There are various people in this world.
They live with various jobs. There are those who live ordinary lives and those who live unique lives.
Some say one should live according to their station. If born a beggar, one should live as a beggar with nothing; if born in a high place, one should live in a high place.
Fate.
It is fate that I became like this. Too many people in these backalleys lived with such thoughts.
They make no effort to escape. Too many try to live day by day with what they are given, with what they have.
One day, out of curiosity, the boy asked an old man sitting on the ground drinking cheap alcohol if he had any intention of moving to a better place if the opportunity arose.
But the old man's answer was different. He said that even if he went to a better place, because he was a Sarkaz and Infected, he would inevitably fall back here.
Adults passing curses onto children, continuing life.
Finishing the conversation with the old man, the boy stood up.
A sad story, accept fate. That was all the old man said.
Yet the boy looked at the sky.
He was not a god. Nor a hero. He was merely a human without the power to change the world.
For now.
Yes, for now.
Crossing the line of death, cutting down a knight who abandoned even his name and a vampire who devoured countless humans, the boy swore.
It can be small. He wasn't hoping for a grand dream.
Just a little, just a very little.
That humans would not fear challenges.
That his deeds could light a fire in human hearts.
The boy and his friends earnestly wished for it, and on that day, he could obtain a Star.
And the Star the boy gained that day embedded itself in the sky of this backalley, beginning to shine in the empty night sky.
Yujin approached Ling after talking to Aorn.
"Sorry, did I talk too long with the Old Man?"
"No, it doesn't really matter."
She had become close with Yujin, but Ling’s goal remained singular. To escape this past and return to Dahuang.
Although the timeline was messy, she couldn't rule out the possibility that other siblings were already here. Like Shu, who fell a year earlier and was with the children.
If a lot of time had already passed outside... nothing could be worse.
"This is practically our territory. Well, partly because others don't touch us out of fear of the Old Man. But others also know I come and go here often."
"…Others buy weapons here too?"
"Yeah, if the Old Man only sold swords to me, he'd starve to death."
Yujin chuckled. He didn't seem to care who the blacksmith called Aorn sold swords to. Whether he knew the sword sold by that blacksmith could return as a blade against him.
Clang, CLANG! Clang!
Ling watched the blacksmith hammering. Not as good as Nian, but skillful enough to be called a master. Why did such a person set up a forge here?
"Ah, right."
"Did you forget something, Old Man?"
"Yuria's gang came by recently."
Hearing the name Yuria, Yujin’s face hardened instantly.
Not a good story. Ling had heard she was a crazy vampire. A vicious lunatic who enjoyed sucking children's blood.
"Did they come as customers?"
"If they did, I wouldn't have told you. They barged in demanding money and asking for equipment support."
"…Haa."
Yujin sighed deeply.
"What kind of nerve do those bastards have? They know I hate them more than Nameless."
"I debated hitting them with the hammer but just sent them away. They took a few swords in the process."
This was strictly Yujin’s territory.
Yujin didn't claim ownership of any place except this forge. No, even this forge. The rightful owner was Aorn, and Aorn and Yujin were just close.
The old man who threw him a sword out of kindness.
Yujin never forgot that grace.
"When are they coming again? Tell me, and I'll handle them."
"Today."
"…?"
"They asked when to pick up the tribute, so I told them today, matching the day you come. How about it?"
Hearing 'today,' Yujin looked back and forth between Aorn and the door.
"Sigh, I figured."
Fighting didn't matter. Yujin owed Aorn for supplying swords. That alone was reason enough to deal with those persecuting the old man.
"Ling, go ahead. I have some business here. Tell the Teres siblings and Shu."
He would fight. Yujin would surely draw his sword and scatter blood against that gang.
"I'm not going."
"…What?"
Ling looked at Yujin with a faint smile.
A child with the seeds of a hero. A boy who would become a knight wandering the world in the future.
"Stop talking nonsense and go. Shu will worry if you get hurt."
"Unfortunately, I have the ability to protect myself."
Blue energy gathered as the girl opened her hand. Light Arts, but the weight the name carried was different. Yujin looked at Ling’s hand with a gasp.
"You could use Arts!?"
"Yeah, so I won't be unhelpful."
She was an adult. So she had an obligation to protect the boy who was still a child.
Even if this was the past, or mere fragments of memory.
"…Hmm, Old Man. If Ling is in danger, please protect her."
"Asking an old man to swing a sword?"
"Look at your arms. You could crush heads with those."
"Elder abuse!"
"We're child abuse."
Unfortunately, there was no Human Rights Protection Committee in the world of Terra. If there were, Yujin wouldn't have to do this.
Yujin drew a longsword shining in a corner of the forge. A length unfitting for Yujin’s body. A longsword fit for an adult.
"Will that work? It's a bit long."
"Doesn't matter. The essence of a sword is the same anyway."
It wasn't long after he drew the sword. While Yujin deliberately hid in a corner of the forge. The sound of the door banging open was heard.
BANG!
"Hey, blacksmith!"
Seven sturdy men. They entered the forge with frivolous expressions. Three entered the forge glaring at Aorn, while the remaining four waited outside yawning.
"You have what we talked about last time ready, right? If not, know that we'll take the swords here and smash the shop."
A man with a thick club embedded with nails and a vicious knife swung the club threateningly. As if he would swing it at Aorn's head if money wasn't given quickly.
Yujin lowered his eyes watching them. Platinum light gathered on his hand.
Ignoring Aorn who still ignored them, the men's eyes scanned the forge. Then their gaze landed on Ling sitting on a wooden chair against the wall.
"No way, our Old Man! You prepared a child for us? You really betrayed Yujin when we asked you to stab him in the back?"
"…Sigh."
"Wow, we can have some fun and then hand her over to Sis. Perfect. Then, money later, kid first..."
Aorn sighed deeply. As if tired of watching these morons. Just as Yujin was about to rush out shining his sword sharply. Before he could jump out, a chilling sound was heard.
Crunch!
"Too pathetic to listen to."
Ling said, extending a slender finger and shooting something at the man. Sharp, polished awl-like thing. Created by Ling’s Arts, rotating like a bullet, it pierced the man's shoulder.
"Ugh, gaaah!!"
"Vulgar thing."
Ling looked at the man with contempt, and the man standing at the front fell screaming. A small hole, but pierced cleanly, pouring blood. Probably blew the bone away cleanly.
Reflexively, the man behind swung his club and rushed at Ling. But not tolerating that, Yujin, who was hiding, rushed out and cut off the hand holding the club.
A fountain of blood spurts. Two men panicked. Moving while screaming.
"Yujin! The forge gets dirty, fight outside!"
"Heard that? The shop owner says fight outside."
Yujin kicked the man rushing with a knife, sending him flying. The flying man broke the door and rolled on the ground.
"Oops, failed to control strength."
"…Repair cost for the door?"
"Ehe~"
"Ehe my ass!"
Shrugging roughly, Yujin went outside. Unlike the three who entered first, there was a man who looked like a leader outside.
A guy with a blood-like tattoo on his forehead.
Seeing Yujin walk out confidently, the man who looked like the leader clicked his tongue. Already beneath his feet was the man who took Yujin’s kick squarely and rolled on the ground.
"An executive? Never seen that face before."
"…Are you Yujin?"
Those Yujin dealt with so far were just thugs. Losers who couldn't even use Arts.
But this time it's different.
Seeing the blood-red tattoo, he instinctively felt that man would use Arts.
"Yes! I am Yujin! The Yujin who really hates you guys."
Seeing the boy shouting playfully, the man clicked his tongue.
"My name is Horkal, one of Lady Yuria's three subordinates. I want to make you an offer."
"What?"
"Hand over children regularly. Then Lady Yuria will accept you."
Yujin pretended to dig his ear as if hearing nonsense, then looked at Horkal. Hand over children? Me? Why?
Horkal looked at Yujin as if displeased with his attitude, but took a deep breath and spoke again.
"It's a good opportunity for you too. How long will you clean up after brats with that talent?"
"Wait, one question before that."
"What?"
"What happens to the children taken?"
Horkal was speechless for a moment as if choked. However, Horkal opened his mouth again.
"They become Lady Yuria's strength. Rather than dying as insignificant orphans, they die as sacrifices for the strong."
"…Fuck, seriously."
Hearing Yujin’s curse, Horkal took out a short staff as if emitting a sharp aura. Assuming a combat stance, he aimed the staff at Yujin.
"So the rumors about using kids as blood bags were true. I hoped it was a lie since I never saw it with my own eyes."
"They have nothing to do with you anyway."
"Fuck off, crazy bastard. Seriously, I'm the only sane person in this backalley."
Yujin rushes in. The man tries to swing his staff accordingly. Head-on confrontation. Just as the staff emitted red light and was about to shoot something.
"Impudent, using such crude Arts in front of whom?"
Blue light flashed. Before Yujin could swing his sword, Horkal's wrist holding the staff disappeared at some point.
"…Ling!?"
"Ah, Yujin."
One thing the boy didn't know.
Ling was a Caster who could be called the pinnacle in Yan.
Even if she became younger and created Arts from scratch.
Beating such a half-baked Caster was natural.
Because she could create a result of 10 with the power of 1 by using small power efficiently.
Watching Horkal rolling around in pain from his blown-off wrist, Ling looked at Yujin. And unconsciously spoke as if wanting praise from Yujin.
"I did well, right?"
"…Uh, yeah. Good job."
Yujin, however, looked at the smiling Ling with a bewildered expression.
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