Growing Up Amidst Chaos

Two years later, amidst the ever-shifting landscape of his tumultuous life...

Ru sat perched on the edge of the weathered windowsill, his fingers tracing the worn lines of his guitar strings. Lost in the haunting melody, his voice, tinged with a melancholic hue, murmured the lyrics of the song under his breath. Each strum of the guitar echoed the song's somber notes, filling the room with a sense of poignant longing. As he sang softly to his friend, the lyrics reflected the shadows in Ru's soul, showing the dark emotion deep within his melancholy.

"In shadows deep, a prisoner I reside,

A withered soul where echoes hide.

Trapped in despair, a mournful sway,

Hope's ember flickers, far away."

"Dude, that was something else, I don't know what, but wow!" Vaelan exclaimed, offering the wine bottle.

Ru took the bottle and took a sip of the wine. "Our new piece."

"You're flying high, dude," Vaelan said excitedly.

"You know, I can't say that I'm entirely satisfied with flying solo," Ru said, putting the bottle down on the windowsill. Then he handed the guitar to Vaelan. "Here, don't let it get cold."

Vaelan took the guitar and watched as the delicate vapor escaped his lips into the fresh air. "You're right, it is cold now. Looks like it's going to snow, huh?"

"Dunno," Ru said casually, seemingly uninterested in anything but the black nail polish on his fingers. He adjusted his fingerless leather gloves, then his beanie. He picked up the bottle and sewed it shut.

Vaelan, who was engrossed in tuning his guitar, spontaneously shifted the conversation to casual banter. "Do you recall that art school you were so eager to get into but couldn't..."

"Yeah?"

"Hey buddy, heard there was a fire there. Seriously, did you cast a hex on it or something, what the hell happened?"

Ru laughed, a hollow sound in the quiet room. "Nah, man, I'm not that powerful. Even if I was, I'd probably hex you first."

Vaelan feigned offense, "Hey, come on, don't be a dick. People died, dude."

"You know, I don't give a fuck," Ru said. He was still smiling at the wall with its crumbling, once-green plaster. "Those kinda schools serve no purpose other than stifling art."

"Don't act like you've been there. Blamin' school for your screw-up."

"What mistake did I make? Other than committing murder?"

Vaelan sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But you gotta try to live a normal life, man. You can't just be stuck in the past."

"Life? I was busy robbing banks, sorry, Vaelan."

"Just move in with me, the house is empty. Instead of orphan agitation..." Vaelan said, then interrupted his sentence as Ru suddenly got up and walked away "Where to, dude?" he asked.

"To hell," Ru said, looking over his shoulder and smiling at him.

"Don't be silly, buddy! Let's sit down. I didn't mean to upset you, you know I'm a bit of a loudmouth and..." Despite Vaelan's well-meant words, Ru didn't stop and hurried out of the old house.

The smile on Ru's face suddenly vanished as he stepped into the small garden, which reflected the artificial and dirty nature of the nylon bags attached to the dry grass. The muddy puddle at his feet reflected the resulting emptiness.

<Why didn't you kill him, Daddy?>

<He was mocking you. You should have made him pay.>

"Shut your bloody mouths already!" Ru hissed through his teeth. Then he took pills out of his pocket. He took two shots so that all the voices in his head would stop. Especially the voices of the little girls...

<Daddy, you must take your medicines in the right dose and on time. Otherwise, you will die again.>

"Yeah, I'm going to die. Thank you, Nurse," Ru said as the tears fell from his eyes and the mascara ran in a black line down his cheek.

And on his way out of the garden, he trod the stones of the old road with a mad smile on his face.

He put his hands in his pockets. He breathed in the cold and damp air gratefully. Then he stopped and listened.

<You ready, Daddy? >

"I'm so ready. Just remember, when this is all over, you'll be killing the Princess for me. Keep your promise, Knight."

<As you wish!>

<Dad, the attack begins.>

<They're coming.>

"Because it's a fucking big deal..."

<Yeah, it is.>

"Start counting."

3!

2!

1!

And Ru began to run away.

0!

At that moment, the shadows of the buildings began to move with the swaying of street lamps and the drift of scattered garbage. The wind at Ru's back carried murmurs to his ears, scorching breaths grazed his neck. He was heading around the corner when his path was blocked by two hellhounds. Ru had to change his direction and turn away from the shortcut that led to the main road.

Liru, who made a name for himself as the last Ru, had faced death countless times and gained valuable experience as a result.

Character: Lirui Xiaolian

Main Class: Thief –Level 5

Subclass: Musician- Level 3

"Yay!"

First, he pulled out his phone to shoot a quick video. That way, if this system he couldn't figure out would give him a 'save point', everything would be easier. Did he get his wish? When the shadows decided to get sensitive and grow claws, it wasn't just a case of 'action' — it was a necessity.

The video was as blank as ever, and the system was still teasing Ru.

"Fuck the system!" Ru shouted.

He took a selfie as he walked away from the spot where the demons were being spammed.

He couldn't even look at how he looked in the photo, let alone create a save point on his timeline.

He jumped over the container and climbed up the wall. He went up the gutter to the roof. From there he jumped to the other roof. He climbed up the ladder and got a little higher. He could see some demons down there with lava coming out of their mouths. In the meantime, he made accurate shots with the pots he kicked and the tiles he threw from the terraces.

But his fears were soon realized. A gargoyle appeared.

<You should whistle, Daddy.>

<Smash it on the ground!>

"I wish you'd help me instead of giving me advice," Ru said. He was looking for a hiding place and still couldn't find one.

Finally, he took the advice and tried whistling. What came out of his lips was a mellow melody, and unfortunately, it did not have any magical power at all.

The gargoyle dove toward Ru.

"Damn it!" Ru exclaimed. Reacting quickly, he pulled himself to the side and narrowly escaped the grotesque creature's clutches. As the gargoyle prepared for another attack, Ru jumped from a nearby ledge and landed with agility on the roof of a building. With a quick movement, he stood up again, ready for whatever might come next.

"Fucking noob!"

The gargoyle dove towards Ru again.

"Shit!" Ru exclaimed. At the last moment, he threw himself to the ground and rolled over, narrowly avoiding the threatening dive. As he prepared to get up, he stumbled over something and felt a grip on his ankle. Wrapped around it was a thin gray tail with a red flame at the end.

"Huh? Oh fuck!" Ru shouted, looking up to see her.

She was a succubus with blazing red wings, radiating otherworldly allure. Her eyes sparkled with seductive charm, and her long obsidian hair cascaded down her shoulders.

Besides wagging her demonic tail, the succubus wrapped it around Ru's leg and smiled seductively.

"Gotcha!" said the succubus.