Chapter 12: Dream

I had a dream, a dream that felt so real. In my previous life I was an orphan.

I don't know who my parents are, all I know is that I was born and raised in a slum environment.

The slums are a dumping ground for failures and street people. Here is the nest of thugs and bandits, there are also people who were unlucky and failed their way to the capital and ended up here.

The slums were located on the outskirts of the capital of the Eastern Empire. More precisely in the southern part of the capital.

Born and raised in this inadequate place, I grew up to be a thief.

At first I was just looking for leftover food or food that had been thrown away.

But when I was six the need grew. Leftover food is hard not enough for my needs. Because of that I learned to steal from other people living in the slums.

I have no other ability useful for living. I can't read and count, my body is also not strong.

That's why I learned the ability to steal from people living in the slums.

Together with that person, we work together to pickpocket in a crowded place. The reason is easy, because in crowded places it will be easier for us to steal, we can also choose prey that looks like rich people.

But the main reason is because it's easier to run away if we're caught stealing.

If we were found out, the consequences would be dire. We could be beaten by mobs, broken bones were the most common thing. The worst thing is that you could just die.

Not to be arrogant, but I've also been caught. Three broken ribs, a broken left arm bone, and a torn wound in the stomach.

Really, it was a terrible experience. Those people are also scary, I only stole things that are not very valuable but the injuries I received were more than the things I stole.

I really became the victim of society's outlet at that time.

At that time, the only thing that came to mind was the way to take revenge, the cruelest way to kill them. I still remember that thought, even though I never did.

I became a thief when I was ten years old. At that time I had just been hit by a mob because I was caught stealing. While in my battered state, I saw a middle-aged man who was in his 40s.

He looked as shabby as me, no, even worse. His clothes were tattered, his beard which looked very dirty, I don't know how many years it had not been washed. His hair was also a mess, he was clearly just a midshipman to be found anywhere in the slums.

However, one thing is different. I saw the middle-aged man being surrounded by some thugs who looked scary. I have no intention of helping, in the slums this kind of incident has become commonplace.

It's not my problem, nor do I want to add trouble to myself. I don't care about other people's lives, just living alone is hopeless.

Many corpses were found in this place, so I don't really care about death.

What death is it? Is it delicious? Is it edible? What? No? Then I don't care, things like that have become my daily spectacle.

Rather than watching dead people, I'm more concerned with finding leftovers from restaurants or bakeries.

But that middle-aged man, instead of being beaten to death, he didn't even get hit by the thugs.

On the contrary, he was the one who made the thugs battered. I who saw it amazed, the movement is trained, the strength of years of training.

He must have been a former soldier and must have been quite the strong one. It looked like he didn't even get hit by a single punch. His eyes were even closed!!!

After being amazed by the sight, I followed the middle-aged man who was about to leave.

I chased after him, his steps short but fast. It was really hard to chase him until I couldn't see him anymore.

The next day, after recovering some wounds. I went to find that middle aged man, I wanted to ask him to teach me how to fight.

Really... It took more effort to persuade him, for a week I kept begging but was refused. After that I always give my loot to him to teach me to fight.

As a result, after one month he finally wanted to teach me, even though he was forced to. After that, I started training under that man's tutelage.

I have stopped stealing, my daily activities are just looking for leftovers and practicing.

Practicing under that person's tutelage was extremely difficult, like hell. The first week I had to run around the city 5 times.

Can't imagine, how much do you think the circumference of the city is? This is the capital! The circumference must be more than 1,000 KM.

After that practice only increases strength, like swinging a wooden sword ten thousand times every day.

Then somehow, one day I had to call him guru. Even though all I wanted was enough ability to defend myself and make a living.

Master kept training me with the goal of becoming the strongest. This isn't even a fairy tale, how can I become the strongest?

The training also includes sparring with my Master. Even though it's called sparring. But actually I just received a punch! I can't even hit it.

It's hell, every day it feels like my body hurts so much. More than the pain of a broken bone.

God, if you really exist, help your servant. I already don't want to experience that hellish training.

Well~• just kidding, I was the one who asked him to train me. There's no way I can stop just because of this. If I want to live well then this training is really needed.

Excited myself!!! A bright future is waiting for you! Don't give up for this ridiculous reason.

Thus I cheered myself up with a sour feeling. Ah~• tomorrow I also have to experience hellish training. Until when will this end.

I hope this will be over before I know it. However time goes by very quickly without you even realizing it.

And like that, the hellish training continued until I was fifteen. I'm proud of myself for surviving that hellish training for five years.

And now, after I parted from my Master with emotion. I'm applying for work.

Wait!!! Do not take it wrong!!! I was moved not because I parted ways with my Master but because I was finally able to break free from the hellish training.

Really, I even cried with tears profusely. It was the most touching day of my life.

If you ask where do I apply to work? Is there a place that would accept someone like me from the slums? No! Of course there is no such work!

I enlisted to work in the imperial army. The conditions are very easy, you just have to pass the test.

And the test is also very easy! Compared to hell training, this is as easy as you cooking instant noodles, not tiring at all.

I was accepted easily, and my first duty was to guard the city gates.

This is ridiculous!!! The hellish training I went through for five years and I was only a gatekeeper? Is my practice in vain?

It's so disproportionate! God! Please uphold justice for your servant.

Actually after being accepted into the imperial army, my job isn't just guarding the gate.

I also have several other tasks, such as making reports on people passing through the city gates, training at the military camp, and the most dangerous one is following the conquering army.

What is a conquering army? Let me explain for fools like you.

The conquering army is an army sent to exterminate monsters. In every city or border there will definitely be monsters attacking.

Although there were people called adventurers whose job it was to exterminate monsters. But sometimes the monster population will get out of control and attack residential areas.

To prevent this, a conquering army was formed to exterminate the monsters before they were overpopulated.

But there are also Special cases, these Special cases are called Monster waves. The Monster Waves are at risk of destroying the city so adventurers are not enough to deal with this.

The number of monsters in a Monster wave is no joke, they can be thousands. And usually among the monsters there are high-level monsters that ordinary humans cannot deal with.

But things like that rarely happen, so usually the conquering troops just exterminate the monsters so they don't get overpopulated.

For this task, we are only sent to exterminate monsters only once every few months. It was to prevent the monster extinction from happening.

Why? Aren't monsters evil and must be exterminated? But unlike that, monsters are also needed in human life.

Monsters are not only bad influence but also good influence. As can be an adventurer's livelihood, some monster parts can also be sold for a high price.

Not only that, monsters can also hold other monsters. They can also exterminate pests, so they are a faster means of transportation than horses.

Well~• just don't think that monsters are always bad ok? Listen to this old man's advice, hohoho~•

Hey, who's that? Why is there parental advice? Well it doesn't matter.

So far I've followed the conquering army twice, and this time it's the third time. And also this time is very special.

What special? if you ask, then what is special is that there are legendary class monsters!!!

Oh no, I'm going to die, definitely die. What are those old man thinking!!! Why do I have to face a legendary class monster!!!

Oh right! Before you die, write a will! But I don't have any will, nor do I have any relatives.

Oh well, I don't care either.