Sinking down.
Ling’s consciousness, sinking like a bottomless pit, suddenly opened its eyes and regained its bearings. As she clutched her throbbing forehead and stood up, she saw a completely different scene.
"Cough, ugh. What's with this dust..."
Unorganized backalleys, the stench of stale alcohol and filth. A sky obscured by hazy smoke. It was completely different from Dahuang, where she had just been. Then, clenching and unclenching her hands, Ling looked around and realized her perspective had lowered. She screamed.
"No, what is this—!"
She, who was always composed, couldn't help but scream.
She had become younger. Literally.
Her perspective was lower, her hands small. Her body had transformed into that of a small girl. Her dragon horns and tail were gone. Since she had no memories to call a childhood, this transformation was even more shocking.
Instinctively trying to use Arts, Ling slumped in despair when nothing appeared in her hands. Her Authority didn't respond either. As the Authority to traverse anything in the world and the Arts she used freely disappeared, Ling felt anxiety.
"W-what do I do...?"
If Nian and U saw this, they might tease her saying the third sister got scared!? But she couldn't help it.
Suddenly younger, with nothing in her hands.
Not knowing the situation, there was nothing she could do.
A shadow fell over the anxious Ling. Behind her, a Sarkaz man in vagrant's clothes looked down at her.
"Hic, what. A brat..."
"Eek!"
As if she were in the way, the man grabbed Ling by the scruff of her neck and threw her—no, the girl Ling—against the wall. Helpless, Ling hit the wall, scratching her jade-like skin.
"Tsk tsk, pretty face, so you'll probably get caught by slave hunters soon. Poor thing."
The drunken, staggering man glanced at Ling once, said that, and walked away.
Hearing those words, Ling realized.
She didn't know what was what, but she had to survive.
She had nothing in her hands, but Ling had the dignity and wisdom of a long life. She didn't know the situation, but she needed to figure out where she was and why she had fallen here.
Brushing off the dust, she stood up again. Wiping the blood from her forearm with her sleeve, she walked out.
If there were many people, they probably wouldn't openly harm Ling as the drunkard said. For now, Ling was a young girl.
However, the gazes poured on Ling as soon as she came out.
They were definitely not good. Where did this brat come from? Everyone just stared with such eyes.
This isn't good. Thinking that, Ling turned back and ran.
Raw killing intent and gazes looking down as if at something lesser. She had always been superior. Whatever it was, human or monster. As a fragment of the being called Sui, she was strong and had lived as such.
"Haa, haa...!"
She ran until she was out of breath. Her young body didn't move as Ling wished. Running just a little made her breathless and painful. As Ling stood panting with her hands on her knees, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Let go!"
"Oho, a unique brat. We could get some good money selling this one."
Ling struggled violently and looked at the man holding her from behind. Overwhelming physical difference. Ling struggled, but there was nothing she could do. The man looked at the struggling Ling and said to the woman next to him.
"Hey, bring a club. Let's beat this bitch a bit. Why is a brat so strong?"
The woman smoking next to him picked up a wooden club as if it were routine and swung it at Ling.
Thwack!
"Ugh...! Hah, it hurts."
"Fuck! I almost got hit too, you crazy bitch!"
As the woman swung the club, the man let go of Ling and stepped back, and the released Ling was hit directly by the club, exhaling sharply. Pain, agony. How long had it been since she felt such emotions? Feeling pain for the first time in her life, Ling gasped and couldn't even speak.
"Hey, brat."
"Ugh, haa."
"Why aren't you answering? Didn't get educated?"
This time, a kick. The woman kicked Ling. Kicked in the stomach, Ling fell to the floor clutching her belly, and perhaps because it hurt so much, she shed a tear.
"Hey! Don't hit too hard! We need to sell her expensive to the pedophiles. Pretty face, fine skin. If she doesn't bruise, those guys will go crazy for her!"
"…Tch."
As the man shouted, the woman grabbed Ling’s hair and forcibly lifted her face. Locking eyes with Ling, she scratched the club nervously on the ground and looked at Ling.
"Why are your eyes so clear? Makes me want to dig them out with a knife. Ha, lately because of some mad dog, we can't sell kids or catch slaves. Don't get on my nerves too. If you disobey one more time, I'll gouge your eyes out, got it?"
She meant it. This woman genuinely intended to gouge out a child's eyes just because they were clear and pretty.
The original Ling would have cursed and resisted, but with a weakened body unable to use Authority or Arts, resisting this woman might actually result in losing her eyes. Eventually, Ling lowered her head and didn't answer as a minimal act of defiance.
"Answer."
"..."
"Answer!"
"..."
Slap! Slap!
As if not allowing even that slight resistance, the woman slapped Ling’s cheek. Heat like fire was felt on her face. Pain felt for the first time. She couldn't understand this situation. What had she done to deserve this?
As if not satisfied even after slapping her, the woman threw Ling to the ground and kicked her, beating her.
"This bitch! Now even a brat ignores me!"
"Stop hitting her, you crazy bitch! We have to sell her for a high price!"
Thud! Thwack! Thud!
Kicks rained down for a while, and Ling gritted her teeth and endured the pain. If she could use Arts and Authority. She would have torn the humans in front of her to shreds. Thinking that, she glared at the woman. As if tired from kicking, the woman grabbed Ling’s hair and pulled.
"Kyaa!"
"Whew, ha, prepare yourself. I'm going to sell you to the worst guy. Someone who stuffs kids. I should do that."
Hearing that, Ling’s eyes trembled. Stuffing a child? What did that mean? The moment Ling was terrified for the first time.
"Die!"
"Kyaaaah!"
Suddenly, a sword flashed. Beautiful and brilliant platinum light. An old sword, but as the light flashed, the woman's hand was cut off, spewing a fountain of blood instantly. The woman screamed and retreated instantly, and the man turned pale and tried to run away.
"Jet Kick!"
If only the sound of a breaking waist hadn't been heard after being hit by a child's flying kick.
Then, as if not satisfied with just that, the boy who suddenly appeared trampled the man with his foot just as Ling had been beaten and shouted.
"Fuck! I! Told! You! Not! To! Sell! Kids!"
"W-wait...!"
"Wait for what! You're the third. I've let it slide enough. Let's be satisfied with just a leg. That bitch standing there is your friend, so I'll take an arm and a leg from her too so you can get along."
Ling, staring blankly at the scene, met the boy's eyes as he turned around. Facing rare, beautiful platinum eyes.
"…Oh, right."
Realizing it was a bad sight for a child, the boy kicked the man aside into a corner. Then, knocking out the still screaming woman by hitting her neck with the scabbard, he looked at Ling.
"Hmm...?"
Circling Ling, he looked at her. As Ling hesitated in confusion, he suddenly took a cloth from his pocket and rubbed Ling’s face, wiping it.
"A rare child around here. Where are you from? Phew, ruined a pretty face."
"Ah, that..."
Perhaps because of a nosebleed, dust and blood mixed on the cloth the boy rubbed vigorously. Then the boy sent Ling to the back alley for a moment. As if there was a sight she shouldn't see.
"Wait here for a sec. Just a moment."
"…Okay."
Then, from where he disappeared over an alley, chilling cutting sounds and screams were heard. A woman's and a man's screams. Clearly the ones who tried to kidnap Ling just now.
Blood was on the clothes of the boy who returned. Blood splattered on his face too, but the boy smiled as if knowing nothing and held out his hand to Ling.
"Nice to meet you! My name is Yujin. You?"
"I, I am... Ling."
"Ling? Unique name. Doesn't sound like a Kazdel person."
Yujin, the human who was facing her at the round table just moments ago.
Such a human stood before Ling in the form of a child. She still couldn't grasp the situation, but she carefully took the hand Yujin offered.
"Let's go to where I stay for now. It's dangerous here."
Naturally, Yujin led her holding her hand. Ling, having no strength, followed Yujin but sat down for a moment as if her stomach hurt, and Yujin, surprised, approached her.
"Are you okay?"
"…Just, just a moment."
Disgust welled up inside. Doing nothing, getting beaten, and just being saved. Scared of such humans. Doing nothing.
"Wait."
"Eh? Kyaa!"
Yujin looked at Ling without a word, then flipped her clothes to look at her stomach. Her stomach was bruised blue. Perhaps because she took the woman's kicks without blocking.
"You, you...!"
Feeling unexpected shame, Ling looked at Yujin, but seeing her legs and knees also bruised blue, Yujin clicked his tongue.
"Here, get on."
Judging that Ling wasn't in a state to walk, Yujin looked back and forth between her stomach and legs, then knelt on one knee and offered his back. Ling looked at such Yujin, then got on his back.
"Okay? Better than walking, right?"
"…Yeah."
Shame continued to well up, but Ling buried her face in Yujin’s back to hide her face. Yujin walked silently carrying Ling and soon arrived at where he stayed.
The place they arrived was a desolate abandoned building.
Looking at the building, children younger than Ling suddenly popped out. Then they chattered looking at Ling.
"Big brother brought a girl!!!"
"I'm telling Theresa noona and Shu unnie!"
"Kids, what on earth are you talking about?"
This small and noisy place.
And Ling could realize.
This was Yujin’s past.
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