2 Chapter 02: Kids

Sound of burning woods entered Albert's ears. He was wondered, where he was right now? When his eyes opening slowly, the first thing he saw was a kid face. A female kid with snow-white skin and green emerald eyes. Her wide eyes staring at him without a blink. This make her kinda creepy for some reason. Albert thought, why this kid didn't say anything after he awaken?

"Who are you?" Albert give a cold stare. He really can stand it if this little girl keeps staring him without any word.

Her green emerald eyes blinked. The girl with a brown hair tilt her head, still staring at him with her big eyes. "My name is Reala! Mister, why you looking at me with that scary expression? Reala is a good girl and never harm other people who never offend me." She gives Albert a brilliant smile.

"Re-Reala …" There's a boy tugging Reala cloth from behind.

Albert stared at the boy. This blond boy has a same eyes and face with this girl. They look quite similar. If this boy skin wasn't little tanned than this girl, Reala, Albert may think he was a girl too. He looks timid, it's totally opposed with this girl. Reala didn't back up at all after Albert giving her a cold stare. While this boy … somehow Albert feel this boy would cry loudly if he stared him too much.

"What, Kyle? There's nothing to be scared! So stop tugging my cloth!" Reala slapped the boy's hand quite hard.

Tears leaked from the boy's eyes. Being hit by Reala nearly make him cry. He tried his best to hold his urge to cry while holding his hurt hand.

"Now, now, Reala, don't scolded Kyle or he going to cry for sure." A black hair girl coming closer with two steamy worn bowl. She gave that worn bowl to Reala and Kyle, then asked them to eat at another place.

Reala and Kyle gave their thanks to a girl named Sharra, then running off to another room.

Albert observed this black hair girl, Sharra. She was slightly older than Reala and Kyle. Maybe around 15 years old? Even though she still small, Albert can tell she was matured like adult. Those kid's cloth was worn-out and quite thin. With that kind of cloth, it must be hard for them to handle the harsh cold winter.

Albert stared at her brown eyes. "Where am I?"

"You're at our place, Sir. Ace founded you were unconscious outside, in the middle of snow." Sharra patiently explained to Albert. "Sir, yours injure was really bad so there not much we could do. It's already three days since we found you and thank goodness you still survive." She gave a bitterly smile.

Albert didn't surprise knowing he was unconscious for three days. With his meridian damage quite heavy, his recover progress already quite fast than a normal people. He didn't ask anything else and keep silent while checking his own condition. Most of his external injure still need some times to fully recovery. While his internal damage …

Albert sighed in his heart. It's looks like he need few years to recovering his internal injure. He could recovery faster, but he need lot of precious herbs to make a high tier healing pill. Normal tier didn't have any effect and all the pills he had right now no higher than middle tier. He also need a safe place to recuperate.

"Sir? Are you okay?" Seeing Albert silently stared at her, Sharra feel uncomfortable.

"Not okay." Albert tried to sit up. All his body feels hurt a lot and little heavy than usual.

"S-Sir!" Sharra worried Albert injure would bleeding again if he moved to much.

Albert waving his right hand. A bottle porcelain suddenly popping out in the air and landed in his hand. He taken out a pill and directly throwing to his mouth like eating candy bean. He then closed his eyes while sitting with lotus position, focusing to absorbing the healing pill effect.

Sharra flabbergast seeing a bottle porcelain coming out of nowhere. She knows there has a conventional item to store lot things in dimension called spatial ring. Usually the user would touch the ring and use his or her mental energy to look the item that want to take out. But she didn't see Albert touching any item. He just waving his hand.

Although Sharra was curious, she decided not to bothered Albert and leave so he could recuperate in peace.

After an hour, Albert done absorbing the pill effect. He rechecked his body and nodding in satisfy. No more external injure, only internal injure left.

Since he was alone, he looks around. The room he rested was run-down. There's only had a shabby bed, broken table, and a small fireplace. The wall made from woods and there quite a lot of holes that covered with tattered cloth. No wonder he still feels quite cold even he was inside a house.

His cloth, that covered with blood before, has being changing into worn out cloth. Although the cloth was ugly, little dirty, and smaller than the size he usually wears, he still grateful because they still leaning him some cloth. He took out his cloth from the space and change into it.

Albert decided head out from this room, to meet the person who save him. In another room, he found five kids sitting beside fireplace. He only recognized three of the five kids. One of the other two must be his savior. When he walked closer, one of them realized Albert was coming and informing the other.

The oldest kid with a snow white hair stared Albert with firm eyes. "Sir, how is your condition?"

Albert nodded slightly. "Are you the one who found me?"

"Yes. My name is Ace, Sir." Ace nodded.

Albert didn't say anymore and looked around. This house is really bad. Nearly broken-down because old. He sighed in heart seeing a kid like them living in the place like this. They didn't have any food to serve him after he wake up. They're really poor …

"Are you kids an orphan?" He glanced the kids one by one.

"No." Ace shaking his head. "We were a runaway slave. Our parents sold us to a slave market because they need money."

"Hah, that wasn't any different than being orphan." Albert sneered in disdain.

All the kids' face turns pale when hearing Albert sarcasm. Yes, it's make no different than being orphan. It's not like they want to be a slave, but the world was cruel to them. Their own parents sold them so they could survive in this harsh world. Having no money mean disaster. So, selling their own kid was a common sense in this world.

Kyle, Reala, and a boy with black hair can't hold their urge to cry. Those three already being sold to slave market since they were 5 years old. Back then, they still don't understand what has happening. Until they realize being sold mean they will never ever seeing their own parents anymore.

Seeing three kids crying at the same time, Albert feels extreme awkward! He didn't mean to make them cry, but he knows his word is hurting their feeling. He never handling a kids before, so right now he is clueless what to do to make them stop crying!

Thank goodness Sharra save him in his helpless.

"Now, now, Reala, Kyle, Dean. Although we don't have any adult to take care us, we all are a family, right? Didn't I promised to you three that I will act like a mother to you?" Sharra smiled while hugged the three kids.

Albert silently rubbed his nose. Talking bad thing already become his habit. He felt it was improper to said a bad thing to your own savior, even though they only a kid. He feels awkward because it was no good if he didn't apologize, but his ego stopping him. He didn't remember when the last time he apologizes to someone. Back then, when Boundless Realm still in his hand, no matter what he did—right or wrong, he never once said an apologize. His words are like a law to them. So, they must obey everything he said no matter what.

Right now Albert is no longer a leader of Boundless Realm. He just himself, alone. What an ego? What it uses if it can't change anything? He deeply sighed in his heart. It's looks like he need to change a little. Having no one to be trusted was damnly troublesome since no one could help if you in danger situation. If not because of that woman, he may already die back then.

Albert was thinking, maybe it's the time to throw away this stupid ego. He didn't lose anything if he apologized, right?

He took a deep breath. "Listen up."

Their eyes stared at Albert. He can see they were curios to what he about to say.

Albert coughed a little. "I … I'm sorry … about the harsh words I just said."

Only Ace and Sharra nodded. Tears still leaking out from the three younger kids' eyes.

Albert coughed again, tried to grab the three kids' attention. "Have you kids eat yet?"

"Just this three …" Sharra smiled bitterly. "It's really hard for us to find some wild plants or hunt wild animals in this winter."

Albert once again sighed in his heart. He thought, it is already a miracle this kids could survive in winter with little food. If other people, they may have die because freezing. He waved his hand and many kind of ingredient appearing out of nowhere. He could seem those kids' eyes was glittering seeing so much ingredient. He gave a nod to Ace and Sharra before these two taking the ingredients that he took out from his space.

Albert was very glad that he put many random ingredients inside his space.

This space was Albert's secret. No other people know about his special ability because he never told anyone since this space was very precious. Other people may want to kill him to get this space from him.

Actually, Albert never had this ability when he was little. He got this ability when he exploring a cultivator's tomb and inheriting from a treasure he encounters. This space was extremely big, about 5.000 miles. He can't enter the space, but he can send his soul inside. In his space, he could plant many plants like trees, herbs, vegetables, even flowers! Also, normal plants that planted inside space may had a small change to turn as spiritual plant!

After helping Sharra cutting many ingredients, Ace leave the cooking job to her. Ace asked the three other kids to prepare plates and bowls on the table.

"Ace …, right?" Albert suddenly called Ace.

"Yes, sir?" Ace come closer to Albert.

"When I was unconscious, is there any people come by and asked about me?" Albert stared at Ace with serious.