Chapter One

'…Hot!'

'This horrid weather is burning me alive!'

The lush greenery seemed to wave their hands to the youth treading slowly. His dirt-stained clothes were drenched with sweat and countless red marks were present all over his body. Great discomfort and soreness attacked him with every step forward, yet he kept on going forward.

Ouch…The blazing sun was both a blessing and a curse—The sunlight gave him sight and repelled those nightcrawlers, but it aggravated his injuries even further.

He kept on moving towards with no sense of direction and tried his best to ignore the warnings given by his body. Fainting would be the best outcome shall he keep ignoring these signals.

His vision was blurred and screened by the faint color of red. All he could see was the endless trees and bushes, and all he could hear was the sounds of birds and insects.

It was hopeless—He was in the middle of the Blynth Forest, a forest infamous for the number of people that went missing once they ventured inside. Bandits, monsters, and ghosts, countless stories were told about this forest—Repelling many from entering it.

And even if he encountered a person, he might not be able to survive due to his grave injuries.

"…"

Flashes of memories passed through his mind, and he struggled to keep his tears from falling.

"Not in a place like this…!"

He regretted all of it. He should've planned his trip across the country more carefully—If he did so, he wouldn't end up in a situation like this.

He gritted his lips until it bled, but his mouth was already filled with the taste of iron even before that.

'Those scums!'

At this time, he should've arrived at Karland already. But in the middle of the forest, groups of bandits attacked the cart he was in. They pounced onto the carriage fiercely, like an animal pouncing on its prey.

The mercenaries on the cart didn't put up much of a fight, and they were annihilated almost immediately.

When things turned for the worse—he didn't hesitate to hop out and escape to the forest, abandoning most of his belongings behind.

Equipped with the barest amount of supplies, he kept on running without looking backward. The shouts from bandits behind him felt like fuel for his escape.

Eventually—the night fell, and six-legged creatures appeared from the forest.

Nightcrawlers.

A creature born with the ability to reap lives behind the shadows. Their extra pair of limbs help them at what they do best—Killing unsuspecting prey. Although they have the size of a dog, the sharp bones protruding from their backs could easily intimidate a grown man.

The youth tried his best at escaping these creatures, but eventually sustained grave injuries after hours of combat. Sunrise was the only reason why he had survived this long.

Giddy and lightheaded, he tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

'It hurts!'

In his stupor of pain and dizziness, he managed to gather some strength and plopped his body to face the sky.

Recollections of his life once again flashed through his mind. And tears flowed down uncontrollably.

'If only I could turn back time…'

He wanted to give his past self a beating. If he went through a safer route around the forest, all of this wouldn't have happened.

'Curse that old woman!'

Before going to the forest, he had paid a silver coin to divine his luck. The grandma chanted incoherent spells and whirled her hands around a shining ball. After a while, she opened her trembling eyelids and spoke hastily.

[What immense luck…?! Great fortune will arrive shall you move forward in your journey!]

'Is death my fortune?! That damned old fraud!'

Alongside his anger, his eyelids became heavier and harder to keep open. His efforts to keep them open were useless in the face of death.

'So, this is the end for me…'

"Oh…?"

Right before his eyelids closed, a silhouette of a person shaded his vision.

----

"Once again, I sincerely thank you for saving my life!"

On a bar brimming with life, Gyne Rondt bowed his head to the person sitting across him.

Just when he thought death was approaching—this benefactor of his came out of nowhere and barely saved his life, just a little longer and he wouldn't be able to enjoy this cup of beer right now.

He lifted his head and pointed his grateful eyes to his benefactor. But the only reply he got was a soft nod from the other party.

A black robe that clung loosely to his brown shirt, trousers that stuck to his legs perfectly, and the badge carved with intricate patterns on his chest made him appear both mysterious and youthful.

The sudden exclamation by the youth didn't gather much attention, for their surroundings were also filled with shouts from other people.

Looking at his reaction, Gyne sighed softly as he took a sip with a smile, "A moment later and this beer would still be sitting in the cellar."

The beer tasted sweet with a strong tinge of sourness, a specialty of the Karland beer. Drinking it gave a refreshing feeling and a somewhat nostalgic sensation, even if one hasn't drunk it before.

With a clank, Gyne took a deep breath and smiled even wider, "Glad to be alive, otherwise I wouldn't be able to taste this famous Karland beer!"

The person across him, however, didn't touch his cup at all. Instead, he glanced at the group of drunkards singing adjacent to their table. His eyes squinted and he continued to look around them.

'Does he hate crowded spots?'

Thinking of that, Gyne smiled wryly and continued gulping down his beer. It was hard to notice, but the disdain in the person's gaze was apparent.

This bar is a famous dining place in Karland. Its beautiful interior made out of marble floor and smooth wooden furniture was all but a part of its reason to success—what grabs the customers was the signature beer brewed by the owner himself.

Unlike many other brewers, the owner can extract the true value of the ingredients and infuse each of their unique flavors into the beverage—earning the love of both locals and travelers alike.

Unfortunately, many prefer not to buy the beer themselves. The amount of people drinking wasn't to be made fun of, and the loud noises made people unable to truly enjoy the drink. Of course, unless they weren't the drunkards themselves.

After retracting his gaze, the person looked down to the cup containing the yellow beverage. The drink didn't look very enticing in his eyes. In a way, it resembled the color of urine.

Under Gyne's encouraging eyes, he slowly lifted the cup and whiffed it. It smelt like assortments of fruits, to his relief.

Thinking of it as fruit juice made it easier to drink, as the person drank the beer slowly like a toddler. This way, he would be able to spit it out without anybody noticing if he wishes to.

With a soft clank on the table—he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief from his robe and spoke while glancing at their surroundings.

"So, this is your way of thanking me?"

Gyne saw how he kept glancing at the drunkards and spoke with a giggle, "The taste of this beer is excellent, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but drinking while in your condition shouldn't be good, no?"

Even though the person across him looked dashing, Gyne on the other hand almost looked like a mummy wearing clothes. The only part of his body which weren't covered by any kind of fabric was his face and his right arm.

"Hahaha, don't underestimate the power of the hospital! Their restorative artifacts aren't to be messed with!"

As if showing if he was fine, Gyne flexed his arms. It would've been convincing if the person doing it wasn't covered in bandages. And to make matters worse, his arms started bleeding slightly.

"Ack!" Gyne retracted both of his arms while grimacing.

The person rolled his eyes at him, "Wasn't the hospital not to be messed with?"

Gyne was visibly taken aback before speaking muffledly, "And here I thought that I was speaking to a damn statue."

Clicking his tongue, the person continued to drink the beer in front of him. Afterward, he calmly reached out his hand and pointed at Gyne.

"So, how are you planning to repay your life to me?"

Gyne's lips twitched, and he asked cautiously, "What do you want me to do?"

The person was used to such situations, as he didn't appear stiff nor uncomfortable at his cautious gaze. He scanned Gyne from up to bottom, before clicking his tongue.

"What can you even do for me in your condition?"

Gyne was currently wounded—and as performed earlier, his wounds would open if he did extensive movements.

The person lifted his head to the roof, "Money…isn't a choice either, considering you almost emptied your pockets getting yourself treated…"

He kept speaking slowly and softly as if judging an object's worth. Gyne started to sweat under this condition and laughed to hide his nervousness.

Feigning a smile, he answered confidently, "In exchange for my life, I can offer you information and my life-long gratitude!"

"Oh? Forget about your gratitude, tell me more about the first part."

The obvious interest in his voice showed that he was willing to listen to Gyne. Excited about catching his attention, Gyne continued to speak.

"I might not look like one, but I am very knowledgeable about our country of Antis!"

The person appeared thoughtful, and shook his head, "Why would you think that I would be interested in our own country?"

"It's a hunch of mine," Gyne laughed softly.

"Plus, you look like you don't even know anything about Karland!"

After that sentence—although almost unnoticeable—the person's movement became stiff. But without skipping a beat, he relaxed almost immediately.

"…Groundless accusation."

"Heh," Gyne chuckled. "It's not without evidence, you know?"

Gyne put his left hand into his pocket, before pulling it back with a hiss.

The person looked at him in annoyance and spoke while tapping the table, "Stop your foolery and speak."

Slowly massaging his left hand, Gyne spoke without lifting his head.

"The beer."

Lifting his head, he stared right into his eyes and spoke confidently.

"It's one of Karland's main attractions, do a little bit of digging and you would find praises coming from all corners of the country."

"…"

The person kept his silence and stared at Gyne. Accepting the silence as approval, Gyne spread his arms open and spoke.

"This place is also famous as a gathering spot for travelers, be one and you would know it almost immediately."

As if satisfied, Gyne crossed his arms and nodded repeatedly. The person across him continued to stare at Gyne. For a while, silence prevailed. Gyne's confident attitude gradually disappeared until he felt goosebumps appear on his body.

The cold stare across him felt like they were burrowing down into his body. The commotion around them felt as if something was filtering them, hindering them from reaching Gyne's ear. Droplets of sweat started to flow from Gyne's forehead, and the familiar feeling of being hunted in the dark started to appear.

'This, just like with those nightcrawlers…? No, even more intense!?'

Being engulfed with such thoughts, Gyne quickly tried to think of a way to get out of this predicament. His brain spun to its limit, and before he could come up with a solution—a steady voice resounded.

"That's it?"

The person coldly looked at Gyne. For a moment, Gyne's brain short-circuited and his eyes showed signs of bewilderment and confusion. Looking at his behavior, the person tapped on the table slowly.

"Assuming your words aren't wrong, then those are just information you could get from a common passerby."

Even in that state, Gyne's body trembled, and he tried to speak instinctively. But what came out from his mouth were incoherent blathers that made little to no sense.

The person slowly closed his eyes and laid back in his chair.

"Useless."

Upon hearing this, Gyne's mind cleared. It was as if cold water was splashed on his head.

'What…is going on?!'

Even under the influence of the other party, Gyne's managed to observe his situation—albeit extremely flustered.

His body wasn't following his commands. It felt very unpleasant to the extreme, and Gyne was becoming even more confused.

'What has he done to me?'

Gyne tried to exercise the energy he could manipulate to circulate around his body. But the minuscule amount he managed to control could only enhance one of his fingers.

Under these circumstances, Gyne didn't get discouraged at all. Instead, his mind burnt with the will to survive.

'If circulating my energy doesn't work…then what about this!'

Gyne gathered the almost non-existent control over his body and tilted his body slightly to the left. Under the surprised look on the person's face, Gyne flicked his enhanced finger and managed to create a shockwave strong enough to reach the drunkards beside them.

The shockwave generated by the flick managed to reach the group of drunkards—but as if their previous behavior was a farce, their gazes turned sharp, and one of them repelled the shockwave by waving his arm.

Agitated, he stood up from their table and shouted.

"What the fuck was that?! Why did you attack us?!"

As he shouted, the noises around the bar quietened down, and people tried to see the source of the commotion. Under these stares, Gyne felt the feeling of control returning once again and hastily spoke while waving his arm.

"Ah, I'm extremely sorry! The alcohol got into me, and I accidentally condensed my energy!"

Gyne's exaggerated movements and the droplets of sweat flowing down his face screamed as if he accidentally did something wrong. The people trying to watch the drama retracted their gaze and continued to do their business.

The group of drunkards wasn't happy about this, but what could they do? Gyne had "Accidentally" attacked them, but there was close to no damage dealt.

They clicked their tongues and grumpily left the bar, glaring at Gyne on their way out. After that mess, they weren't in the mood to continue drinking here. Gyne nervously waited until they went out and breathed in relief.

"How interesting."

Upon hearing that voice, Gyne's face became rigid. He tightened his body, ready to retaliate once anything happened. Bloodstains appeared on his bandages, but he ignored them.

The person across him only watched as the blood started to spread all over Gyne's body. It wasn't until a few moments has passed that he broke the silence.

"Do not worry, you have proven your worth already."

It was all but reassuring.