead! He died while trying to buy time for the soldiers to escape! We need to assume the Demon Subjugation Form or else this city is done for! We can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Dan felt a slight pricking sensation in his heart after he heard of the captain¡¯s death. He was a good man, quite contrary to the Empire he served. He grabbed Minerva¡¯s hand; it was ice cold. He said, ¡°Come. Let¡¯s escape. This is a city devoted to the military. It won¡¯t fall that easily. We should use that time to escape deeper into the Empire.¡± Minerva broke from her trance after her son¡¯s words. With a nod, she dashed off towards their escape. Suddenly, the inn from before blew up into tiny bits and pieces, just in time after they were a few meters away. A loud roar was heard, and the same beasts the night before showed themselves. There were around three dozens of them, and behind them was beast that resembled the monsters. Unlike the other beasts, its size was ten meters¡ªthrice that of its comrades. The soldiers immediately pulled out their swords from the scabbards. Numerous ~twing sounds echoed, and their weapons reflected the moon above. A large fire suddenly erupted from their rear, and cries of agony accompanied it. The City of Molivia was turned into a living inferno. Numerous roars echoed, and the beast began charging towards the armed soldiers. Clanking of metals resonated, and the sound of flesh and bones being torn apart filled the air. Dan did not bother to look at the blood-filled battlefield. Instead, he grabbed hold of his mother¡¯s hand and pulled her towards their escape. At the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar figure. Still holding Minerva¡¯s hand, he went towards it. ¡°Mr. Hans,¡± Dan said towards the figure. It was hiding and crouching behind a wooden cargo box. Its entire body was trembling. Hans looked towards Dan and his mother. After a couple of seconds, he turned the other cheek. His two arms were twined together as he embraced his body. Dan knew Han¡¯s face well. It was the face of a man that had lost all hope. His eyes were empty, and his body seemed devoid of blood. It was the same face Dan¡¯s targets assumed when the blade of Hades was about to struck their necks. It was the same face the prey of the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family assumed a few seconds before their deaths. Dan placed a hand on the trainee¡¯s shoulder. He said, ¡°Mr. Hans, It¡¯s not too late. You could still escape. Please. Please tell us where the direction of the other gate is. There should be another gate that leads deeper into the Empire. It wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ there is no escape,¡± Hans mumbled. He pointed towards the east. ¡°There. A gate that leads to the Serpent Fork is located at the east. As for me¡­ I¡¯ll stay here.¡± ¡°Soldier Hans! We could escape together!¡± Minerva exclaimed. Her eyes were moist. Mortifying things that kept happening one after another were taking its toll on her mind. Hans slightly replied and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you. I¡¯m no soldier. Just a trainee, madam.¡± The last bit was uttered with bitterness. ¡°I¡¯m the cause of this thing. If only I did not open the gate to save the captain. He said so himself that we should not open it. Strong as they are, Krukas won¡¯t be able to break through such thick armor so easily. If only I obeyed his last order¡­ if only I was strong enough to sacrifice the captain for the sake of Molivia¡­ if only¡­ if only¡­.¡± Hans kept chanting the last part like a mantra. His eyes were red and capillary-filled. It kept dashing right and left. His lips were pale and dry. Dan squeezed the man¡¯s shoulder. With a whisper, he said, ¡°Thank you. You are a soldier Mr. Hans. You¡¯ve resolved yourself to die with the city. Your decision... I respect it.¡± Hans looked up but saw no one. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the figure of Dan and Minerva fade into the crowd. He mumbled, "Haha... me, a soldier? No... Hans... is just a trainee. I''m no soldier. Definitely not." With another loud ~twag sound, the structure behind him was crushed to pieces, and along with it was his youthful body. Chapter 5: Escape from the City of Molivia Chapter 5: Escape from the City of Molivia Dan and his mother kept running. Everywhere around them was in complete chaos, and the living inferno that used to be the military city of Molivia kept its rage aflame. Shadows danced as the wind flickered the embers of the scorching city. A large four story structure blew up after a creature¡¯s gargantuan tail had hit it. The tail of the creature was made of pure hard earth, ash-colored, and it spanned thirty meters in length. When combined with its bulky body, the creature encompassed almost a hundred meters. It was a stone dragon. ¡°Magicians! Fire!¡± Large orbs of fire cruised towards the creature, and they hit their marks perfectly. Each of them created a massive explosion upon impact, pushing the earthen creature backward. It roared as multiple cracks formed upon its body which then immediately healed after a second. It glared at the source of its pain. It stomped its right feet once, and a massive shockwave blew. Using its tail, it swept away the magicians that continued to cast their magic. Houses and inns were decimated from its strike, and pieces of wood flew in every possible direction. The magicians managed to survive the strike by forming a large barrier made of magic. ¡®This place¡¯s too dangerous,¡¯ Dan thought. He pulled his mother¡¯s hand as he led the way towards the east. He knew that the situation was far more dangerous than the previous one, but this time, they had the advantage in the form of the Empire¡¯s army. He knew that the military city of Molivia would not go down without a fight; he would use that time to escape. He heard the loud huffing sound on his right. His mother was heavily panting. She was exhausted from running. As if fate was benignant, he saw a cart near them. Its rear was decimated, but the bow front was in a fairly good condition, and the wheels were intact. Two horses remained tethered at its front. Dan turned to his mother and said, ¡°We¡¯ll use horses.¡± Minerva tilted her head in response. She wanted to ask, ¡°You know how to drive one?¡± but her lack of energy rendered her unable to do so. She wordlessly followed her son. Dan made her stop in her tracks. He said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go check on something.¡± Chaos still filled the air as Dan walked towards the decimated rear of the carriage. Underneath a pile of wreckage, he saw a man that was profusely bleeding all over. His breathing was slow, and twin lines of blood flowed down his mouth. He stared at the child that approached him moments before his death. ¡°You own this carriage mister?¡± was the first thing Dan said the moment they made eye contact. He knew that the man before him was in his death bed. The man¡¯s eyes glimmered for an instance; it was enough of a reply. Dan closed his eyes for a couple of seconds. Upon opening, he pulled out one of the twin blades on his waist. He walked towards the man and slightly bowed down. With the sound of a wind, the man¡¯s head rolled on the floor with a ~clag sound. His blood blanketed the paved ground crimson. It was a quick and painless death. Dan cut off the strings that tethered the horses to the carriage. He then immediately leaped into one of the horses, and with a swift motion, he gripped the reigns and ushered it to move forward. He stopped right in front of Minerva. ¡°Please hop to the back. Using a single horse is faster than using that carriage. The road¡¯s practically non-traversable by cart at this time.¡± By now, her son was one of the most mysterious things in the world for Minerva. He seemed so capable. He seemed so reliable. Whenever Minerva looked at her son, his shadow seemed to loom over everything. It was like her son had lived through countless hells before. His decision-making was impeccable, and his character was hard as steel. Just the thought alone that he was with her was enough to fill Minerva with strength. It was a peculiar feeling, especially since the child was only six. Minerva hopped onto the horse¡¯s back. She was behind Dan; Dan held the reigns. ¡°Mother, grip the horse¡¯s body using your feet. You won¡¯t fall off that way. Hold your hands to my body,¡± Dan said. After those words, he made a suppressed roar, and he slapped the reigns. The horse loudly neighed, and it furiously charged forward. Dan¡¯s horse riding skill was absurdly good; the piles of wreckage that continuously blocked their way were skilfully avoided. It was to the point that the child did not bother to reduce the speed despite the numerous obstructions. They passed through the scorching city at a frightening speed. The wind was blazing, and the scent of blood filled the air, all the while numerous shouts, screams, and roars were heard. ¡°Spells at ready¡ªFIRE!¡± they heard a voice say. Immediately after, the heavens rumbled and numerous blizzards and fire arrows rained upon the invading beasts. Sparks of fire and shards of ice flew everywhere, and it took Dan his everything to skilfully evade each and every one of it. Some of the soldiers were swept up in the violent hail, but the sacrifice was worth it; a third of the beasts were decimated after the assault. ¡®We won¡¯t last a second if we get sweep up in this chaos. I need to get her out of here as fast as I could,¡¯ Dan thought. He gnashed his teeth, and he slapped the reigns further. Their mount seemed to have felt his determination to escape, and it strode forward at a frightening speed. Everything passed by in blurs, and the roars and sounds of explosions were becoming fainter as they got farther. Eventually, they got to the eastern gate¡ªit was half-opened and was slowly closing. Numerous soldiers were guarding its front; all were armed to the teeth and were in tight formation. Some of them were surprised when they saw a child riding a horse. A faint roar was heard from beyond, and a large pillar of fire rose towards the sky. Muffled sounds of agony suddenly intensified. From their distance, they saw the stone dragon flap its wings, and it soared to the sky. It then opened its jaws wide, and with a fierce murderous glare, it summoned an orb before its snout. The orb twirled violently, and the surrounding air was sucked towards it like a violent maelstrom. A few more moments, after, it released its ferocious breath, and the entire northern part of Molivia became non-existent. Only a large fissure remained. The impact was sent till the wall, and as if paper, it tore through the fortress that had protected the Empire for centuries. ¡°My God¡­ if that was directed to our direction¡­,¡± a soldier mumbled. Everyone was dumbfounded from the absurd strength of the stone dragon. They had never encountered such a mythical creature before; it was a creature heard of only in legends. Just its name alone was enough to send even the fiercest of magicians into wobbly knees. Dan assumed a grim look after he saw the damage created after a single breath. A large portion of the Great Wall that was supposed to be impregnable was decimated in an instant. Furthermore, the entire northern part of Molivia was now gone. He gulped in a large breath and slapped the reigns. He charged through the tight formation of the army. Upon seeing the horse that seemed enraged and would not stop at any moment, the soldiers instinctively created a small path for it to pass through. The door had yet to fully close, and the gap was wide enough for Dan¡¯s mount to pass through. Everything happened in an instant, and when coupled by the shock that came from the previous scenario, the guards were unable to fully close the gates in time, rendering Dan and Minerva able to pass through. As if fate was benignant, the gates shut directly after Dan¡¯s horse passed through. It clanked a loud metallic sound, and dusts flew into the air upon impact. Dan halted his horse and took a peek at the colossal iron. The sounds behind it were extremely muffled, but he could still smell the faint trace of blood in the air. He knew that just getting through the eastern gate was not enough to ensure their safety. Without hesitation, he ushered the horse to move forward, not bothering to conserve the mount¡¯s energy. Time was a resource they were scarcely given as of the moment. ¡°Strong as they are, Krukas won¡¯t be able to penetrate such thick armor easily.¡± Such words flashed through Dan¡¯s mind. It was the words uttered by Hans as he mocked his own weakness. The man kept blaming himself even the moment before his death. But now, Dan realized that Hans¡¯ words were entire wrong. Krukas could easily break through the Great Wall if it willed it. Then what was Han¡¯s grievances for? It was all for naught. The soldier that guided them through the city died without knowing the truth. Dan shook his head once as he tried to clear his mind. Now was not the time for such things. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.The horse continued to move at an impossible speed; it felt the murderous force that mounted its back. Its instinct was screaming at it that the young man riding it was a monster, and he would do well to obey the child¡¯s will. Therefore, although severely famished and exhausted, the mount kept galloping forward. By this moment, Minerva eventually lost strength in her entire body; she lost her consciousness. So much had happened in a span of a day, and just the mere thought that their peaceful lives were taken from them in a flash filled her with nightmare. It was memories she would rather forget. Dan carefully drove the mount while taking into consideration his unconscious mother. He slightly tilted his body forward in order to accommodate Minerva¡¯s weight. Hours passed, and they eventually passed through a wooden board that had the words ¡®Serpent Fork¡¯ written on it. It was the place Hans mentioned before his death. A fork in the road greeted Dan a few minutes afterwards. Hans did not mention much about Serpent Fork, but judging by the tone he used when he uttered it, it was a road that would lead them deeper into the Empire. The question was which one of the three paths was to take. The moon above continued to illuminate the road a dim hue, and the breeze seemed sub-zero. Dan fumbled inside the Bag strapped on the horse. Luckily it seemed that the owner of the mount was preparing to escape the city. Its leather bag was filled with a flask half-filled with water, a small piece of bread, and a cloak. Dan took out the cloak and wrapped it on his sleeping mother. Minerva was sleeping soundly, her face slightly twitched into agony. It seemed that even in her sleep, she was unable to find peace. Dan bitterly smiled at such imagery. He felt helpless as he was unable to prevent the catastrophe from happening. He took a fifth of the small bread and munched on it. It took only four bites for him to completely devour his portion of the food. It was definitely not enough, but he could not afford to completely consume their only resource. After drinking a sip from the skin flask, he gazed at the three roads before him. After pondering, he chose the one to the right. His decision was not based on anything but instinct. Furthermore, he knew that there was no sense in pondering too much on something he knew absolutely nothing about. It was a waste of the precious resource called time. With his entire body groggy, he continued driving the mount. With its every gallop he could feel the horse¡¯s agony, but he ignored it. He would sacrifice the mount¡¯s life in exchange of theirs. He knew that the further they get away from Molivia, the higher were the chances of their survival. With torn muscles and broken bones, he slapped the reigns once more, and he fell into dream land. **** Dan woke up after an unannounced pain bolted through him. He felt a murky taste in his mouth, and he regurgitated and eventually swallowed the nasty thing. His eyesight was cloudy, and he felt queasy the moment he felt the slime-like texture that clung to him. With a rush of adrenaline, he stood up and wiped his eyes. He realized that he fell onto a mud¡ªno, it was an absurdly large dung. He silently groaned and spat the remaining pieces of dung that remained in his mind. A thought suddenly strike him, and he looked left and right. He heaved a sigh when he saw Minerva on top of the mount. It was sleeping soundly, and the cloak sheltered its skin. ¡°It¡¯s dead,¡± Dan said as his gaze fell on the horse. It died standing. Somehow, it seemed that the mount felt Dan¡¯s great will to protect Minerva from anything. Even at its death, the stolen mount did not let Minerva succumb to the dirty ground. It died proud and tall. Dan closed his eyes for a second. Upon opening, he said to the mount, ¡°Thank you.¡± Dan brushed off the dung that clung onto him. It was irritatingly sticky, and it clung onto him like a leech. Numerous fruit flies hovered on top of his head as he deliberated on whether he should wake Minerva up. After some thought, he lightly tapped his mother¡¯s shoulder and softly said, ¡°Mother, wake up.¡± It took him five taps before she blinked her eyes. Minerva squinted her eyes the moment she woke. After blinking thrice, she stood up but then realized that she was on top of a mount. With Dan¡¯s help, she leapt towards the ground. Surprisingly, the horse remained standing despite the two¡¯s movements. Its eyes were closed, and dried drools lined its mouth. ¡°This horse¡­,¡± Minerva mumbled. She realized that it was no longer alive. With solemn gaze, she touched the mount¡¯s head. She then sniffed and cringed her nose. ¡°Dan, you stink.¡± Dan wryly smiled and hugged his mother. Minerva was shocked by his actions¡ªparticularly since Dan definitely knew that he was currently covered in dung. Slightly twitching her body, she loudly said, ¡°Hey!¡± Dan laughed as he released his grip. He combed his hair backwards and mockingly said, ¡°Mom, you stink too. We¡¯re even.¡± Minerva pouted her lips as she stared at her mucked body. With her hips hands on her hips, she declared, ¡°Seriously, this kid!¡± The two of them stared at each other, after a few seconds, both chuckled. The thought that they still were able to tease each other filled them with bliss. After a few more moments, Minerva¡¯s laughter turned into wails. She cried with all her might. ¡°Hic¡­ Hic¡­ We¡¯re¡­ alive. We¡¯re alive¡­ We¡¯ve survived¡­ Dan¡­ Dan¡­ Hic¡­ Hic¡­.¡± Dan¡¯s expression turned sour but gentle. Without uttering a word, he wrapped his arms around his pregnant mother. Minerva felt his warmth, and it filled her with unexplainable strength. They again survived the knock from the God of Death. So many things had happened, but they survived, and they both knew that as long as one was alive, there was hope. Dan whispered, ¡°There was this saying that I¡¯ve read way long ago.¡± Minerva silently listened. Her wailing had stopped. ¡°Look at the Heaven¡¯s. Beautiful isn¡¯t it? Shrouded by clouds, or clear as morning dew¡ªall depends upon the eyes that look at it. If you¡¯ve reached the bottom of the well, have hope for you cannot go down any further. The only way left is up. Have hope. Have hope.¡± After Dan recited such poetry-like words, Minerva¡¯s tears completely died down. Her previously crestfallen eyes were filled with fire. It was burning with hope. It was burning with the desire to live for the future. The words uttered by Dan were actually words uttered by Leopold, godfather of the Leopold Family. Those words were the one that filled him with strength when he lost his parents at the age of nine. Without anywhere to go, he accepted the offer to join the Leopold Family. Initially, Leopold took the nine year old child as a form of entertainment. He had never expected the child to be a sponge; a talent that was rarely seen. A talent that would shame even the Gods themselves. Minerva was about to utter some words when they heard a rustling sound from their rear. Dan immediately assumed a defensive stance, ready to kill at a moment¡¯s notice. At their left was woodland, and in front of them was a small lake. Shadows from school of fished were seen bathing under the morning sun. Eventually, the source of the rustling sounds emerged, and came a child that was around Dan¡¯s age. It looked at the dung-filled duo with big eyes. It gawked and pointed at them. Afterwards, it squeaked, ¡°Father!¡± Hurried footsteps were quickly heard after that. The grasses parted into two, and a man in his early forties emerged. It was holding a bow on his right, and the arrow was loaded¡ªlightly pulled back. It stared at Dan and Minerva for a while then blew off a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh. I thought its bandits,¡± the man said. He relaxed his grip on the bow and patted the head of the child. It was male, and was the same height as Dan. ¡°Carin, I¡¯ve repeatedly told you not to run off like that. I almost got a heart attack. Lately, bandits are lurking around our village. I¡¯ve heard they made the woodlands their home.¡± ¡°Nn¡­,¡± the child mumbled. It continued to stare at Dan and Minerva. The two were silent during the entire ordeal. The child¡¯s father stared at the two and scrutinized them from head to toe. Eventually, he smiled and said, ¡°Lost? You guys probably need a bath.¡± The man meant it. Even from afar, he smelled the pungent stench from the two. ¡°And probably a meal? Say, want to stop by my house for a moment? My family¡¯s ancestors will definitely haunt me to death if I don¡¯t help you guys out.¡± The man strapped the bow on his back and said, ¡°I¡¯m Mervik, and this child here is Carin. Welcome. Welcome to the village of Ruktia.¡± Chapter 6: Confrontation with Bandits Chapter 6: Confrontation with Bandits Ruktia Village was one of the hundreds of villages that belonged in the Fifth District of the Empire. Surrounded by a taiga, and with a small lake near its vicinity, it depicted a soothing view of a classical country side. Medium-sized birds were frequently seen flying above the woodlands, and their chirping sounds marked the arrival of dawn. The residences were meters from each other; the partitions were wide enough for the residents to create their own gardens. The soil was peaty, and it generously provided ample amount of nutrients to the crops; the village itself was self-supporting. Dan and Minerva took Mervik¡¯s offer and went to his house. The house resembled a cabin, and it was wide enough to fit five rooms in. Despite its simplicity, the wood it was created from was sturdy. An aromatic steam was smelled by Dan as he dried his head using a towel. He had just gotten out of the bath. ¡°Food¡¯s ready,¡± Mervik said. He wore a brown tunic that hanged till his knees. A leather belt made a partition right at his waist, making his toned body vivid. His skin was tanned, and it gave off the appearance of someone that had been continuously exposed to an enraged sun. His arms were slender, but the muscles were evident. He held a wooden cup in one hand. ¡°Your mother¡¯s not finished with the bath yet?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dan said with a nod. The bath was located at the back of the cabin, and it was separated by a partition, making it possible for two separate genders to take a bath simultaneously. Surprisingly, despite the chilly breeze that filled the air, lukewarm water flowed out of the water pumps. Dan glanced at the food prepared on top of the table. A bird that was around ten times the size of a fist was roasted, and beside it were balls of rice that have orange toppings. The delicious aroma that entered him definitely came from it. ¡°Haha! Women... They definitely like taking long baths. Come, let¡¯s eat,¡± Mervik said. Despite the scar that ran across his left cheek, his face was docile, all the while a gentle smile was plastered on his face. ¡°This roasted thing is something that lives exclusively within the woodlands. It¡¯s a delicacy found only in our proud village¡ªRoasted Falta¡± Dan courteously sat down on a chair before the spherical wooden table. He was directly in front of Mervik which was beside Carin. After slicing off a portion of the roasted falta, Dan placed it on his mouth and slowly chewed. It surprisingly tasted akin to turkey. The meat was crisp on the outside, and it was absurdly soft on the inside. It gave the feeling that it would melt on one¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is good,¡± Dan said after another bite. He looked towards Mervik. ¡°Thank you for your kindness. For helping my mother... I could not be grateful enough.¡± Mervik snorted after the statement. ¡°What a polite kid! Hahaha! Hey, don¡¯t be too serious, okay? It¡¯s in our family¡¯s custom to help those that are in need. It¡¯s something that¡¯s been instilled to us since the first generation.¡± His eyes twinkled. ¡°I hate to say this, but you seemed too mature for your age.¡± At the corner of Mervik¡¯s eyes, he saw Carin munching down his food without restraint. ¡°You¡¯re so different from my child Carin.¡± Sounds of footsteps were heard, and moments after, Minerva walked into the dining area. Her hair was wet, and her previously worn out clothes were replaced by a simple flowered dress; it was the dress of Mervik¡¯s deceased wife. Her red hair hanged past her shoulders. Merkit¡¯s mouth was slightly opened as he stared at her. ¡°Oh, come. Lunch¡¯s served,¡± Mervik said after he broke out of his trance. Minerva said her thanks and joined the group. Just like Dan, she was surprised on how delicious the food was. ¡°Would it be alright to know where the two of you came from? I normally wouldn¡¯t invite someone inside the house, but I felt neither hostile intentions nor malice from you two. Maybe it¡¯s because I saw you both covered in dung? Haha!¡± Mervik joshed. His son that was beside him continued devouring the food on his plate. Dan glanced at his mother. He knew that the question of Mervik would bring up a sensitive topic. Contrary to his expectations, Minerva¡¯s eyes were filled with resolve. She smiled and replied, ¡°We¡¯re from the village of Ortas¡ªoutside the Great Wall.¡± Mervik was taken aback when he heard of the words ¡®outside the Great Wall.¡¯ He lightly tilted his head and tapped his fingers once. ¡°Outside? Now, that¡¯s rare. It¡¯s common for some to enter the empire after paying the appropriate fees, but to come to our secluded village? People would normally go to one of the major cities.¡± ¡®I guess the news that Krukas began invading the Empire hadn¡¯t reached this village yet. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. This place¡¯s a bit secluded,¡¯ Dan thought. He silently listened to the conversation like a child would. Minerva paused for a while before replying. She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, ¡°Krukas. They attacked our village. Everyone was killed¡­ we¡¯re the only ones that survived.¡± Silence filled the room as she continued with her story. Only the sound of Carin innocently munching his share was heard. ¡°We had no choice but to seek solace in the Empire. Luckily, we¡¯re granted entry. The Empire¡­,¡± She looked at Mervik straight in the eyes. ¡°It was attacked by Krukas a few days ago. The Military City of Molivia was devastated.¡± Mervik knew of the famous city, Molivia. It was a city that boasted its military might. Specifically, the general that governed it was one of the geniuses in warfare and tactics. For the great city to fall in the hands of Krukas, it meant only one thing: a massive invasion was perpetrated. He shivered at the thought on what would happen if Krukas moved in further into the Empire. Their village may be secluded, but it would definitely not be spared if such large scale invasion was to take place. ¡°Molivia¡­,¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°What happened to it?¡± Minerva¡¯s brows twitched as she recalled the events. ¡°Last time we¡¯ve seen it, a dragon decimated the entire northern area of the city. It was a massacre. Even the thousands of soldiers guarding the city were unable to do anything against the creatures.¡± Another deafening silence filled the air. Mervik clasped his hands and mumbled, ¡°A dragon¡­ absurd.¡± He looked towards Minerva. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking such question earlier. That was incessant of me. So I take it that you two got here in your attempt to escape the pandemonium?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Minerva simply said. The barrage of nightmarish events made her mind almost as hard as steel. She resolved herself to be strong. Dan and the soon to be born child needed her. ¡°I see,¡± He said as he pondered. After a while, he smiled and said, ¡°You could stay here for as long as you needed. Is there any particular place you wish to go to in the Empire? I¡¯m not that knowledgeable myself, but I know a few locations.¡± Minerva glanced at Dan as if asking his opinion. Over time, she came to realize that her son was different than other kids his age. He was absurdly mature, and his decision-making skill was impeccable. Although she was ashamed to admit, she felt that her son was someone indispensable in her decisions. ¡°Mister, the major cities of the Empire would be good enough,¡± Dan said. ¡°Major cities? Hmmm¡­ if we say major cities, then it¡¯s definitely one of those four: Zana, Naldey, Ilian, and Peralta. Each of those cities represents the four cardinal directions. The nearest one would be Ilian¡ªaround two weeks of travel from here. And that¡¯s by cart.¡± The name of the nearest city sparked Dan¡¯s interest. It was the city mentioned by the mages that conducted the magical feats back in his village. According to the mages that time, a certain magical school named Ilian Academy was located inside the Empire of Kulaima. The name of the city and the academy was most likely related. ¡°Is Ilian Academy located in Ilian? The similarity in name can¡¯t be mere coincidence,¡± Dan asked. Minerva also remembered the academy he mentioned. ¡°Oh, so you guys are not so clueless after all,¡± Mervik said. His voice did not have a hint of arrogance in it. ¡°Correct. The Academy is named after the city it¡¯s located at. It¡¯s the best school for magicians in the entire continent.¡± He grinned, showing his complete set of teeth. ¡°Kid, interested in learning magic?¡± Minerva¡¯s heart sunk after the question. She knew that Dan have little to no mana inside his body. Even the S ranked magician that they met back in the village said so himself. ¡°Yes, but it seems that I have no talent in that field,¡± Dan calmly said. He was indeed interested in learning magic. It was something that even he, the Grim Reaper, would be delighted to learn. It was something entirely new. Still, he resolved himself to accept the fact that he had no innate talent in the field. He knew that there was no sense in pondering too much on something that he would not be able to change. ¡°Is that so?¡± Mervik said in a disappointed tone. He did not delve further on how the child knew that he had no talent. ¡°Not everyone could use it anyway. Statistically, only one out of a hundred could use magic. Quite a low amount actually.¡± ¡°Daddy! Carin wants to play!¡± a high-pitched voice rung out. Carin tugged his father¡¯s shirt and leaned closer. He looked at Mervik with big and expecting eyes. Mervik looked at Dan. The two children were around the same age, but the level of maturity surely was different. He smiled and said, ¡°Sure. After you finish those.¡± ¡°Yay! To the lake!¡± Carin squeaked. **** It had been three days since Dan and Minerva came to the village of Ruktia. Each of the houses was meters apart, and one needed to walk some distance in order to reach the next residence. Mervik was hospitable; he provided the two with comfortable lodgings and absurdly delicious food. Dan and Minerva were very grateful for such kindness. In four days time, they would depart towards the city of Ilian. It was the decision of Minerva. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Dan! Let¡¯s go to the woods! I saw a large stag beetle! Large! Large!¡± Carin excitedly said. Without waiting for Dan to say a word, he pulled his hand and ushered him towards the direction of the woods. It was a few minutes of walk from their current spot. Dan smiled and let himself be dragged by the child. It had been a long time since he took care of one, and the current feeling was pleasant. It was early in the morning, and the sun was shrouded by the clouds. The woodland was filled with coniferous trees that spanned ten meters in height. Its leaves kept falling off like a scenery during autumn. Dried leaves crackled the moment their young feet stepped on it. ¡°There!¡± Carin said. He pointed at small clearing. Buzzing sounds filled the air as they went towards the direction Carin pointed at. The child was so enthusiastic about it that Dan felt no choice but accompany him. Suddenly, Carin gasped. He casted a quick look at Dan and smiled, showing two missing front teeth. As quick as lightning, the child ran deeper into the woods. Dan was surprised by the unannounced action, and he immediately dashed and chased. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t go deeper into the woods! Your father said it himself. There are rumors that bandits inhabit th¡ª¡± Dan halted. He had caught up with Carin, but the figure in front of the innocent child was ominous. With a large gash across its left eye, and a scorched jaw, the man towered two meters. Its frame was thick, large enough to crush a tree into smithereens. ¡®Bandits?¡¯ Dan thought. He heard the crackling of crushed dried leaves. Afterwards, five more figures appeared. All wore leather garbs and a chainmail. Scimitars hanged at their waists. ¡®Six of them. No¡­ eleven. Others are hiding behind the trees.¡¯ Dan felt the presence of the other bandits. With wary eyes, he glanced towards the first man they saw. He appeared to be their leader. ¡°What¡¯s this? Kids playing inside the forest? What are your parents doing, eh?¡± the leader spoke. His voice was raspy, and a foul odour came out every time he opened his mouth. Carin stood there as he gawked at the man before him. The man glared at the child with a murderous rage, and Carin¡¯s body trembled. His lips quivered, and he cried with all his might. ¡°Faaattheer!¡± The man covered his ears as he stared at the child in irritation. He bit his lips and mumbled, ¡°Sleep.¡± Suddenly, a cold chill filled the air. Everything seemed to have frozen, and Dan felt his body gradually become heavier as the clock ticked by. His muscles seemed to sag from the pull of the earth, and his legs wobbled as he tried to remain standing. His stomach churned, and he resisted the urge to vomit. The phenomena lasted for only a second, but to Dan, it felt like eternity. He huffed as numerous trickles of sweat flowed down his cheeks. He glanced at Carin and saw the child¡¯s body sprawled on the ground. Dan¡¯s eyes widened as a fierce rage swept over him. He remembered the time when his brother died in front of his very eyes. His mind went blank, and his eyes turned enraged. He dashed towards the man and leap towards the scimitar that hanged on its waist. ¡°Seriously?!¡± voices from within the forest were heard. Ruffling sounds reverberated as everyone stared at the charging child. Dan stretched his arms wide as he reached for the weapon on the man¡¯s waist. The man shot his hands towards him, and Dan immediately ducked as response. He twirled his body twice as he evaded another attempt of grabbing. He kicked the leaves that scattered on the floor, and a blanket of dried green and brown shrouded the man¡¯s view. Using that split second opportunity, Dan grabbed the sword and pulled it out of the scabbard. It was released with a fluid ~swichk sound. Without wasting time, he shot the scimitar towards the man¡¯s neck. It was then that he felt a chilling sensation all throughout his body, and he felt his strength leave him. His vision blurred, and he fell down his knees. It was then that he saw a surreal phenomenon: The scattered leaves on the ground turned to dust one-by-one. ¡°Hey boss, you might kill him if you keep that up,¡± a female voice said. ¡°Sheila¡¯s right. Please stop it boss!¡± Dan felt the bandits that hid in the woods slowly come out one after another. They all surrounded him, and they stared with vigilant eyes. The pressure continued to envelope his young body, and he felt his skull splitting into two. He silently endured the pain. Suddenly, the pressure receded. Dan looked up and saw the leader of the group staring at him with curious eyes. His stomach churned, and he puked on the ground. It was crimson; it was blood. ¡°See? The boss is too cruel. Just knocking him out unconscious should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Shut it. The soul spirit I used is enough to make a Fenris lose consciousness. Still, that child managed to live through it.¡± The leader¡¯s remark made everyone dead silent. Their eyes were filled with disbelief as they glanced towards their boss, then to the child. Dan vomited again, and he felt the malaise that accompanied the loss of blood. Twin crimson lines flowed down his mouth. ¡°Bandits. Please¡­ spare that child,¡± Dan said after he wiped the blood on his mouth using his sleeves. His stare took everyone by surprise. It sent a chill down their skin. It was the eyes of a trapped beast. ¡°This child¡­ what the hell¡­.¡± ¡°Ku¡­kukukukuku!¡± the leader chuckled. He tilted his scar-filled head to the left and grinned. ¡°Bandits? Is that why you tried to kill me? Kukukukuku!¡± He walked forward. His figure loomed over the panting Dan. ¡°We¡¯re no bandits, child. Make no mistake. We¡¯re not some irrelevant group that knows nothing but rob people of their belongings.¡± ¡®They¡¯re not bandits?¡¯ Dan thought. His body was aching all over, and just standing alone was an arduous task. ¡°Boss, we can¡¯t help it if people think we¡¯re bandits. Just our appearances alone¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, and who the hell suggested that we hide in the woods? Oh heavens! My skin¡¯s full off mosquito bites!¡± the woman said. ¡°Shut it,¡± the leader said. He turned to Dan. ¡°Child. Who are you? The pressure I¡¯ve used is something I¡¯ve acquired through training for decades. It¡¯s not something a normal human would be able to endure¡ªmoreover, a child.¡± Dan did not reply. Instead, he looked at Carin. The child remained sprawled on the ground. The leader followed Dan¡¯s line of sight and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s asleep. I¡¯m not the kind of guy that would kill a child for no reason.¡± Dan heaved a sigh of relief after those words. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not bandits? Then what are you guys? And why are you hiding in the woods close to the village?¡± The group glanced at each other. ¡°We¡¯re no bandits. Magicians. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of the Revolutionary Army before¡ªthat¡¯s us.¡± Dan wordlessly stared at the group after the revelation. Somehow, he believed it. He felt that they were not lying. Still, he did not lift down his guard. He said, ¡°So, that¡¯s magic.¡± He pertained to the pressure he felt moments before. The leader paused before he replied, ¡°Nah. I¡¯m no magician. My mana pool¡¯s too low to be one. I¡¯m an Anito¡ªone that uses utilizes his soul spirit instead of magic. This is probably the first time you¡¯ve heard of it. Basically, it¡¯s something even rarer than magicians. A person needs to have a monstrous amount of spirit force in order to be an Anito.¡± ¡°Boss, what do we do with the child?¡± one of the men spoke. ¡°It seems that the villagers are aware of our existence. It won¡¯t be any longer safe to hide in this area.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll regroup with the third army. We can¡¯t let the royal family do as they please. We¡¯ll put an end to their tyranny!¡± the leader declared. He raised a hand and applied the same pressure from before towards Dan. ¡°Damn this kid. Not even this amount of pressure is enough to make him faint.¡± Dan felt the tremendous pressure from before invade his body. His muscles screamed in agony, and his bones creaked. He bit his lips then said, ¡°Teach me¡­ that technique of yours¡­ teach me.¡± His words made the leader stop. It stared at him with a surprised expression. ¡°Kid, believe me. Being a magician is a hundred times easier than being an Anito. It¡¯s a technique that only those that have stained their hands with the blood of thousands of lives could master. It¡¯s a technique that would devour the wielder if used improperly.¡± The leader sighed. ¡°Why am I even conversing with a kid?¡± He again sighed. ¡°Here: The trick is quite simple, but it¡¯s absurdly hard to master. Know of the term bloodlust, son? The technique is synonymous to that. Instead of uncontrollable rage, direct the flow into a point in your body. If you have a weapon, direct it into your weapon. It won¡¯t break that way. If one reaches a certain mastery in it, one could direct it to the atmosphere itself¡ªjust like what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like mana manipulation, but the one you¡¯re manipulating is the bloodlust¡ªor if properly termed, soul spirit,¡± the woman added. Dan¡¯s eyes glimmered for a moment after the revelation. ¡®So there was a way for me to use magic despite the lack of a good mana pool?¡¯ Dan thought. Even now, he thought of the pressure as some form of magic. After all, everything that could not be explained by his previous world¡¯s science was tantamount to that. ¡°Hey kid, just faint, will ya?¡± the leader said in irritation. The pressure further intensified, and Dan¡¯s body finally gave in. He fell on his knees, and his face kissed the ground. He lost consciousness. It was not until three years after that encounter that Dan found out that the man he thought was the leader of the bandits was actually the second highest leader of the Revolutionary Army. He was one of the most wanted criminals of the Empire. A name that made even the royal magicians cower in fear: Rendrik the Anubis. Chapter 7: Takal Point Chapter 7: Takal Point A few hours after the confrontation with the members of the revolutionary army, Mervik searched the woodlands for Dan and Carin. He was frantic when he saw the two of them sprawled on the ground. Moreover, the appearance of Dan was mortifying; no external injuries were seen, but his body was pale beyond comparison. He had the appearance of someone that had just lost half the blood in his body. Minerva and Mervik kept asking Dan and Carin on what happened, but the two told them that they did not remember a thing. Dan refused to reveal the fact that members of the revolutionary army lived in the woodlands. Doing so would spark rumors, and the royal family would surely dispatch armies to subjugate the rebels. Without a doubt, the peaceful city of Ruktia would be enveloped in strife. It was something Dan would avoid to happen at all cost. Two days passed since then, and the departure of Dan and Minerva was nearing. ¡°So you¡¯re here,¡± Mervik said. Beside him was Minerva, and both of them had a solemn look on their faces. ¡°Yes,¡± Dan replied. He did not turn around but instead continued gazing at the tombstone before him. The name engraved on it was something he was very familiar with. It was something very precious. Mervik walked a few steps forward. It was almost dusk, and the sun had turned light crimson. They were currently on top of a large mound near the lake. The breeze was cold but soothing, and the sounds of birds chirping resonated from a distance. Mervik, along with Minerva, silently watched the small back of the child before them. ¡°I have a request. I know that his real body is not here... but this tombstone means very much to me,¡± Dan turned to Mervik. ¡°Once we leave this village, please take care of father¡¯s tombstone. You don¡¯t have to check on it every day. Even once every two months would suffice. I know it may sound selfish, but I don¡¯t have anyone else to ask.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mervik readily replied. He felt his heart squeezed by the child¡¯s words. He was so young, and so much tragedy had already happened. Still, he remained strong and calm. If he were to die, would his son Carin do the same as that child? The mere thought that such a young mind was capable of such gestures brought him into a gentle smile. Mervik thought on how lucky Dan¡¯s father was. He knew that if he was watching, he would certainly be proud and say, ¡°That¡¯s my son!¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the other tombstone for? It doesn¡¯t have a name,¡± Mervik said as he glanced at the tomb near Krisse¡¯s. Its headstone was a bit different than usual, and haystacks were offered instead of flowers. ¡°That¡¯s for the stolen horse. Died standing. Amazing, right?¡± Dan¡¯s reply made Mervik¡¯s brow rise in response. A horse? He had never seen someone bury a horse before in respect. He stared at the pile of hay and inwardly mumbled on how appropriate the offered ¡®flower¡¯ was. ¡°This calms my mind a little,¡± Dan said. His voice was gentle, and his eyes glimmered as he reminisced. He looked at Minerva. ¡°Mother, the decision to go to the City of Ilian is final?¡± ¡°Yes. I think the city is appropriate enough for us to start over. Your sibling will be born soon, and just the fact that it¡¯s born in the city itself would reap benefits. We need to think of the upcoming future.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Dan placed his hand on his chest and bowed down to the tombstone of his father. ¡°We¡¯ll be off then, father.¡± He knew that Krisse was dead, and that his body was not underneath the headstone. Still, he believed that a soul was free. The presence of the body was irrelevant. The feelings given were what mattered. **** After eating another mind-bogglingly good dinner, Dan went into his room. The house of Mervik was wide enough to accommodate him and his mother, leaving a room to spare. He closed his eyes and recalled the words uttered by the man he met in the forest. For some reason, he felt that the man¡¯s technique was suited to him. ¡®Channel it to a single point,¡¯ Dan thought as he meditated. The man said that he did not use magic, but instead, what he used was soul spirit. It was a technique quite similar to bloodlust. Dan reminisced the days when he was still Hades. He reminisced the times when he slaughtered without remorse. The looks of anguish of his prey, the words they uttered as they begged for his mercy, the tears that flowed down their eyes¡ªhe recalled everything. His brows knitted together as the memories of such nightmares were recalled. He slowly tried to remember the sensation of his blade cutting through the flesh of his prey: the feeling of a knife cutting through butter. His sharp blades would cut through his prey¡¯s skin like parchment, then towards the flesh, and eventually the bones. The bones would resist for a split second, but his unparalleled mastery of the sword would suffice and his blade would emerge victorious every time. It was a sweet sensation, but deep inside, he would feel remorse for his action. In due time, his feelings became numbed, and he would silently slaughter without lament. ¡®Don¡¯t get consumed by anger. Don¡¯t get consumed by bloodlust.¡¯ Dan kept reminiscing, and a tremendous thirst for blood crept up towards him. No matter how calm and sane he was, the nature of humans was of those in the battlefield. One would always hunger for carnage deep within them; one cannot bottle up such feelings forever. His body quivered, and he felt a great rush of adrenaline. His vessels pulsated, and his heart pumped faster. His head felt like it was about to explode. Unbeknownst to him, an absurdly large amount of bloodlust oozed out his body as he meditated. It was so gargantuan that Minerva woke up from her sleep, and Mervik trembled on his bed. Even the residents near their area felt the murderous aura. ¡®Channel it to a single point,¡¯ Dan kept repeating in his mind like a mantra. The birds of the woodlands violently chirped, and flocks flew out from fear. The livestock tethered on the resident¡¯s fences became erratic, and each of them wanted to break free and escape. Everyone felt suffocated as the murderous phenomenon filled the air. It was hard to breathe, and it took everyone their all to remain conscious, to remain sane. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t breathe!¡± Dan was in trance, and he was deeply immersed in his meditation that he was left unaware of the impact his training was creating. He was unable to hear even his own loudly beating heart. Memories back when he was still the Grim Reaper occluded his mind, and he relived such life over and over again. His vein started popping up and bursting, and his entire body trembled as it contained such enormous bloodlust. The wooden ground beneath his slowly formed cracks, and eventually, it turned to dust. Memories kept resurfacing one after another. ¡°Demon! You killed my father, and now you want to kill me? My entire family?!¡± ¡°Please... please... hic... hic....¡± ¡°Help! Heeelpp!¡± ¡°Please spare my child! She¡¯s only nine!¡± Dan¡¯s face distorted into a grotesque appearance as he relived his countless massacres. His each and every assassination was a true definition of hell. Young or old, man or woman¡ªhe killed anyone that saw his face. He killed anyone that would be a threat to the Leopold Family. His hands were stained an irreversible crimson. Dan¡¯s chest rapidly rose and fell, and he found it difficult to breath. Blood continued to spurt out the veins that had burst, and the entire wooden ground he sat cross-legged on was tainted red. The tethered livestock continued to wail and screech, and the entire village of Ruktia was suffocated by the surreal phenomenon. ¡®It¡¯s different from an uncontrollable rage,¡¯ Dan recounted the words uttered by the man. He felt that what he was doing was different from the one the man performed. His bloodlust was unsuppressed. It was suffocating, and it consumed everything without distinction. Even his body felt the adverse effect of such meditation. Slowly, he suppressed the bloodlust little by little. The task was arduous, and it required extremely great concentration to do so. The murderous aura began to slowly recede, and the malice in the air slowly dispersed. Everyone in the village heaved a sigh of relief as the phenomenon faded away. Trickles of sweat were evident on everyone¡¯s faces, and their skin assumed a pale complexion. They had never lived through such nightmare before. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s impossible to utilize such technique in a single day,¡± Dan said after he broke out his trance. He looked at his bloody body, and at the wooden ground beneath him. ¡°Better clean up this mess.¡± He was heavily panting, but the euphoria from experiencing such phenomenon gave him an unexplainable bliss. His body was battered, but he paid it no heed. He had finally found a way to protect his family in such magic-driven world. The technique was his first step. **** Days passed, and the time of their departure towards the City of Ilian had arrived. ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± Minerva said as she bowed. She wore brown hooded cloak with her green dress underneath. Dan did the same gesture and also said his thanks. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Mervik waived a hand in response. ¡°I¡¯m a mere hunter, and I can¡¯t give you guys Yilian to help you on your journey.¡± He shoved a medium-sized bag onto Minerva¡¯s bossom. He was grinning. ¡°Dried falta. I know that you guys love it. Should be enough to feed you guys for three days. If consumed wisely, it should last for about a week.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Why are you doing so much for us?¡± Minerva said. She was very thankful for the man¡¯s hospitality. Mervik wanted to utter, ¡°It¡¯s because you resembled my deceased wife so much,¡± but he chose to keep his mouth shut. He loved his wife, and he knew that he would love the same woman till his last breath. Just having the same appearance would not equate the feeling of love. That much, he was sure. As excuse, he said instead, ¡°It¡¯s the family¡¯s code. Don¡¯t be bothered by it.¡± Minerva gently smiled, making Mervik¡¯s heart leap a beat. Just the mere fact that he was able to see someone that resembled his wife was more than enough as payment. It was as if fate itself willed the encounter. After another bow and words of parting, Dan and Minerva headed off towards the north. Their destination was the City of Prosperity, Ilian. **** Dan and Minerva traversed the taiga that surrounded Ruktia. They had finally reached the end of the sea of coniferous trees, and they found a hastily paved road. It was already late in the afternoon when they arrived at their current spot, and their feet were sore from the arduous journey. Horse was a resource they were unable to acquire. It was too expensive, and a single one would cost them their entire savings. Currently, all that Minerva had were eight Ors, and fifty-eight Kelts. It was a meagre amount that was hardly enough for the two of them to be accommodated in an inn for a few days. They kept walking through the road until the sun had finally given way to the stars. Their goal was to reach Takal Point within the next few days. It was a large intersection governed by a merchant. In that area, they would be able to ride a carriage towards the City of Ilian. According to Mervik, the fee would amount to approximately four Ors each. It was a cheap amount; it was reasonable, but when compared to their family¡¯s current budget, it was expensive. Dan glanced at the twin swords concealed within his brown robe. ¡°Mother, this sword... it¡¯s pretty sturdy. Do you know from which kind of metal it¡¯s made from?¡± Minerva was snuggled up near her son. Her body was wrapped in a blanket given to them by Mervik. They had no choice but camp on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s made from Relihalcon. Take care of it. The price of a single dagger is equivalent to almost a fortune.¡± ¡°I see...,¡± Dan softly replied. His eyes flickered of sorrow for an instance as he stared at the twin blades. Once they arrived at Takal Point, he had decided to sell one of them. It was a sacrifice needed in order for them to start anew in the City of Ilian. ¡°Don¡¯t sell it.¡± Minerva was psychic. ¡°No matter how poor we are right now, we¡¯ll eventually rise again. Those blades are your father¡¯s memento. It¡¯s something passed down to him from the previous generations. Now, it¡¯s in your hands. Take care of it.¡± Dan did not respond after those words. Silently, he had resolved himself to go against his mother¡¯s will. After snuggling inside a thin blanket, Dan closed his eyes and slept. The sounds of the tree¡¯s leave¡¯s rustling against each other served as lullaby. **** Days passed, and they eventually reached Takal Point. Their arrival was just in time for their rations were depleted. Their stomachs started to grumble, and the aromatic scent that filled the air made their mouth water. Takal Point was a fairly large place positioned right next to an intersection in the road. It spanned almost half a kilometer large, and numerous stalls filled the area. If one were to look at the eastern side of Takal, they would see numerous horses tethered to their respective carriages. The carriages themselves were large and long; it was good enough to accommodate a dozen passengers. Minerva pulled Dan¡¯s hand as she moved towards one of the stalls. The area beside it was bustling, and a middle-aged woman manned the counter. The scent of skewered meat entered them, and they could not help but salivate. ¡°How much?¡± Minerva asked. The meat before her continued to sizzle, and with every drip of its juice, the burning inferno below it made ~shhhkk sounds. The woman glanced at her and simply said, ¡°Thirty Kelts each. Pay forty and a cup of juice¡¯s included.¡± ¡°That¡¯s robbery!¡± Minerva remarked. The price was absurd for a skewered meat. ¡°Oh, dear. Another clueless customer? Listen, honey. The price of meat began rising lately. People began fleeing deeper into the Empire. Basically, some of the farms were left with no people. You think growing crops¡¯ simple?¡± Minerva understood the meaning behind the woman¡¯s words. It seemed that Krukas invaded further into the Empire, and the residents were left with no choice but to flee into the major cities. The refugees were of the same situation as them. With a gulp, she asked, ¡°Then... the price of the trip to Ilian?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s skyrocketed. If you don¡¯t hurry, you¡¯ll lose a seat. Everyone¡¯s frantic on escaping into one of the major cities. The invasion of monsters has died down a little, but no one is assured of anything. Major cities hold the greatest military might. It¡¯s definitely safer there.¡± Minerva paled as she heard the word ¡®skyrocketed.¡¯ The money she carried with her was hardly enough to buy them two seats for the trip, but now, the price leaped beyond her control. The idea of traversing towards the City of Ilian by foot crossed her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll buy two skewered meat. Forty kelts each so include the cups of juice.¡± ¡°Sure honey.¡± The woman handed Minerva her order. She was about to hand over Dan his share when she realized that he was nowhere to be found. Numerous thoughts flashed through her mind. Dan was different from other kids, but he was still a child. She felt shivers ran down her spine as she thought of the worst things possible. Eventually, she saw the figure of Dan from a distance. He was in front of a stall and was conversing with a merchant. Minerva heaved a sigh of relief and walked towards Dan. ¡°No. That¡¯s too cheap, mister. Seven Wys. Fifty Ors. It¡¯s a deal.¡± Dan said in a firm tone. ¡°No, no. That¡¯s absurd! Seven Wys. That¡¯s final!¡± the merchant argued. Dan sighed and raised a brow. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll sell it to another merchant. You¡¯re too stingy old guy.¡± Minerva shook her head once after she heard Dan¡¯s remark. She had never heard Dan utter such impolite words before. The child had always been respectful; Dan always knew his manners. ¡°Hey! Fine!¡± The merchant raised his right hand. ¡°Deal. Seven Wys and Fifty Ors. Damn this kid. You really know your way in the market huh?¡± Dan smiled and said, ¡°Deal.¡± He pulled out one of the twin blades from his robe and handed it to the merchant. The merchant pulled the blade out of the scabbard, and scrutinized its every nook and cranny. He then nodded once in approval. ¡°Definitely made of Relihalcon. It¡¯s the fourth strongest metal there is. Wonder where you got such a good sword from?¡± ¡°Wait!¡± A woman¡¯s voice made the stall owner stare in shock. He slightly tilted his head and said, ¡°Yes, madam? What could this merchant do for you?¡± Instead of replying, the woman glared at Dan. Her eyes were slightly squinted as she suppressed her anger. ¡°Young man! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! That¡¯s the last gift your father gave you!¡± She bit her lips and groaned in frustration. ¡°I told you not to sell it, right?¡± She grabbed the dagger from the merchant. ¡°This is ours. We¡¯re not selling it. End of story.¡± ¡°Hey! That child had already sold it to me!¡± ¡°Shut it!¡± Minerva turned to Dan. Her eyes were not smiling. ¡°Mother. My decision is final. I¡¯m going to sell one of the twin daggers. It¡¯s a sacrifice that must be made if we want to continue living. Face it¡ªmoney cannot buy happiness, but it could buy everything else. We need money if want to survive.¡± Dan said in a calm but serious tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure father would rather have the memento be sold that see us scavenging for food.¡± ¡°B-But!¡± was all Minerva was able to retort. She knew that her son was right, but she can¡¯t help but feel agonized by the fact that Krisse¡¯s memento would be in the hands of a random person. The mere thought squeezed at her heart. Dan gently took the dagger from Minerva¡¯s hands and returned it to the merchant. He then opened his palm as he wordlessly asked from the payment. All throughout the transaction, Minerva remained silent. She was weighing her thoughts and feelings. ¡°That¡¯s for me?¡± Dan said as he looked at the skewered meat Minerva held. Minerva handed it to him and he said his thanks. He was hungry, and a single piece was hardly enough to satiate him. He grabbed Minerva¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have enough money to go to Ilian.¡± Upon arrival at the place where the carriages were clustered, Dan and Minerva were surprised of the absurd price of the travel feel. It skyrocketed to fourteen Ors each; it was an amount that was more than thrice the initial value. Dan pulled out the required Ors and handed it to the stubby merchant. The travel time from Takal Point to Ilian was around eleven days by cart. Their destination was the City of Prosperity. Chapter 8: The City of Prosperity Chapter 8: The City of Prosperity Almost two weeks had passed and thankfully, Dan and Minerva''s travel by cart towards the City of Ilian was met with no adversity. The roads were becoming more paved as they went deeper into the Empire, and the ride towards their destination slowly but continuously became smoother; it was comfortable enough despite the anxiety that filled the air. By now, everyone was aware of the impending crisis in the form of Krukas. The City of Molivia was devastated beyond recognition. The previously almighty city was reduced to ashes, and all of the soldiers and residents residing in it were killed. Even the genius tactician, General Orbit, was killed in action. There were sightings of the mythical stone dragon, but it was something that needs to be confirmed by the royal magicians. Emperor Kulaima VIII issued a subjugation order. He assigned the S ranked magician, Theolfo the Beheader, to be the Commanding General. Thousands of magicians were gathered three days ago to form the Emperor''s desired Legion. According to the statement of General Theolfo, a large scale battle will break out before the month ends. Still, he told the general populace not to worry. The battle will be held in the Workshair Mountain Range. That will be the place where they will intercept Krukas'' invading army... Dan placed the newspaper he held on his hand inside his leather bag. After leaning on the couch, he looked at the open window. The scenery of multitudes of trees lightly blurred as the carriage moved forward. The metallic barouche''s movement was fluid and only occasional bumps along the road were encountered. "We''re almost there. I wonder what awaits us in that city? ''City of Prosperity.'' Just the name alone fills me with excitement!" Minerva uttered in glee. She was also looking at the open window and the breeze created from the barouche''s movement was soothing. The scent of grass filled the air, and when mixed with the metallic aroma of the cart, it gave an indescribable feeling of the nostalgia. "Mom, what do you plan to do once we get to the city? I mean... how do you plan to earn Yilians?" Dan asked. His stare remained fixated on the outside scenery. The two of them were currently inside the carriage, and they occupied two seats that were separated from the rest by a metallic partition. It took Minerva a few seconds before she replied. In a sheepish tone, she said, "I''m not... sure? Probably do some errands." She was not confident that any of her skills would be ample to compete in such a major city. Dan knew the thoughts that filled her mind. He said, "You''re a great cook--no, excellent. Once we arrived at Ilian, we''ll open up a stall. Once we got ourselves a residence, we''ll waste no time and immediately go to the market. We''ll gather ingredients. Time is money. We don''t want to have my soon to be born sibling live in poverty." Minerva was surprised by her son''s words. She was speechless after finding out that Dan had already made a mental itinerary once they got to Ilian. With mixed emotions, mostly helplessness and gratefulness, she softly smiled, making her left dimple sunk in response. "I''m really glad you''re here with me. You really think my cooking skills'' enough to compete in the city?" "Of course. I''ve tasted it myself for years. Food made by mom is the best. No competitions." Dan''s tone was filled with no doubt or hesitation. From the open window, they saw a large wall that surrounded everything the eyes could see. It was around half the size of the Great Wall of the Empire, but the clumps of iron embedded on it depicted a more sturdy appearance. Hundreds of soldiers manned the gate, and they all have vigilant eyes. It seemed that the news of Krukas'' invasion sent them to a red state. They heard the sounds of horses neighing, and the carriage halted to a stop. Suddenly, the coachman''s voice rang out from beyond. "Passengers! We''ve arrived at the City of Prosperity! Welcome! Welcome to the City of the North! Ilian!" From the bow front, the coachman went inside the carriage. He removed his night black hat and bowed. "This is as far as the Takal Express goes. Thank you for your patronage." After those words, the passengers got out of the barouche, and the massive cart immediately set off. A small cloud of dust was created the moment the mounts kicked the ground. Dan and Minerva watched the carriage as it faded from the distance. "Let''s go!" Minerva squeaked. She was excited. Her entire life had been devoted as a housewife, and she secretly wished to travel to different locations. Specifically, she wanted to go inside the Empire at least once in her life. Just the mere thought that they would be living inside one of the major cities filled her with excitement. Her eyes could not conceal what she was feeling inside. Her sapphire gemstones kept swiveling left and right as it devoured everything it could see. Dan lightly snorted after he saw his mom''s appearance. He thought on how child-like she was. With a gentle gaze, he held her hands and they both walked towards the opened gate of the city. Numerous soldiers manned the entrance, and a medium-sized magic circle was engraved on the ground. "Excuse me, sir... we...my son and I wish to go inside the city," Minerva said to a soldier. It wore a blue robe, and underneath it was an iron plate mail that seemed to have been recently polished. The soldier condescendingly glanced at her from head to toe. He then smirked, making his cheeks form a large wrinkle mark. "Damn it. Another one, huh? The Lord of the City should close the gates for now. He''s too benevolent... to think that he''ll actually accept refugees without making them pay fees." His face distorted into a repulsive one, and he pointed his gauntlet-cladded hand towards the magic circle. "Enter the circle. If you''re anything but humans, I swear¡ªwe''ll slaughter you." "Thank you, sir," Minerva said despite the mockery. She was grateful of the mere fact that they were granted entry. Entering the city was easier than she had imagined. At the corner of her mind, she noted to herself that she would thank the City Lord if she ever saw him. Only a benevolent man would open his city''s gates to help refugees. Dan and Minerva stepped inside the magic circle, and from a lifeless and dull color, the printed hexagram embossed inside a sphere glowed a bright yellow-azure hue. The particles of light touched their bodies, and after a few more moment that was without a doubt magical, the light dissipated, and the circle resumed a dull color. "Passed. You two may enter," the soldier said with a hint of disappointment. A moment later, he hurriedly added, ¡°Wait!¡± Dan and Minerva turned around and saw the soldier scratch his chin. The soldier breathed in a large gulp of air and nodded his head once as if affirming his next words. ¡°I¡¯m no demon, so I¡¯ll warn you guys about the recent events in the city.¡± He pointed towards his left. ¡°See those guys over there?¡± He pertained to the clustered refugees that had chains wrapped around their necks. Each chain was interconnected, creating a serpentine ¨Clike arrangement. ¡°Those people are just like you guys. They entered Ilian in hopes of escaping the strife that befell them. Reality¡¯s harsh though. Although the City Lord is a generous man, he¡¯s still incapable of stopping the rampant slavery in the area. Slavery¡¯s been part of the Empire since the previous generations. It¡¯s considered norm.¡± The soldier paused. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ if you¡¯re not prepared¡­ I mean¡­ if you don¡¯t have enough Yilian to live inside the city, then don¡¯t enter. Otherwise, you¡¯ll become one of the innumerable refugees that became slaves in order to eat¡ªin order to live. Life¡¯s not that easy. Nothing is free.¡± He looked at Dan. His previous predatory gaze softened. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯ll seek refuge in one of the smaller cities. The military might¡¯s not that great, but it still offers ample protection. Moreover, there¡¯s less slave traders there.¡± He waived a hand and turned around. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m done with the warning. Whatever happens will be up to you. Don¡¯t come crying after.¡± Dan and Minerva were unable to utter a response as they felt that the soldier did not want the conversation to continue. His strides were hurried, and he immediately faded from sight the moment he melded with the crowd. ¡°Whatever your decision is, I¡¯ll respect it. Don¡¯t get too pressured, mother,¡± Dan said. ¡°We still have enough Yilian to live by for a month or two.¡± Minerva pondered. She remained silent for almost a minute. Afterwards, she dusted off her cloak and said in a fierce and resolved tone, ¡°We¡¯ll enter the city. Just living and breathing have its risks. We can¡¯t continue running from our fears forever.¡± Dan smiled after her words. ¡°Of course.¡± The two of them continued walking towards the slightly opened gate. Along the way, they noticed the large amount of refugees that was bounded by chains. They had not noticed it before, but after the blatant warning, their eyes saw the horrible reality. The words, ¡°nothing¡¯s free,¡± kept resounding inside their heads. ¡°Halt! I take it that you two wishes to enter the city?¡± a man wearing a hooded robe said. He held a staff that was around half his height. On top of it was a small marble that depicted a dull pink color. ¡°Yes, sir magician,¡± Minerva replied as she slightly bowed. ¡°Then fill out these forms. We need to have you two registered¡ªsecurity purposes. Don¡¯t worry ¡®bout the price. City Lord¡¯s too generous. He actually gave away five thousand of these things for the refugees. There¡¯s still a hundred or so left¡ªthere¡¯s your luck.¡± The man handed them two bronze colored plates. On its upper right corner, the words ¡®status plate¡¯ was imprinted. ¡°Just touch that thing and say ¡®Status,¡¯ and everything else should follow.¡± The more they heard of the City¡¯s Lord, the more they wanted to see him. It seemed that the name of the city, ¡®City of Prosperity,¡¯ was not just for show. It actually held something within which probably originated from such a benevolent master. Minerva mumbled the word ¡®Status,¡¯ and immediately after, the card glowed a dim hue. Numerous engravings began to appear on the previously blank plate. The soldier peeked at the card and recited the words written. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Minerva Bhlot. Magical power¡ªrank G,¡± the soldier said with a nod. ¡°You¡¯ve been registered to the City Archive. Next.¡± Dan did the same thing as his mother. After the texts appeared on the bronze colored plate, the soldier read the words imprinted. ¡°Daniek Bhlot. Rank G.¡± He lazily waived to the gate. ¡°Go. You¡¯ve been both registered.¡± ¡°Ah~ So tiring!¡± they heard the soldier grumpily say as they both moved further towards the gate. The gate itself was made of a certain black metal. It was as thick as the trunk of a century-old tree, and it towered almost the same height as the walls. Dan and Minerva walked through the opening; no one stopped them in their tracks. Upon entry to the city, the sight of towering structures greeted them. From their location, an absurdly large tower that touched the clouds was seen. Peculiarly, it was not visible when they were still outside. It was light azure in color, and it gave off a translucent imagery. It was ghost-like, and it gave off the feeling that one¡¯s hand would pass through it at the moment of contact. ¡°Lodgings for two? Meals are included,¡± a lady before them said with a wink. She was like a shadow that suddenly popped from the ground. Her figure was curvy, and her cheeks were light red. Her eyes danced as she waited for Dan and Minerva¡¯s answer. ¡°Ah¡­ how much?¡± was the first thing Minerva said. Money was currently an issue for their family. The lady clasped her hands, making the frills of her sleeves dangle after the impact. ¡°Two Ors, fifteen Kelts. Quite cheap I must say!¡± She winked again. She crouched and leaned. Dan saw her twin mountains but paid it no heed. ¡°Such a cute kid!¡± she said as she ruffled Dan¡¯s head. Dan did not resist but stared straight into her eyes. She turned to Minerva. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll take the offer,¡± Minerva said. She placed her two hands on Dan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll rest for today. We¡¯ll tour the city tomorrow.¡± Dan nodded in approval. The lady flashed a teeth-revealing smile. She said, ¡°Alright! Follow me! Heh~ this refugee thing¡¯s making our business great. Heh~ Heh~.¡± Dan and Minerva wordlessly followed as the lady led the way. They passed through numerous buildings. Most were stone houses. On the road, numerous stalls that sold antiques and potteries were line up in array. Opposite them were food stalls filled with salivating on-lookers. Buzzing sounds filled the air as people tried to lift down the prices of the items they were buying. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± the lady said as she pushed open the wooden door of an inn. It took them five minutes of walk to finally arrive at the place. ¡°Mom! Another customer!¡± The inside of the inn was bustling. It was filled with customers drinking and eating. At the far end of the inn, a woman with resembling appearance as the young lady that led them was wiping the plates. Beside her was a man with tinges of white hair. ¡°Sera, three rooms left and the inn will be full. Good job!¡± The woman flashed a thumbs-up sign. The young lady turned to Minerva. ¡°Welcome to the Sera Inn! Well, it¡¯s probably obvious¡­ it¡¯s named after me. Heh~.¡± She scratched her nose and pulled out a key then handed it to Minerva. ¡°Room¡¯s on the fifth floor. Room 508. Lunch will be served in around an hour.¡± She ushered them to go towards the counter. ¡°Down payment¡¯s ten Ors. Better be sure.¡± She looked at Minerva with eyes that bespoke of the words ¡®show me the money.¡¯ Dan fumbled inside his pocket and handed the exact amount. He then tugged at Minerva¡¯s robe and whispered. ¡°Mom, you should take a rest. You¡¯re pregnant.¡± He turned to Sera. ¡°Is it alright if you deliver the food into our room?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Sera said ceremoniously. ¡°I take it that you wanted it delivered once lunch time comes?¡± ¡°Yes please,¡± Dan said with a polite smile. After those words, Dan and Minerva entered the flight of stairs. After reaching their room, they immediately slumped on the fluffy bed and closed their eyes. Their travel through cart was arduous and exhausting. **** After eating lunch, Dan went towards the bathhouse. It was part of the inn¡¯s special service. It spanned ten meters large, and the genders were separated by a large stone partition. Steams oozed out of the water and lightly occluded his vision. Surprisingly, he was alone inside such large place. Dan removed his clothes and dipped his body onto the large tub. He felt a warm sensation crawl up his body the moment his toes touched the water. The water was crystal clear and soothing. He closed his eyes as he reminisced the previous training he did back in the village of Ruktia. ¡®My previous training made such a commotion back then. This time, I need to suppress my soul spirit. It seems that it¡¯s too colossal even in this world,¡¯ Dan thought. After his previous training, he found out that everyone in the village felt his murderous rage. The phenomenon was so gargantuan to the point that some of the goats broke free from the fences in their attempt to flee the village. ¡®I need to practice it one step at a time. I need to be discreet.¡¯ Dan closed his eyes and again reminisced the life of Hades. It was a routine that he¡¯d rather do without, but it was indispensable. It was the only way he knew. Otherwise, he would not be able to summon such an extreme amount of blood lust. One by one, his previous massacres flashed in his mind. His brows knitted together, and his lips formed into a downward crescent. His entire body trembled as he tried to keep reminiscing Hades¡¯ nightmares. ¡®Slowly¡­ one step at a time¡­ control it¡­ don¡¯t get consumed by it¡­,¡¯ he inwardly mumbled. He channeled all of the bloodlust in his body into his chest, and then slowly, he channeled it into his fingertips. The steamy bath began to form bubbles as his soul spirit made the water quiver and tremble. Dan kept procuring soul spirit. Unbeknownst to him, even the leader of the revolutionary army took two years to manifest such a phenomenon. But to Dan, it took him two attempts to finally channel it to a single point. The bath he was submerged in bubbled violently, but Dan did not take notice. He was deep in trance, and he kept reminiscing his previous life¡¯s nightmares. He kept reminiscing the sensation of his blades cutting through flesh. It was a gruesome sensation, but the monster deep within him licked its lips every time his prey screamed of agony. The diabolical manifestation of his soul that resided within his body slowly but continuously unshackled its chain as he meditated. It was thirsting for blood. It was thirsting for carnage. ¡°THWAAGG!¡± A loud sound broke him out of his trance. His eyes bolted open, and it swiveled left and right as it glanced at the decimated bathhouse before it. Numerous cracks formed on the stone walls, and large blots of water spattered everywhere, eventually forming a flood-like appearance. The tub he was previously submerged in was now devoid of water, and its rear was reduced to dust. He heard numerous footsteps and afterwards, Sera entered the bathhouse with a worried look plastered on her face. ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Sera walked inside and stopped right before him. Dan was completely naked, but she seemed to not mind his appearance. To her, Dan was nothing but a six year old kid. She kept glanced at the decimated bathhouse, then to Dan. She leaned closer and repeated, ¡°Are you alright? What happened here?¡± Dan was left speechless as he tried to come up with an explanation. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang out from the bath¡¯s entrance. It was Sera¡¯s mother. ¡°So it finally gave way, eh? I knew that the day would come that this old thing would break. It¡¯s definitely in great need of renovation.¡± She looked at Dan. ¡°Ya alright kid? Any injuries?¡± Dan awkwardly replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He felt guilty after he heard of Sera and her mother¡¯s concern. He found it hard to explain that he was the cause of the phenomenon. He knew that the two would not believe him, and even if they did, he was sparse of Yilian to actually pay for the repair. He silently listened as Sera¡¯s mother lectured her of the proper ways of maintaining the bathhouse. With a soft sigh, he walked towards the door and took his clothes. Uncaring for his naked appearance, he dried his body with a towel and putted on his garb. At the back of his mind, he repeatedly chanted the words, ¡°Better control the soul spirit properly next time.¡± **** After the commotion, Dan went back to his room. He then found out that Minerva was asleep. After kissing her cheeks, he wrote a letter on top of the wooden table saying that he¡¯ll be out for a quick stroll. He then went out of the inn. The remaining blade was concealed within his cloak. ¡°Archery contest! Entry price is two Ors! Grand price is Six Wys!¡± a skinny man shouted. He was outside a tent that encompassed almost fifty meters in diameter. The price of winning the contest perked Dan¡¯s interest. He walked up towards the man and said, ¡°Mister, is there an age requirement? Can everyone join the competition?¡± The man grinned and crouched. ¡°Yeah, kid. No age requirement! Your old man wants to join? Sure! The more the better! It a competition sponsored by the Roshaila Family!¡± ¡°Then sign me in,¡± was Dan¡¯s reply. The man was taken aback by the child¡¯s bold declaration. He snorted and said, ¡°Hey. This is a serious competition. Tell your old man to come here personally to register. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to enter. The tournament¡¯s starting in ten minutes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, mister. I¡¯ll be the one joining the competition.¡± Dan pulled out two Ors and handed it towards the man. ¡°Here¡¯s the payment.¡± The man pondered for a moment but eventually said, ¡°Fine. I did say that there¡¯s no age requirement. Do what you want, kid. No regrets ¡®kay? It¡¯s you¡¯re choice if you wanted to throw away your money. I swear¡ªkids these days!¡± Dan did not reply but silently wrote down his name on the players¡¯ list. He thought of the things he would buy the moment he got his hands on the Grand Price. He silently thought on how lucky he was to encounter such competition. Chapter 9: Archery Contest Chapter 9: Archery Contest After successfully signing himself up for the competition, Dan entered the room where the contestants were located. No one bothered to cast a glance at his direction; no one thought that a mere child was a contestant. There were almost a hundred contestants that registered. Some of them wore garbs that depicted a costly appearance even from a single glance. Some were nobles that entered the competition for fun and for the prestige that accompanied winning. ¡°The tournament starts! For the first round, we will hold an elimination round! A total of 93 contestants this time. We need to tone down the number to at least 25,¡± a man wearing a turban spoke. On his right was a female that held a box that had a medium-sized slit on top. ¡°Each of you was given a number the moment you¡¯ve registered. I¡¯m going to pull out numbers from this box.¡± He pertained to the one the female was holding. ¡°And from that, I¡¯ll determine the sequence of the tournament. Rules are simple¡ªscore the highest mark. By that, I meant¡­ hit the mark as accurately and as precisely as you can. Everyone have three shots per round. I¡¯m sure some nobles placed stakes on some of you guys. Best of luck!¡± The man pulled out numbers from the box. Afterwards, he called out the contestants one by one. After their numbers were called, the contestants went out of the room. They went towards the small arena where the tournament was held. ¡°Number 93. Daniek Bhlot,¡± the man said after he pulled out Dan¡¯s number. Everyone stared in surprise when a child raised his hand in response. The child then went towards the man and asked in a calm tone, ¡°Mister, you¡¯ve mentioned the word ¡®stakes¡¯ before. I take it that some nobles gamble in this competition?¡± Buzzing sounds filled the air when the contestants realized that Dan was a contender. No matter how they looked at it, the child was too young to enter such competition. ¡°The child Jasik mentioned. So there¡¯s really a child that entered, eh?¡± the man said. He stroked his black beard and smirked. ¡°Might be fun?¡± He glanced towards Dan. ¡°Yeah, kid. This thing¡¯s an annual competition. The grand price is six Wys, right? That¡¯s pocket change when compared to the gamble of those nobles. Last year, the pot money went up to ninety Wys.¡± Dan¡¯s eyes glimmered for a second after the utterance of the pot money. ¡°Then, can I join in the gamble?¡± The man raised a brow after the child¡¯s remark. ¡°Sure. Everyone can join as long as they have the money. Hey¡ª¡± He glanced left and right as if affirming his suspicions. ¡°You¡¯re not some great noble¡¯s son, right? I don¡¯t want your daddy to come enraged at me for permitting you to join such thing.¡± ¡°No, just a commoner.¡± Dan pulled out four Wys from his pocket. He purposely left three Wys coins inside his pocket. He did not want to gamble everything in one go. ¡°This will be the amount I¡¯ll be betting.¡± The buzzing sounds further intensified the moment the child pulled out the Wys coins. The amount was not meager; it was enough for an ordinary household to survive for a month. The man before Dan immediately grabbed the coins and hushed, ¡°Hey kid! Where did you get this money from? If the traders from the black market sees you¡ª¡± He groaned. ¡°They¡¯ll kill you! Those guys are not humans! They won¡¯t care if you¡¯re a child or not!¡± ¡°Rest assured, I didn¡¯t stole it,¡± Dan calmly said. He had no intention of letting such a large opportunity pass by. He tucked at the back of his mind the words ¡®black market.¡¯ He had never heard of such underground organization present in the city before. ¡°I¡¯ll join the bets. I stake on myself to win the tournament. All four Wys coins. That¡¯s final.¡± ¡°Hey kid! You think this tournament¡¯s a joke?!¡± ¡°This brat doesn¡¯t respect the art of archery!¡± ¡°Probably some noble¡¯s son, eh? Damn brat!¡± The other contestants were in uproar. They felt that Dan did not deserve to join such competition. Dan paid the rude remarks no heed. He stared directly into the facilitator¡¯s eyes as he awaited the man¡¯s answer. After a long paused accompanied by rude outbursts as background, the facilitator sighed and shrugged. ¡°Your money, not mine. Do what you want, kid. I¡¯ll list you down as one of the contestants in the stakes.¡± He turned towards the infuriated contestants. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss about? The kid has money. He has the right to play in the stakes.¡± His words completely shut down the lips of those present. With a forced smile, he said to Dan, ¡°You¡¯re participating in the first elimination round. Go.¡± With those words, Dan left the contestants¡¯ room and went towards the small arena. **** ¡°And now! The first round of the competition starts! Oh, before that, let me give thanks to the sponsor of this event¡ªthe Roshaila Family!¡± a man wearing a loose robe with bronze engravings spoke. His skin was fair and was filled with spiral marks that crept till his neck. His nose had three piercings made of silver. Dark marks encircled his droopy eyes. The crowd applauded after the commentator¡¯s introduction. A man in his late fifties stood up from the front row. He waived his hand thrice then resumed sitting. The arena was spherical, and numerous seats encircled it in array. The stadium itself was beige in color, and an orb that hovered above illuminated it a hazel hue. The entire arena was jammed full of spectators, and most were wearing above-average garbs that bespoke of their statuses. ¡°And noooow! Contestants¡ªENTER!¡± The crowd¡¯s applause intensified after the remark. Cheers filled the air as dozens of people appeared from the left wing of the arena. They all held wooden bows on their hands. At their backs were the arrows that were to be used for the competition. ¡°For the first part of the competition, we¡¯ll hold an elimination round! The contestants shall be grouped into twenties, and from that group, only those that passed the test will be chosen to advance to the next round!¡± He clapped his hand twice, and the curtains that previously veiled the targets for the competition was revealed. The crowd gasped as they saw the greenish creatures that desperately squirmed about. They were held by large chains at their bosoms. ¡°Goblins! These creatures are the nastiest of the beasts! The lowliest of monsters! We¡¯ve procured these things after the Grand Magician Uliek conquered the Albazda Labyrinth!¡± He breathed in a large gulp of air and further intensified his voice. ¡°We¡¯ll be placing a fruit directly on top of the monster¡¯s head! Those that successfully hit the fruit without injuring the goblins will advance to the next round!¡± The goblins began screeching as the fruits were placed on top of their heads. It was strapped as to not fall off. Upon staring, the contestants soon realized that the fruits were around three times the size of a marble. It was a very tiny mark to hit. ¡°The beauty of this competition is that even if the competitors miss their marks, the goblins will surely be inflicted,¡± he pinched his nose and snorted. ¡°with some¡ªinjuries~.¡± The crowd cheered and the ground slightly rumbled. Everyone was ecstatic of the twist in the current competition. He commentator opened his arms wide and snuffed the air. ¡°As usual, the stakes will start the moment the elimination round starts! Anyone can bid! The Roshaila Family shall be the banker! They¡¯ve boldly declared to take on any bids!¡± Another series of thunderous cheers echoed. The commentator grinned from ear to ear as if savoring the euphoria. He said, ¡°Let the first round begin!¡± The sound of a gong was heard, and afterwards, the contestants assumed their positions. They were around twenty meters away from their marks. The crowd began to take notice of the child amidst the adults. ¡°A child?¡± ¡°Hey, seriously? He¡¯s holding a bow!¡± Murmurs filled the area as Dan pulled out an arrow from his back. He then rubbed his wooden bow as if getting a feel off it. The grand price of the competition was superficial; the real price was from the stakes. The commentator did not miss such intriguing topic and immediately announced, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Ladies and gents¡ªa child entered the competition this year! Guess what? A reliable source told me that he had staked on himself to win the competition! He staked four Wys on himself!¡± His voice was delivered with blatant hint of mockery. The audience snorted in response and made incessant remarks. ¡®So noisy,¡¯ Dan thought. He found the jeers irritating. Still, he paid it no heed. To him, it was a waste of time to retort against such childish remarks. He was more than confident of winning the competition. Archery was an art that utilized accuracy and precision. It did not have the need for him to have his previous body¡¯s prowess. As long as he was able to pull the string of the bow with enough strength, he was confident that he¡¯ll hit his mark perfectly. That much, he was sure. The other contestants took their turns firing their arrows. Each of them was given three attempts, and the scores were based on how close the arrows landed from its target. If it hits the fruits, then a perfect score was given. By the time Dan got his turn, most of the goblins displayed were with filled with barrages of arrows. Green bloods oozed out their wounds, and their previous violent squirming and screeching died down. They looked at Dan with resigned eyes. Just from their gaze alone, they were able to depict the words, ¡°A child¡¯s next? Damn. Just my luck. Another arrow¡¯s gonna strike my body.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Dan pulled the string of his bow and gripped the rear of the arrow. After pulling it with enough force, he placed his left foot forward, and his slightly bent his head to his back. With his elbows lightly elevated, he released the loaded arrow. Everyone that saw his stance jeered and mocked. His stance was definitely outside the norm. It was a stance that depicted someone that knew nothing of archery. Unbeknownst to them, the peculiar stance was due to Dan¡¯s lack of strength on his arms. He did it in order to ensure the accuracy of his arrow. The appearance of the wielder did not matter. What mattered was the result. It was one of the basics in a battlefield. The arrow whizzed by in a straight line. The force behind it was not great, but even from a single glance, everyone was able to discern the absurdly smooth flow it had as it traversed the mere twenty meters that separated it from its target. Another second passed by, and everyone¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. The arrow perfectly hit its mark, completely piercing through the small fruit on top of the goblin¡¯s head. The goblin heaved a sigh of relief as it glanced towards the arrow that struck the fruit on top of its head. It looked at Dan with moist eyes as it silently thanked the child for not missing its mark. Just a bit of mistake, and the arrow would have hit the goblin¡¯s forehead. ¡°A fluke.¡± ¡°Definitely! A fluke.¡± By now, the stakes for the competition were closed. No one staked their money for Dan to win. Most of the nobles had gambled for the known names in archery to win the competition. Dan pulled out another arrow and breathed out a gust of wind. He gently placed it on the bow and pulled the strings with moderate force. The competition¡¯s aim was not to kill; the aim was to hit the marks perfectly. To the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family, such competition was as easy as breathing. He released the string and the arrow again whizzed by. Just like before, the flow of the arrow was absurdly smooth, as if it was alive and personally seeks its target. With another piercing sound, the arrow successfully landed on its target, and the goblin below the fruit squeaked a sound of joy. The crowd was yet again unable to believe their eyes. ¡°What the hell¡­ that¡­ just now¡­ it¡¯s impossibly precise.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a child? He¡¯s probably five or six! There¡¯s no way he knows archery! It¡¯s a skill that needs discipline and extreme concentration! Not to mention years of training!¡± The crowd was in uproar, and the commentator himself was stunned speechless. Dan wasted no time and pulled out the last arrow given to him. He again loaded it on the bow and lightly pulled the string. With a calm and steady gaze, he stared at his target. Without warning, he released the grip of his fingers, and the arrow uninterruptedly shot towards its target. The goblin lightly squirmed as it saw the approaching arrow. A second after, it nervously glanced at the top of its head. After realizing that its body was not pierced through, it squeaked of glee. Its eyes smiled as it looked at the child before it. ¡°No¡­ way¡­.¡± ¡°The third time?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be coincidence¡­.¡± The crowd was in stupor after the third arrow had perfectly hit its mark. It took them a few more seconds before the fact that child before them was a prodigy in archery had finally sunk it. Immediately, like a snake that changed its skin, their demeanor turned opposite. The previously mock-filled arena was now filled with words of motivation. The Wys they would lose if the child actually managed to win the competition was nothing to the nobles. The mere fact that they were able to witness the birth of an archery genius filled them with unexplainable bliss. Everyone was in euphoria. ¡°KID! YOU¡¯RE GREAT!¡± ¡°I KNEW THAT YOU COULD DO IT!¡± ¡°AWESOME!¡± ¡°SHOW THOSE ADULT COMPETITORS HOW IT FEELS LIKE TO BE TRAMPLED ON BY A CHILD!¡± The crowd was in ecstasy, and the arena boomed into a violent quake as the cheers filled the air. Even the previously hostile commentator joined the bandwagon and cheered for Dan. With an indifferent look plastered on his face, Dan turned around and placed his bow on his shoulder. He patiently awaited the result of the elimination round. The other competitors entered the arena the moment Dan¡¯s group was finished. Unlike before, the cheers were mediocre, and the crowd could not wait for the next round to start. They all knew that the unknown child had passed the first round of the tournament. After all, he had successfully landed all three arrows on such minute target. An hour passed by, and the elimination round had finally ended. Dan¡¯s name was called out along with the other contestants that passed the first part of the competition. The moment his name was called, the crowed violently cheered like he was some sort of an infamous celebrity. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, kid. First round is for amateurs. Archery¡¯s not that easy.¡± A man which appeared to be around his thirties said. He had been practicing archery for years, and he felt disgusted by the fact that a child made it into the second round. Dan casted a quick glance at the man but made no reply. Deep in his mind, he silently wished that no one had casted their stakes at him before the elimination round started. That way, he would be able to hog all of the money from the stakes if he eventually emerged victorious in the end. The mere thought on what kind of face his mother, Minerva, would make the moment he showed her the fortune from winning the competition made his lips curl into a smile. He could not wait to finish the tournament and go back to Minerva with a fortune in tow. Contrary to their expectations, only nine contestants made it into the next round. The result was a bit disappointing when compared to the previous annual competitions, but the existence of the child gave ample excitement to the crowd. Everyone could not wait for the next round to start. All wanted to see before their very eyes the birth of an archery genius. The commentator went towards the stage and announced, ¡°The second part of the competition starts! The rules are simple¡ªaccuracy wins! You all have to hit the same fruit from before, but this time, it shall be placed on a moving wheel! Those that are able to hit at least two out of three will move on to the next round!¡± The goblins from the previous round were removed from the stadium, and in their stead, a spinning wooden wheel was placed. It had six corners, and at the edges of it were the same fruits from before. The previous distance of twenty meters was increased to twenty-eight. The difficulty of the test was exponentially harder than the previous one. Dan silently waited as the commentator called out the names of the participants. It took three contestants before Dan finally got his turn. The air trembled as the crowd cheered violently as Dan stepped on the stadium. In a span of an hour, he had become something akin to a celebrity. Dan calmly loaded an arrow to his bow. With cold gaze, he pulled the string and firmed his grip. The wheel where the fruits were strapped at continued to swirl at a constant speed. The fruits slightly blurred as it whizzed by. Dan loosened his finger¡¯s grip and the arrow shot by. Time seemed to have stood still as the crowd watched with wide eyes as the arrow cruised towards it target. A soft piercing sound was heard, and tidbits of the fruit scattered the moment the arrow had hit its target. Everyone was on the edges of their seats as they have confirmed with their very eyes the birth of a genius. Everyone could not wait to have their hands on the child. The nobles have decided to rear such talent. Moreover, if the child had enough mana, he could become a great magician that specialized in magical arrows. Such absurd accuracy would prove deadly in the battlefield. Dan repeated the feat two more times, and everyone was left speechless from the impossibility in front of them. Everyone thought of the things they were doing when they were the same age as the child, and mastery of the art of archery was definitely not one of them. The other contestants lost their confidence the moment they saw the child shoot all targets precisely in three successions. The way he pulled the strings as he aimed for the targets seemed to have been done without effort. Dan¡¯s previously awkward stance now seemed to be the perfect stance for archery. Even the contestants memorized the child¡¯s form as he performed his shots. Unbeknownst to them, the form of the child was created in order to suit his young body. It was a stance not meant for an adult to use. Doing so would result in utter failure. The competition ended with the rest of the competitors not being able to shoot more than two fruits from the spinning wheel. They were too aghast from the prodigy in front of them that they had lost their composure. Only a single contestant was able to shoot a fruit from the wheel, and he was able to do so only once. The rules clearly stated that two fruits were needed to be shot down in order for one to advance to the next round. With no other competitors to fight against, Dan was declared the winner. No one complained nor grumbled. Everyone saw with their very own eyes the birth of a genius. Published I would like to announce that BM has been officially published inAmazon,Kobo,iBooks, and Google Play. ---- If you are underage (below 18), and unable to procure a copy, just send me a PM. But please do note that I won''t be able to give out many free copies since that would be counterproductive in the part of my Publisher.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I know that I''ll probably get complaints after publishing this, but please do understand that there''s literally a limit to the RRL Universe. There''s a wider scope of readers out there, especially right now, in this current age we live in. The published version has a slightly different story, and some new characters introduced. It''s the fruit of the author''s effort after taking into account all the past mistakes and experiences he encountered on the way. I''ll post updates in my Fiction Page every now and then. Best, Sazi